The Running Great Stores podcasts are created for Retail Leaders. Our goal is to talk to powerhouse guests who are experts in their field and provide inspiration for Brick and Mortar store leaders that help them create remarkable customer experiences and operationally excellent stores.
Today we’re diving into one of the most overlooked opportunities in brick-and-mortar retail — your foot traffic. Based on insights from Mark Ryski’s powerful book Store Traffic is a Gift, we’re going to unpack why every person who walks through your door ismore than just a potential sale — they’re a brand touchpoint, a loyalty moment, and a chance to grow.
If you’ve ever said “we’re not getting enough traffic,” this episode is for you — because what you do with the traffic you do get might be the real problem.
Let’s talk about what it means to turn traffic into results — and how to lead your store team to stop wasting the gift.
A little about Mark. First and foremost, I am so thrilled to call him my friend, colleague, and mentor. He is a recognizedauthority on store traffic and shopper conversion. He is the author of When Retail Customers Count, the first book ever written dedicated to the study of store traffic, and Conversion: The LastGreat Retail Metric. His insights have been featured in leading business and retail publications and a featured Braintrust contributor on Retail Wire.com. He was named a RETHINKRetail TOP RETAIL EXPERT in 2025.
Mark is also the founder and CEO of HeadCount Corporation. For over twenty years, he has helped retailers—from independent stores to large-scale chains in more than twenty countries—understand their store traffic
Action Items from today's Podcast:
1. Align staff resources to traffic maximizing labor spend
2. Audit your traffic to conversion flow. When is there a dropoff in conversion? Who are your best converting managers? What can you learn from these "super converters" and apply to everyone else?
3. Understand your non-buyers. Talk to customers who are leaving without making a purchase to understand their why.
4. Train your sales team on the behaviors that drive conversion including treating customers like long lost friends, and not "selling" to them but providing service that meets the customers longing to look and feel beautiful.
5. Celebrate the wins. Don't wait for perfection, reward progress.
To learn more about Headcount, visit their website at https://www.headcount.com
To learn more about Running Great Stores, visit my website at https://www.runninggreatstores.com.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelwilliamson1823
Subscribe to my Substack: https://runninggreatstores.substack.com/
Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runninggreatstores54/
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runninggreatstoresThank you for listening!
xx, Rachel
11 Nov 2022
Winning At Retail this Holiday: District Manager's Guide to Success
Brick and Mortar retail at holiday? Well there is nothing better. It's exhilarating and at the same time, can be stressful. Today's guest, Jim O'Toole, has mastered the art of winning at holiday as a multi-unit leader and he shares his secrets with us!
James is a successful multi-unit leader who has spent time working for some of the most iconic brands like The Gap, Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, Lenscrafters and others. He even spent time working with me at Running Great Stores!
You are going to love his perspective on how to create a successful holiday season for both your team and your customers. His positivity is contagious and his tips are easy to implement. I know you will love hearing Jim's ideas and be excited to take them back to create a winning holiday season!
Enjoy the listen!
p.s. To get a recap of the podcast, visit runninggreatstores.com and click on the Knowledge Center and then Podcasts!
xoxo,
Rachel
18 Feb 2022
Formula for Success (from a Store Manager’s POV) with Brandon Simpauco
I am so excited to launch this episode! Brandon has spent much of his life coaching, developing and training competitive athletes and now leads store teams for one of the most iconic brands in specialty retail.
He is a hands-on leader and passionate Store Manager with a consistent track record of driving top line sales, recruiting talent and building high performance selling teams.
Everyone is going to take something away from this podcast! Brandon is amazing.
Enjoy the listen!
Rachel
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