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"Halloween is around the corner, and shoppers aren’t ghosting it," writes Stephanie Carls on The Real Deal. “According to new data from 1,000 adult shoppers, 82% of consumers plan to make Halloween-related purchases this year."
Indeed. Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation's consumer survey.
“Even with concerns about price increases due to tariffs, Halloween continues to resonate with consumers of all ages,” NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights Katherine Cullen said.
This is no time to be left on the sidelines.
When you’re running a store, your days are already packed with ringing sales, juggling vendors, calming staff, and keeping the lights on.
That’s why so many independent retailers have been slow to jump on past waves of technology — e-commerce platforms, fancy POS systems, or social media dashboards. The tools were costly, fiddly, and frankly, not built for stores like yours.
But here comes AI. Might this wave be different?
It’s accessible. No IT department needed; a curious owner can try it on their laptop tonight.
It’s fast. From drafting an email to analyzing last month’s numbers, AI can take the drudgery out of tasks that bog you down.
It’s (relatively) cheap. Many AI tools cost less per month than a case of shopping bags.
Think about the prominent characteristics of today's in-store shopping experience:
More "self-service" for the customers (that is, less staff on the floor.)
Reduced in-store merchandise selection; "Just check our website."
Limited in-store knowledgeable staff.
Presumption that the shopper will do product research on their own.
And of course, self check-out by the customer.
Hmm. Are these providing more "convenience" for shoppers? Improving their shopping experience? Or – just shifting the work to them?!
For retailers, pricing is never an easy task. Finding the sweet spot between growing sales and maintaining margins – while astutely managing turns and cash flow – is not a no brainer.
Then there is today's environment. Consider these recent headlines:
Tariffs have changed summer and holiday shopping in the US. Almost 40% of surveyed consumers spent less on Amazon Prime Day than in years past. — Retail Brew, July 24, 2025.
After Pledging to Keep Prices Low, Amazon Hiked Them on Hundreds of Essentials. Analysis found increases on 1,200 low-cost goods, while competitors such as Walmart made them cheaper —Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2025.
So, shoppers are trying to spend less. But prices are creeping up, no matter what.
The big problem, of course, is how the shoppers are dealing with all this. More uncertainty is NOT what they want or need.
You can’t open a business magazine—or your inbox—without seeing breathless headlines about AI. “Retail is being revolutionized!” “Predict your customer’s every move!” “Automate everything!”
Tempting? Sure. But here’s a gentle reminder:
Your biggest risks—and your biggest opportunities—are still right there on your shelves, in your reports, and on your balance sheet.
What is the definition of "value" for customers? Pretty straightforward, actually.
Wait. What? "Benefits received?" "Burdens endured?"
Turns out, the only single answer to "What is value?" is, "It depends."
Don't just roll your eyes. What constitutes value for your customers increasingly is a make-or-break part of retailing.
Like beauty, value in retail operations is in the eye of the beholder. And frankly, that is subject to change from time to time. Or day to day. Or...
"As tariffs threaten to raise prices, a potentially existential question is facing retailers: How much inventory is too much or too little in such an uncertain environment—and is it worth squirreling away a little extra if higher costs are on the horizon?" *
That’s the question posed by Alex Vuocolo in the May 21, 2025 Retail Brew.
That vexing issue of “how much inventory is too much?” is not new to retailers, of course. But the volatility of the tariffs being imposed by the current administration are a significant complication.
Walmart's announcement that its prices are increasing due to the tariffs is welcomed by some retailers as an "everybody is doing it" cover story for raising their own prices. They can recommend that their staff just dismissively say, "Oh, it's because of the tariffs, you know," whenever customers challenge them about the price of an item.
That approach, commiserating with the customer, is likely to become widespread. After all, we all are feeling the impacts of higher prices, from the gas station to the grocery store.
But here's another idea for you to consider, an alternative to the victim mentality of the-tariffs-made-us-do-it. It all comes back to controlling the controllables in your business.
Incredible value! 👀
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