​By Moe Lastfogel
Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer

Thank you for being associated with The Retail Observer over the years. I’ve got to ask, “What does it mean to be associated?” and “What can an association do for us?” The dictionary defines associated as: “Joined in some kind of relationship such as a colleague or ally or companion, etc.” How are we joined? What is our bond? Here’s how I see it. Each of us has a goal to better ourselves, our families and our lives. In that noble endeavor we look to each other for help, knowledge, friendship, and “coopatition.”

You may be saying, “Huh? – coopatition’s not a word!” Well, as a dear friend of mine put it, it’s cooperation between competitors. Through our associations and affiliations, we can implement change in an industry by the power in our collective numbers.

If you glance at the masthead to the right, you’ll see how we’ve affiliated our magazine with many of the industry’s top associations and buying groups, with more affiliations coming down the road. We’ve done this to help you, our readers, move more boxes. You know that the more boxes you move, the more profit you make (thanks to VRs).

In 2020 we’ll bring you new sections – from financial columns to business education. We’re working within our industry to bring you stories of successes and lessons learned. We’ll help you find seminars and educational opportunities that will assist you and your employees in developing your skills in this ever-changing marketplace.

We’ve also created two new pages on our website. Our Covid-19 News page will share industry news and resources and how they relate to this viral threat. The Heart of the Industry page tells stories from our industry partners and readers who are lending a helping hand to their communities and our Industry.
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Again, thank you for your readership and support of what we are doing for the Industry. Let’s all be safe and healthy together.

Happy Retailing,
Moe Lastfogel
[email protected]

By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

Don’t you wish you had a crystal ball to tell you when life will return to normal? The truth is, we must now learn to accept living in the “new normal”. Our routines have been radically altered, and our plans for the near future have changed. Things are currently beyond our personal control as concerns for our health and safety maybe thrusting us into a state of loss, depression, and confusion.

Here’s where the power of the mind is crucial in times like these. Darren Hardy is the publisher of Success magazine, an author and mentor to thought leaders globally and to those who choose to change the course of their future. (darrenhardy.com) Recently, he gave a brilliant talk encouraging people to find resources, hope, potential and possibility in order to take back control of their minds and their lives.

In his talk, Hardy said:
“The antidote exists inside your mind. The right resources can help keep you healthy, vital, and productive. Reground yourself psychologically and refocus your mind to what you can control. Utilize this time to plan and prepare for your comeback.
We are living through an incredible time in history, one that we will be telling future generations about for a long time. The world around is looking to you. Everybody in your industry is looking to you. Your company and your team are looking to you to determine how they should behave and how they should think and act going forward. They’re counting on you.
This crisis is defining who you are and who you decide to be. You can decide to emerge from this crisis a stronger more capable leader, a more capable loving and caring parent, a more connected friend, and a more engaged citizen than you were coming into it. You can decide to turn this COVID-19 crisis experience into the most positive defining event of your life. It's really what you do now that is going to greatly determine your future.” (dd.darrenhardy.com/the-antidote)

During crisis, I am personally in awe of how incredibly strong and resilient the human spirit is at meeting the challenges at hand. We stand in solidarity as we face these times together. We are not only human beings living within our communities here in the United States of America, we are all part of a global family.

Together we will rise!
Eliana Barriga
​[email protected]