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

Congratulations, you’ve made it through another year — 2019 is almost upon us. How was your 2018? Did you meet your goals? What are you planning for next year? What products or services are you thinking about for 2019? To help you
through the upcoming year, The Retail Observer will continue to bring you our best up-to- date coverage of the industry as we see it.

With so many opportunities for education through trade shows and associations, we have chosen to take a more in-depth view of International, National and Regional shows and events to keep you current about the trends and product offerings to grow your business.

Upcoming in Las Vegas in January is CES—the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. A high-level business event that touches all industries, its the place where business gets done; a platform for innovators of all sizes to build their brands. Every major technology company on the planet participates in CES in some way. Last year, over 180,000 attended with over 4500 exhibitors.

Taking place at the end of January, Las Vegas Market is a unique business platform in the furnishings world that delivers a confluence of new opportunities as only this industry thought-leader can. Featuring an incredible breadth and depth of product offerings, it offers attendees easy access to nearly 4,000 world-class manufacturers and fresh new resources.

Design Construction week comes a month later next year, held in February in Las Vegas. The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design. With the expansive show floor filled with the freshest designs from over 600 leading brands, it is a one-stop shop providing attendees and exhibitors the ultimate destination to network, exchange ideas and build their businesses. In June, the 2019 Builders’ Show will bring together more than 1,500 top manufacturers and suppliers from around the globe in 600,000 square feet of exhibit space, showcasing the latest and most in-demand products and services.

We hope to see you at one or all of these great events. To see a schedule for 2019, go to www.retailobserver.com/2019-year-at-a-glance.html. And don’t forget to say “Hi!” if you see us!

Happy New Year,
Moe Lastfogel
​moe@retailobserver.com

The end of an era creates opportunities for the independent retailer

Sears, the once-dominant retail chain that changed how Americans shopped and lived, has finally filed for bankruptcy. The 132-year-old company has been struggling for several years and has been drowning in debt. The final straw was a $134 million debt payment that wasn’t feasible for Sears to repay.

Sears was once the nation's largest retailer and its largest employer. In its heyday, it was both the Walmart and Amazon of its time. Formed in 1886 by railroad station agent Richard Sears, the company started as a watch business in North Redwood, Minnesota. Sears stores helped reshape America, drawing shoppers away from the traditional Main Street merchants. Its Kenmore appliances brand introduced many Americans to labor-saving devices that changed family dynamics. Its Craftsman tools and their lifetime guarantees were a mainstay of middle-class America.
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Whirlpool (which had started in business more than a century ago selling its appliances at Sears) pulled its various brands out of Sears and Kmart stores last year. Once the dominant appliance retailer in the country, Sears accounted for only 3% of Whirlpool's sales worldwide in 2017.

With 142 more stores closing, this is a substantial opportunity for you as a retailer to pick up their newly available business in your territory. Not only will there be sales opportunities, but many employees will become available to you. Sales staff, office staff, warehouse, and delivery personnel will be looking for employment. Sears has always been known to have a well-trained staff, and this means minimal training on your part. I assume liquidation of inventory, vehicles, and store fixtures will also be available to you. And of course, there will be plenty of buildings available if any of you are looking to expand your business.
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I myself am an ex-Sears employee. I worked for their specialty appliance division, McPhails, now known as Monark. As of this writing, it’s hard to predict what Monark’s fate will be. Iwishthemmuchluckinfindingasuitablebuyer for their group, as they have great locations and amazing staffs.

Good luck, my friends--
Moe Lastfogel
moe@retailobserver.com