By: William J. Hallan, President and CEO
Each year, I attend an annual conference hosted by the Council of State Retail Associations (CSRA). CSRA’s membership consists of the various state retail associations throughout the country, such as the Florida Retail Federation, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, and Ohio Council of Retail Merchants. Executives from each association gather to discuss industry trends and strategize about hot button legislative issues affecting the retail industry.
This year, the conference was in Minneapolis, and while onboard a Delta flight scrolling through the movie selections I came across a new offering. Delta now has a selection of MasterClass episodes within its entertainment platform. If you’re not already aware, MasterClass is subscription service that features learning tutorials from some of the world’s most recognizable artists, leaders, and icons. This particular flight happened to feature an episode with Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks.
One particularly interesting story he told was about Starbucks’ failure to successfully enter the Chinese market. After years of trying to bring coffee to a tea drinking society, he discovered the error. The expansion initiative was managed a world away by Seattle leadership that did not acutely understand the Chinese culture. Localized insight was necessary, and after some changes, expansion into the market took off.
Michigan Retailers Association is proud to be governed by a collection of retailers that understand the retail industry. At our August Board meeting, we elected two new directors that know what it’s like to open the door of their store each day and welcome their customers. Kendra Patterson, co-owner of Michigan Barn Wood and Salvage in Mason, and Raeann Rouse, owner of Bridge Street Baby in Rockford, join our team. They know retail, they know Michigan, and they will be excellent advocates for the retail industry.
