Feel like you're shouting into the void with your marketing? You're not alone—and it's not your fault.

Social media wants you reactive, emotional, and constantly second-guessing yourself. Meanwhile, big retailers operate from detailed seasonal plans made months in advance.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

In this episode, I'm revealing:

✓ Why sporadic marketing makes sales feel random

✓ How algorithms keep you stuck in chaos

✓ What big retailers do differently (without massive teams)

✓ The marketing structure that actually works for small businesses

Stop waking up wondering "what should I post today?" and start building a plan you can trust.

Links

Get your free Calmer and Consistent Sales Planner: resilientretailclub.com/sales

Join the Retail Sales Game Plan waitlist (reopening Feb): resilientretailclub.com/retailsales

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sign up to the waitlist

https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retailsales/

Why Profit Matters More Than Sales in Indie Retail

Sales growth is often treated as the goal in retail.

But without profit, growth just creates more pressure.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at why profit isn’t optional for independent retailers, and how better stock decisions change far more than just the numbers.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing turnover.

And it’s not about discounting everything to keep cash moving.

It’s about making deliberate, data led decisions that protect margin, reduce stock pressure, and give you room to breathe.

I’m joined by Paola Majuli, Stock Doctor and former senior merchandiser at global retail brands, to unpack what actually happens when retailers stop reacting and start managing stock with intention.

Together, we talk through real client results, what the numbers are showing after six months and a year, and why confidence often returns once the chaos settles.

In this episode, we cover:

Why profit, not cash flow alone, keeps retail businesses sustainable

What blanket discounting really costs you over time

How retailers increased sales while holding less stock

Why margin awareness changes decision making

What better stock management does for confidence and clarity

How strategic discounting differs from panic discounting

We also talk about Black Friday, overstock, pricing confidence, and why being selective about what you discount can actually drive stronger results than putting everything on sale.

If you’re running an independent shop and feel stuck in a cycle of buying, discounting, and hoping for the best, this episode will help you think more clearly about how profit, stock, and confidence fit together.

Chapters

00:00 Why profit isn’t optional

01:13 The real problem with blanket discounting

04:08 What the numbers show after six months and a year

06:27 Pricing, margin, and confidence

10:09 Why stock decisions matter more than people realise

12:36 How better data changes behaviour

17:47 Smarter Black Friday strategies

23:44 What confidence looks like in profitable businesses

Links

Stock Doctor: https://stockdoctor.net

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out the Stock Doctor

Find out more at stockdoctor.net

When Is the Right Time to Open a Second Shop?

Opening another shop is often seen as the obvious next step in retail growth.

But knowing when to do it, and whether your business is actually ready, is far harder.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at what really changes when you move from one shop to two, and then beyond.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing expansion for the sake of it.

And it’s not a checklist for opening multiple locations.

It’s about timing, clarity, and understanding whether the business you have today can genuinely support what comes next.

I’m joined by independent retailer Sarah Holmes, from Pencil Me In, who has grown from one shop to three across different locations in Scotland. Together, we unpack how those decisions were made, what changed at each stage, and why the second shop is often the hardest.

In this episode, we cover:

1. How to tell if your current shop is ready to support growth
2. Why growth often feels like exposure rather than relief
3. What changes when each location needs a different role
4. How buying mistakes multiply once you have more than one shop
5. Why clarity matters more than creativity in multi-store retail
6. Letting go of control without losing standards

We also talk about how expansion changes your relationship with risk, cash, and your team, and why growth should support the life you want to run, not just the business you want to build.

If you’re running one shop and wondering whether there could be more, or you’re already managing multiple locations and want it to feel simpler, this episode will help you think more clearly about what growth should look like for you.

00:00 Why growth is a timing question, not a goal

01:16 From one shop to three and why pacing matters

06:19 Why growth feels like exposure, not relief

09:30 Why each shop needs a clear job to do

11:03 Specialising instead of stocking everything

15:32 The danger of unchecked buying decisions

18:08 Using data to protect cash as you grow

22:22 Letting go without losing control

29:46 Choosing growth that fits your life

Links

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: