1,200 People Shopping

Anyone still thinking we are in a recession needs to take a walk through the new Nordstrom store at Ala Moana.  People were everywhere, and yes, they were carrying Nordstrom bags full of stuff.  
Nordstrom president Blake Nordstrom, was quoted on the Honolulu Advertiser as saying, “It took close to 15 years and three attempts to establish this store.” It took 10 minutes just to get through the door.

All Day - All Evening 

While the crowds continued throughout the day and into the evening, the other end of the mall looked like a morgue.

 Wake Up Call

Other mall retailers, especially Macy’s had better get creative and find ways to capitalize on the draw that Nordstrom has created to the mall.

Sony or Dell
As an admitted neophyte with the computer, it is always a big step to buy one. My first computer (in 2002) was a Dell, which I tossed out the 2nd story window along with the geek that tried to install a simple scanner on it. I also admit that today I probably could have handled the telephone tutorial that Dell offered at the time; perhaps even better than the geek did. In any case, it left a bad taste in my mouth for Dell. Since then I have only had Sony computers (lots of them).

Computers Don’t Like Coffee 

Spilling coffee into my lap top has caused me to order a new computer more times than I care to think about. When something goes wrong I buy a new one and trash the old one, or I give it to a friend capable of making it work. This time it was just a matter of wanting something bigger and faster.

So, I called my favorite geek (I hope that’s not offensive) and asked him, “What’s hot?” As he described the latest and greatest Sony computers I learned that they all come with the VISTA operating system. He went on to say that the only PC still available with Windows XP was Dell. My mind raced back to my earlier experience with Dell and I decided to look into VISTA. I found this YouTube presentation and it scared me. Then I read this article in The Register where geeks can talk to geeks. One said, “I have tried my best to work with VISTA. It just did not work, so I went back to XP and all my problems are gone.”

5-Day Delivery Time

So, Dell gets another chance. I ordered the biggest and best Dell made and had it delivered to my house.

From None to Three

I made an appointment with my “main geek” and had him set up the Dell, keep the Sony, and also install a Compaq as a third back-up; all XP. As I look at myself today with three computer monitors going I wonder whatever happened to that guy who swore that he would NEVER touch a keyboard.
STAY TUNED!

Optimism Required

I continue to hear negative comments about the economy and a so called recession. I also continue to say that “Now is the time to grow”. As evidence of Hawaii’s optimistic outlook, The Honolulu Advertiser reports that 17 new retailers will be opening stores along with Nordstrom’s 210,000-square-foot store. Among those stores are a number of Success Dynamics clients, and I can tell you that we don’t accept pessimism in our ranks. Our clients continue to see good and even record numbers. I am very excited about all of the new opportunities that this growth offers and will also be watching the impact on the naysayer’s and doubters.

Opening Soon
I had the opportunity to tour this new wing the other day and can tell you that the enthusiasm runs high. We are looking at 300,000 square feet of new retail space, bringing Ala Moana Shopping Center up to 2.1 million square feet with about 290 tenants.
Along with these new stores comes the opportunity and challenge of finding good salespeople to work in them. My suggestion is to NOT seek “good salespeople” (they are already doing well elsewhere), but rather to just find “good people” and then help them become good salespeople. My father used to say, “The new broom sweeps clean”. New salespeople do not have any bad habits and are more likely to be open to your teachings than some “old pros” that may want to teach you (and your other employees) their way instead.