Conversations
Dr. Marianne Bickle, Director, USC Department of Retailing
Marianne Bickle, Ph.D. is a professor and director of the Center for Retailing. The center conducts local and international projects and research, which focus on industry competitiveness. Her industry and academic experiences with brick-and-mortar retailing, direct marketing, Internet retailing, category management and distribution, provide her with a unique perspective on the retail industry.
Dr. Bickle has worked in the retail industry since 1976. She started working in the retail industry. She soon learned that she wanted to conduct research and teach retailing concepts. Since 1990, she has been conducting research and teaching in cross-channel shopping behavior, Internet shopping, fashion marketing, and consumer behavior decision making. Bickle's work also includes market analysis, survey research, corporate training and participation on a retail board of directors. She is a weekly contributor to Forbes.com.
On Tuesday, September 13, the USC Center for Retailing and the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management will host the 2011 Small and Medium Size Business Conference. The conference will be held at 1301 Gervais, Columbia SC.
MidlandsBiz:
Retailing has changed dramatically since 2008. What happened?
Dr. Marianne Bickle:
Retailing is still a very powerful force in our economy. In fact, it is the second largest employer in the country. When people think of starting a business, more often than not it involves some form of retailing.
Retailers have certainly faced a lot of adversity since 2008. Many were forced to close their doors including Circuit City and Linens and Things. Yes, there was an obvious drop in demand caused by the economic downturn, but many retailers were carrying too much debt on their balance sheets and were operating in their industry with an undifferentiated product line. In other words, retailers carried similar merchandise; this resulted in little competitive differences among companies. Retailers these days are smarter and more proactive with their businesses. They are much better with their inventory management and they are working hard to differentiate the merchandise.
MidlandsBiz:
Talk about the one day conference that you are hosting on Tuesday, September 13.
Dr. Marianne Bickle:
This conference is open to everybody and is ideal for anyone who is either thinking of starting a business or is already in business. The conference will take Tuesday, September 13, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and will cover topics essential to running a retail operation. Whether you are an online retailer, traditional brick-and-mortar business (i.e., located in a mall) or offer merchandise through direct marketing (i.e., catalog, the Internet), this is an exciting opportunity to re-energize your business. Industry leaders will cover topics such as inventory management, marketing and sales, customer service, establishing banking relationships, dealing with landlords and understanding profit and loss. The cost is $75.
The College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at USC possesses industry data latest used by some of the largest retailers in the world. We are able to predict the latest trends in retailing, and what consumers will be buying up to 90 days out. That forecast is critical to retailing success, especially in a struggling economy.
Another big advantage to attending the conference is the opportunity to network with other business owners and ask questions of industry leaders.
MidlandsBiz:
What is the one piece of advice that you have for business owners?
Dr. Marianne Bickle:
Actually, I have several suggestions. The first is, know your limitations. Business owners often fall into the trap of focusing on what they love doing in their businesses, and they get bogged down because they ignore the other important things. Do what you do best and hire people with the expertise to handle other tasks.
Second, at whatever stage you are in your business, whether you're thinking about starting one or you're already an established business – write down your goals. Don't keep them in your head. Write them down. If your goals aren't written down, they don't exist.
The last thing I tell people who might be sitting on the fence about starting a business is, try it! You have to jump in and take a risk if you want to own a business. Now is a great time to start a business. You can obtain retail space at discounted rates. Technology also allows online retailers to thrive. Don't be the person who watches his/her great idea get started by someone else.
MidlandsBiz:
Talk about the ongoing series of seminars that you will be hosting throughout the year.
Dr. Marianne Bickle:
Monthly one hour seminars called Retail Buzz will take place in October, November and December. The seminars are held at 1301 Gervais, Columbia SC (2nd floor). The will be held from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. They are a perfect complement to our full day conference. More information can be found on the Center for Retailing web site.
