CrossCheck Blog

Making your product or service stand out from those of your competitors is key to attracting and retaining customers. One way to do this is to provide customers with an opportunity to customize the product to meet their specific needs. As consumers, we appreciate being able to tailor a product or service so it is unique to our tastes, requirements, and budget, whether it's a new sofa, pair of sneakers, mountain bike or spa day. Businesses that can do this effectively differentiate themselves and gain customer loyalty, referrals and repeat business.

It’s not uncommon to call a pizzeria and request delivery. For many pizza restaurants a majority of their business is shuttled off to customers’ homes and offices. Now a variety of restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops have made delivery of items an important part of their marketing strategy and they've seen a boost in sales. In tough economic times, taking your products and services to the customer can be an easy way to increase margins and gain loyalty.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects holiday spending for 2010 to rise 2.3 percent to $447.1 billion dollars. After a rough couple of years, an increase in dollars spent on gifts and entertainment this year is welcome news to retailers, restaurants and staff. In addition to planning your inventory, hiring extra help, and jazzing up your store displays, here are a few tips to keep in mind so your holiday sales don't turn into holiday blues.