The Retail Doctor Blog

Why Are Stores Closing Fitting Rooms?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:13:14 GMT

Theft is the reason usually given. Labor is the reason that keeps surfacing underneath it. And in the most-watched case of 2026, no reason was given at all.

Should We Close Our Fitting Rooms to Prevent Theft?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:04:05 GMT

No. The shrink you remove is smaller than the sales you give up, and unlike the shrink number, the sales number has been measured in a controlled field experiment.

Best Retail Sales Consultants for Mid-Sized Chains

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:30:01 GMT

The best retail consultant for a mid-sized chain depends on the problem you are solving. "Consulting" covers operations, technology, real estate, and selling, and those are different specialties. If your stores have traffic but weak conversion, you need a sales-floor training specialist, not a strategy deck or another software platform. Match the firm to the problem, not to the loudest name.

How Do I Get More Customer Reviews for My Store?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Do you ever stream a movie without checking a review? I don't, and your shoppers are no different. They're reading reviews of products, brands, and your individual store before they ever walk in. Reviews are the modern word of mouth, and there are two habits that build them.

What Poor Customer Service Costs a Retail Store

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Poor customer service costs a store the sales it already paid to get in the door. Not loyalty points. Not a survey score. Revenue you can count, walking out your front door.

How Do I Create Window Displays That Stop People?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:34:47 GMT

Most window displays fail before the first item is placed, because nobody decided where the shopper's eye would land. The window becomes a bunch of stuff, and a bunch of stuff stops nobody.

How Do I Sell to Different Personality Types?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Ever had a customer you could sell anything to, and another you couldn't reach at all? The first one was probably wired like you. The second one wasn't, and your own personality style is what held the sale back.

How Do I Run Store Meetings and Huddles That Drive Sales?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:49:23 GMT

The more you talk to your employees, the better they'll perform, because how you coach is how they'll play. Two formats do the coaching: the daily huddle and the store meeting.

Burger King's Your Way Champion Won't Fix a Franchise Training Problem

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:57:21 GMT

When Burger King announced its new "Your Way Champion" role - a dedicated manager in a special vest whose job is to make sure orders are right and customers feel welcomed - I posted one sentence on LinkedIn: you cannot vest your way out of a training and accountability failure.

Why Do Brick-and-Mortar Stores Struggle Without Sales Training?

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:24:38 GMT

Why Do Brick-and-Mortar Stores Struggle Without Sales Training?

Brick-and-mortar stores struggle without sales training because the purchase decision is made on the sales floor, and most associates were never taught how to influence it. In first-time mystery shops across our client base, associates score an average of 36%. They greet, they answer questions, they ring the sale if the customer asks for it. What they do not do is move a shopper toward a decision.