Trade Show Cities

Let's take a look at the city's that will host three of the four East Coast trade show this coming January. Having just returned from Richmond, and the city being freshest in my mind, I'll start with it.

The best way to describe Richmond, Va., is it's a very large small town. It has a personable feeling that most metropolitan areas don't, a good blend of old and new. From my observation, it is a very progressive community. Everywhere you cast your eye, something is being built, remodeled or improved. If you think the economy is doing poorly, you'd have a hard time proving it in Richmond.

The other key to the community's success is its open arms welcome for events such as the Expo. After speaking with a number of the city's leaders charged with attracting conventions and similar events, their can-do attitude is obvious. I can't remember who it was who commented to me some months back about putting a trade show in a smaller metropolitan area where the show would be courted, wooed and welcomed.

Richmond also gets high marks for friendliness. I didn't met one surley Gus in the three days I spent there. Even the drivers were patient with me while I occasionally lingered at an intersection trying to determine my next move. Maybe they just knew instinctively I was from Minnesota and needed to be indulged!

Is Richmond a perfect city? Nope. No city is perfect. Richmond has some warts, it has some areas that aren't too shiny but overall you don't get any sense of impending doom in and around the environs of the convention center. The downtown area does have an odd mix of one-way and two-way streets, driving lanes that disappear without warning and similar intermodal challenges you'd expect to find in an old Southern city.

The city has an amazing array of restaurants and attractions, including several pages of Civil War landmarks. Virginia's state capitol is located in the downtown area, as are a good number of hotels in a variety of price ranges. Access from the airport to downtown is simple and direct. The airport facility is fairly compact and easily navigated.

Atlantic City, as most of you know, is the "lame duck" city of the East Coast trade shows. The February Stanley Atlantic City show will be the last in the gambling Mecca, with the next Stanley market planned in Edison, N.J.

Atlantic City has its own brand of beauty, especially at night. The last time I stayed there, I was in a hotel out in Absecon. My room had an ocean view and the nearly perfect weather at the time made me want to stand and gaze out to sea endlessly. If you're into slot machines, poker and pull tabs, Atlantic City is definitely the place for you.

Hotels and restaurants are plentiful in Atlantic City, with a wide variety offered on both accounts. If you're one of those who thinks spending $100 on a meal is a good thing, there are plenty of restaurants that will accommodate your tastes. If you are into adventure and don't really cotton to roller coasters, jump in a cab. You'll appreciate life a lot more when you get to your destination!

The Atlantic City Convention Center is among the nicest trade show venues imaginable. It is bright and clean, spacious and inviting.

Of course, nearly everyone admits by this point that Atlantic City has just a few more negatives than positives, hence the decision to move the Stanley market elsewhere. A lot of people complain about the cost of hotel rooms, but if you book within the trade show blocks set up at many of the major hotels, the rates are actually fairly attractive. If you don't, you will end up paying $200 and up for a night in a very plain hotel room.

Overall, all of the trade show organizers in the mix have done an excellent job of negotiating attractive block rates, at least from the perspective of someone who travels a great deal and knows the relative value of a hotel room.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment for most people in our industry who attend the Atlantic City Market is the brusque nature of the people there, particularly those in the service industry. ll of us are so driven to provide good customer service that when we are treated poorly as a customer, it can be a bummer. Honestly, sometimes I think hotel front desk people and restaurant serves in places like Atlantic City think they're supposed to be rude, like it's part of the atmosphere and people expect it. I've had that opinion about Las Vegas for years!

So don't take it personally if you run into a goober while you're there.

For most of us who live above the Mason-Dixon line, if someone says "winter getaway," we automatically think of Orlando. Airlines that serve the northern tier of the United States add hundreds of extra flights each winter to accommodate those seeking solace from snow and wind.
The climate in Orlando in the dead of winter has to be its biggest draw, along with the wide array of things to do while you're there -- especially the Hopper Expositions trade show, of course!

The show is at the Orange County Convention Center in the downtown area of Orlando, about seven miles of the Disney developments. It's a great facilit with lots of plusss. If you take your family and they're not involved in the trade show, they can catch a shuttle from almost any hotel in the area to just about anything the city has to offer in the way of attractions.

Orlando is a city that knows how to treat visitors. It has a convenient airport, close enough to the heart of things that the trip to your hotel isn't an ordeal. The airport is stretched out over a considerable amount of real estate, so when you're planning your return, allow for extra time. I believe I read recently that the airport is now smoke-free. The last time I was there, it was still open territory for smokers and for someone who's particularly impacted by second-hand smoke, it wasn't a lot of fun.

The listing of hotel rooms in Orlando goes on for hundreds of pages, with everything to offer from Disney's finest resorts to Motel 6. The array of hotels with blocks for the trade show is great, as is their location in the vicinity of the trade show venue.

Orlando is probably one of the cheapest cities in the world in which to rent a car, another plus for bringing along the entire family and make a week of it. If your family's idea of a good time isn't the noise and confusion of Universal or Disney, windswept beaches are also with easy driving distance. The mix of elderly residents and lost tourists makes driving in Orlando an adventure, but the city is generally very well signed and easy to navigate.

Bring your lotion and sunglasses and get plan to get your feet wet.

More Reporting from Richmond

Those of you who have been around the equine trade industry for more than a decade remember a time when trade shows served a function other than pairing retailers with vendors. The social and educational aspects of the industry's trade shows were vital reasons why many of those who attended packed their bags and flew off to far-flung corners of the country.

Remember the Western-English Retailers Association and their educational seminars? That organization built its base on the back of those presentations. The idea seemed to have died with WERA, but many trade show organizers have offered educational programming since.

Jim Herbert is betting that polishing the idea a bit and relaunching it with a vengence might be the key to bringing back the glory days of equine industry trade shows.

Jim and his company are partnering with the American Equestrian Trade Association to produce the American Equestrian Tack and Apparel Expo in Richmond. Jim is using his own financial resources to make the show happen and has pledged 30 percent of the net profits to AETA. With that in mind, there's no doubt that attracting vendors -- companies who buy booths -- is constantly on his mind.

Beyond that, however, quite a little bit of thought is going into what exactly it is "in a perfect world" that would spring retailers out of their recliners and into the Greater Richmond Convention Center come January.

Programs to recognize excellence among retailers and innovation among vendors are planned. He's tapped Virginia Commonwealth University to provide merchandising and business management seminars and to produce the expo's fashion show. The educational effort is being coupled with a variety of receptions and additional social functions. He's attempting to build a better mousetrap. Judging from the update given earlier this week, the strategy appears to be gaining acceptance.

Of course, it takes affordable hotel rooms, the restaurants, the venue, the sense of safety, the vendors and everything else expected of a trade show these days, to make a market a success. If you go back and look at the survey AETA conducted some months back, all those other things were higher on the list of "musts" for retailers than educational opportunities. One thing is clear ... the expo will present a unique lineup of activities and events.

Reporting from Richmond

I spent the first three days of this week in Richmond, Va., site of one of the newest trade shows in the equine trade industry this coming January. Tuesday, I attended a town hall meeting with the coordinator of the American Equestrian Trade Association (AETA) trade show Jim Herbert and about 25 vendors and retailers at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

I will be sharing more of what I learned over the next few days in this blog and as always, you're invited to provide feedback. Before I go any further, a small disclaimer. Over the past five years I've been active in the equine trade industry, I've given liberally of my advice, counsel and opinions to anyone who asked (and occasionally to those who didn't ask!!). We have not taken sides on the trade show issues, but continue to look for ways to be an observer of what's happening on behalf of the entire industry.

This was my first opportunity to meet Jim Herbert. He's been around the trade show world for a very long time in a variety of setting. Jim and his company are fronting the AETA trade show ... it's all his money, no other big industry investors at this point. His commitment is to give 30 percent of the trade show's profits to AETA to begin the process of providing services to the equine trade industry.

What's being planned for Richmond this coming winter is a combination of a carnival, an industry conference and a trade show all rolled into one. A wide variety of education programs are planned and will be offered on the trade show floor. There will also be the social events and, of course buyers and sellers.

As of this morning, the trade show has more than 60 exhibitors, and more than 340 booths contracted.

The town hall meeting on Tuesday was followed by a tour of the convention center. It is a nice facility, very functional with a lot to offer. Richmond is a nice community with great hotels and friendly people.

One of the most burning questions that has been asked in the last few months is this: Why did AETA start a trade show when the majority of the people attending a town hall meeting in August strongly suggested the association league with one of the existing trade show producers?

I still am trying to get a satisfactory answer to that question, but here are some insights. The 200 or so people at that meeting were almost unanimous in their support of starting an association that would provide a wide variety of benefits to the equine trade industry. However, performing those functions costs money. Believe me, I know. I've been involved with the Western-English Trade Association for several years now and finances are always the bugaboo.

In order to finance the association, a source of revenue was needed and since someone was available and willing to participate in that venture, it made sense to the AETA organizers to go in that direction. Jim Herbert also pointed out to me that the 200 people at that meeting in Atlantic City were not the majority of the 14,000 or so vendors and retailers in the equine trade industry. Most of them were at home, many of them because there had become turned off to trade shows entirely.

Clearly, not everything AETA has done since it was founded last March has been well-planned or thought out thoroughly. Anyone looking for reasons to criticize the organization is going to find them. The same can probably be said for just about any entity in our industry.

AETA has its critics. Terry Mercer has been one of them. If you'd like to hear what he has to say on the subject, click here http://www.tackstoreinfo.com/aeta_letter.html.

What benefits the industry most at this period in time is getting the word out about all of trade shows available to retailers and vendors and what they have to offer. That's a healthy exchange of ideas. This is a political season in our country. What's your response when you see one of those starkly negative political advertisements on television? If you're like me, you rush for the remote and change the channel or turn off the television completely.

Do you wonder whether anyone ever debates candidates on their merits any longer?

Who's Riding in China?

Did it strike anyone besides me as odd that Wal-Mart may soon be the largest retailer in China? It has to make economic sense for them. So many of their products are made there. If they can cut out the shipping costs, their profits ought to soar!

This development holds a great deal of interest for the equine trade industry. China is undergoing a consumerism revolution with the average income rising sufficiently to allow the average inhabitant to purchase things reserved predominantly for shelves in the United States.

So somewhere in all this, there has to be a rising class of people who would love to get into horseback riding. Can you imagine how many Western saddles, pads, bridles, halters and the like could be sold in a country the size of China? It's probably the great growth market for equine manufacturers every conceived.

I read recently that many Chinese universities are requiring their students to take golf lessons, since so many international business deals are made on golf courses. Maybe with some encouragement they could make riding lessons mandatory.

It's really not that odd of a concept. Look at Russia. There's an emerging class of equestrians there. There's even a large equine trade show in Russia now that has drawn interest from many other countries around the world. The United States has been slow to see the benefits.

Take Brazil. Here's another golden opportunity for manufacturers of equine products to expand their markets. Rodeo in Brazil is bigger than it is in the United States. All across Europe and the UK, Western riding is taking hold. Some manufacturers have staked out territory there, but there is room for many more.

It takes vision. Imagine the first person who watched a chicken lay an egg and saying, "someday people everywhere will be eating those." Surely, many of his peers got a good chortle out of the comment. Yet here we are today ... egg consumption is huge.

So when I ask "where are the horseback riders in China?" it may not be any more odd or strange. Who knows, 50 years from now, some of our equine products companies could be the leading supplier of saddles, blankets, headstalls or muck buckets in China.

Stranger things have happened.

It's All in the Packaging ... or is it?

Have you heard about the guy in New York City who scours the city for garbage, carefully places it in a plastic cube and sells it for $50 a pop? You can check out his Web site www.nycgarbage.com if you don't believe me. Apparently, he's doing quite well.

So what lessons can equine retailers take away from this gentleman's experiences?

First, and obviously, if you know what you're doing, you can sell anything and succeed at it. Talk about your ultimate markups! Free supply of garbage and a buck or two for the cube.

Consider, perceived value is sometimes as important as actual value. How many of you have a brand name product in your store that outsells the exact same product hanging next to it, although the brand name product is more expensive? It happens all the time.

Something unique is always going to sell. Keeping the buzz alive, of course, is the challenge, whether you're selling battery operated sall rakes or cubes of garbage. Unique products generate word of mouth, which generates customers. How unique is your product line-up?

The Internet is a good place to sell those unique items. If you are operating a Web site and trying to sell the same stuff a couple thousand other vendors are offering, why not think outside of the box? One store in Iowa, for instance, specializes in larger-sized Western clothing on its site and does very well.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson ... do something that gets attention. People all over the world are talking about the guy selling garbage in a cube. Wouldn't you be delighted if the whole world were talking about you and your store?

Running the Race

One of the things I stated at the outset of the recent spate of trade show wars was that it was hard to see the divisiveness amongst a group of people whom I consider to be colleagues, associates and in most cases friends. The rough and tumble of what has developed in some instances meant he who was quickest with the keyboard and email capability received the momentum. It's been interesting to watch it all play out.

This morning, my friend Morey Stein (and I call him "my friend" because he is just that) asked me if he could post the following on this blog and I was more than happy to oblige him. I think sometimes in all that has happened, we tend to forget that lives, careers and livelihoods are on the line. I'll have more to say about all this in a future blog. For now, here's what Morey has to say:

--------------------


The only constant is change, especially in the tumultuous world of business. After more than 11 years, Stanley Expositions remains ever more steadfast in its commitment to working with retailers and exhibitors to ensure the prosperity of the equestrian industry.

In March 2006 Hopper Expositions announced formation of their company. They outlined their market plans for the 2006 equestrian industry. In August 2006, Market Square’s Bob Goodrich announced plans to produce a 2007 Valley Forge show. In March 2006, Stanley Expositions readily provided complete and open access to its show facility and attendees in Atlantic City for the subsequent AETA board, providing a forum for all parties to express their opinions.

We also showcased the fledgling organization at our market party to promote member education and goodwill. Results were crystal clear: the vast majority of the industry voted NOT to implement any additional shows, expressing extensive disappointment and frustration with producers who have or were planning on more new shows.

On March 30 and 31, I held further discussions between Tom McGuiness, numerous retailers and Stanley. With the industry echoing calls throughout the summer for a more unified field, not more shows, Stanley contacted Hopper Expositions Sept. 14. We made attempts to partner together as individual companies to avoid any more divisiveness. We proposed co-production of future equine industry shows to bring all parties together.

We’ve always wanted to avoid unnecessary confusion and eliminate potential scheduling nightmares for entities attempting to cover multiply produced shows with conflicting timetables. Stanley spent much of 2006 spearheading such efforts to keep our industry together. Proposals and suggestions from Stanley to AETA and new independents were met with resounding negativity or ignored altogether.

Despite the challenges imposed on the industry, Stanley continues working to enhance the equestrian field reputation for helping each other in times of strife. As a family operation since 1989 we still dedicate every resource to producing the finest equestrian shows, bringing buyers and sellers together in an atmosphere of trust.

Passionate for the equestrian world, we’ve invested every asset for decades to grow our industry, nurture our relationships, serve our attendees, evolve with their needs and celebrate their successes. As all our businesses join together, we move the equestrian industry forward, preserve its integrity and virtually guarantee mutual success.

It is our faithful hope that amid this rocky era, historically unbiased media marketing partners will effectively work to support buyers and sellers with critical impartiality as retailer and exhibitors do what is best for the industry.

Morey Stein, President
CEOStanley Expositions & Conferences, Inc.

Pick One and Get Behind It

A recent development in the discussion of trade shows in our industry has been the idea of loyalty. Not a new idea, mind you, but one that is enduring. Here's an example of someone who took the idea to heart, picked one and became proactive. It may inspire you to do the same.


After weeks of reading the barrage of emails that have been circulating about the four different East Coast tradeshows, I have come to the conclusion that most potential exhibitors fall into one of three groups. The non-exhibiting “waiting for the dust to settle” group, the “must do several shows or miss buyers” group or the “strong supporter of one tradeshow” group. I must confess that for the past year we, at CCI Brands, have been members of the “waiting for the dust to settle” group. With four shows to choose from we have been apathetic about making a final decision about 2007.

Jim Herbert, the organizer of the AETA Expo, held a small impromptu meeting in Richmond last week, so I decided to call several of the attendees. I called Carla Perri of Perri’s Leather to get her perspective as a potential exhibitor. She said, “I think the most important message I can send from my experience is that this is the first time I feel that we have an opportunity to control our own destiny in the industry. Jim is very open to our ideas, and if you are willing to take the time to get involved he is willing to listen to what you have to say. It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, I truly feel that you can get involved and make a difference! Jim Herbert also has an extensive plan to cater to the retailers.”

I wanted a retailer’s perspective so I called Linda Warner of Champion Saddlery, who was also at the meeting. Linda said, “We need to unite and offer one extraordinary trade show instead of several mediocre ones. Richmond, VA offers a first class facility, central location, and mild climate. I am impressed that Mr. Herbert is asking the retailer and the exhibitor for suggestions to make this show work. He wants to offer pertinent education, addressing concerns unique to this industry - no more cookie cutter seminars. Mr. Herbert is mindful that for a show to be a success, products must be bought and sold and expenses must be kept reasonable for all.”

After attending the meeting last week, Stubben rep Lee Rafeld, was inspired enough to write an email titled “Bullet Points for Promoting our Show to Vendors.” Some of his points were:
The Richmond Convention Center is arguably the nicest and best suited Convention Center that our industry has ever held an event in.

The dock situation is excellent. It is a Non-Union State.

Richmond's location has half of our countries population within 500 miles.

Jim Herbert has unparallel experience in producing trade shows and his fresh ideas will get buyers involved and excited about attending include: awards, fashion shows, informative seminars, retailer best practices, a Perfect Store merchandising model display, and exciting special events.”

The statement that finally shook me out of my apathy came from Carla. “We need to take a stand and pick one show that we believe in and support it. By exhibiting at multiple shows or at no show we are perpetuating the problem of too many shows.” So I have picked one show to support - the AETA Expo.

Now that Jim Herbert is in charge, I believe that the AETA Expo has the potential of becoming a world class event and that the AETA association will give our industry many benefits, programs and most of all unity. If you are still undecided about supporting AETA, give Jim a call so that you can hear his vision of AETA’s future (571) 278-5658.

Stacey Chippendale
CCI Brands
stacey@ccibrands.com
www.ccibrands.com

Lassie, Come Home!

I have begun working on a project this week that I think will yield some valuable insight into the trade show scene in the equine trade industry. Beginning with the Atlantic City Market last February, I'm compiling a list of companies who dropped out of the trade show scene.

In other words, if you look at consecutive show books, their names no longer appear. In the early stages of this research, it's glaringly apparent that not only are retailers put off by what's happening in the trade show world, but vendors (manufacturers) may be just as miffed.

Eventually, we'll try to get these companies to share their reasons for giving up on trade shows and perhaps share them as part of our December Trade Show Edition of Tack 'n Togs Magazine.

Clearly, no one in our industry has much patience or tolerance for confusion. And who can blame them? When your business, your money, your way of life are on the line, you tend to want things presented in a clear and defined manner.

Thus far, the process seems to reflect very little empathy for what retailers and vendors are experiencing. That's beginning to change. There are signs here and there that it will get better, but will it get better fast enough to stem the river of people simply pulling their boats out of the water where trade shows are concerned?

If you're a vendor who has given up on trade shows, share your experiences here or email them to me directly pwahl@tackntogs.com and we'll compile them and share them with blog readers.

Wanna Buy A Horse?

I believe all of us who ride and train horses have felt this way after a particularly disappointing ride. For me, it happens once a month (and you're allowed to read into that anything you'd like!).

My three-year-old registered Quarter Horse filly "Sugar" (Michelles Redocpepper) is by far the best horse I've ever owned. She's athletic and smart, a willing learner and just a heckuva lot of fun to ride. But for a few days each month, it's like being around a fire-breathing dragon.

It begins when you go to retrieve her out of her stall and instead of offering her head to be hooked up to a lead rope as she's trained to do, she shoves her face at you with mouth open and her teeth showing. I guess that's supposed to intimidate me.

Tough go. She gets hooked up anyway and led to a tack-up area where the game continues. Her tail swishes and she stomps her feet, tries to pretend you're not there one moment and then gets irritated at whatever you're doing with her the next moment.

Under saddle, she has a hard time listening and every little thing (even some things that don't exist) are of much more interest than what I'm trying to teach her at the time.

There are probably several reasons it frustrates me. I haven't owned that many mares so I don't fully grasp how to deal with her when she gets this way. My first inclination was to take a trip down to the saddle shop and buy a galloon-size container of one of the calmer/soother products on the market. I really don't want to have to do that, but the option remains open!

I guess the other reason I find this behavior irritating is because my last horse was a 20-year-old gelding who was the same personality day in and day out. Didn't matter if you didn't ride for a week or a month, he was just greatful for human attention. He never protested or got fussy. (Oh, well there was that time I put his bit in backward in the dark ... he wasn't too keen about that!) He was like an old fishing buddy. The new filly is a princess, no doubt!

I suppose I'm going to have begin keeping track of her cycles and just keeping my distance when it's at its worst. It's like having two horses living in one body. When she's not PMSing, she's the greatest companion ever, full of fun and ready to get to work. When she's in heat, she's a bear and doesn't hesitate to let you know.

Give me a gelding any day!!!

Survey Sez ...

The British Equestrian Trade Association recently conducted a survey of the equine industry in the United Kingdom. The National Equestrian Survey has some tremendously interesting results for the 4 billion-pound industry. The survey was last conducted in 1999.

Several things they learned were worth noting.

Two-thirds of those responding said they were "very satisfied" with retailers who sell equine-related products. The figure probably holds a different significance in the UK than it does here because there appears to be less retailer competition. If a rider isn't satisfied, their options are a bit limited.

In our country, of course, an unsatisfied customer simply goes elsewhere, to a Web site or a catalog, which means if the same survey were to be done in the US, the number of satisfied customers would go up. The numbers in the UK were up dramatically from 1999 when only 32 percent of consumers said they were satisfied with their retailers.

Here's another. Almost 100 percent of regular riders surveyed said they wear a helmet (actually, more commonly called "hats" in the UK). I don't have any hard and fast statistics for the US, but I can tell you it's far below 100 percent, and probably closer to like 30 percent. Fortunately, the trend here is upward as more people realize the value and benefit of wearing a riding helmet.

Although the numbers of riders in the UK increased substantially between 1999 and 2006, the industry there also struggles with attrition. Those who had given up riding blamed a lack of time, expense and simply loss of interest. Only a handful were concerned about the risks involved with riding.

Risks involved with riding is one of the main concerns parents express to instructors in the United States. Our culture tends toward parental overprotection. If you think that's not true, stand out in front of a daycare center near you and count the number of parents who CARRY their three- and four-year-olds into the building.

No one is suggesting that good common sense be thrown to the wind, but it's also unreasonable to think you're going to protect your child from every little bump and bruise as they travel through life. Apparently, the equine industry in the UK has done a very good job of educating the public on safety issues or the culture there is just less concerned about a child stubbing his toe.

Here are other conclusions fromt he study:

-- Women riders outnumber men by three to one, although more men are riding. It's probably more like 9 to 1 in the United States, at least from casual observation. Interestingly, the bulk of equine retail operations in the United States are operated by women, as well.

-- Riding for pleasure beats out competing, although the number of riders competing in the UK has gone up considerably.

-- More than 80 perent of equestrian consumers in the UK have access to the Internet, but only half or so admit to buying online. The number of online shoppers in the US continues to rise dramatically, particularly around the holiday season.

If you'd like more information on the survey, visit www.beta-uk.org.

Making the Customer Happy

Last week, my wife and I pulled all of our winter clothing out of storage. Hard to believe it's already that time of year. Seems like just yesterday we were getting out shorts and t-shirts.

I discovered a sweater I hadn't worn for several seasons amongst the "finds." I'm not sure how it survived that long in our limited storage space, but I was glad it did. You see, I've managed to lose nearly 20 pounds in the last four months or so and now this sweater actually fits! It was an expensive piece of clothing that I thought would fit when I bought it, but it didn't.

Unfortunately, after it's long hiatus in a garment bag, it smelled used and abused. It was "dry clean only," of course, one of three dry clean only pieces of clothing I own.

So off to the dry cleaners to get it back into shape. Now I should tell you the material this sweater is made from is fairly light and stretchy so hanging it on a hanger is not an option. It hangs down to my knees if it's left on a hanger.

At the drycleaners I asked if the sweater could be boxed. The answer was no. The explanation was vague but had something to do with the fumes related to drycleaning. Apparently they don't dissipate when you box a drycleaned item and the result can be rather noticable.

So they're going to dryclean my sweater and hang it on a hanger and basically make it unwearable. Oh, they said they could "try" to drape it over the bottom rung of the hanger rather than pushing the hanger up to the neck and letting sweater's shoulders take the brunt. Small comfort.

What to do? Take the sweater around town and find a drycleaner that can offer a better way to clean it without ruining it? Toss it in the trash and chalk it up to bad garment selection?

I gave the drycleaner the benefit of the doubt. Tomorrow I'll pick it up and pay my $12 and see what I get. I'm not expecting a positive outcome.

So the question becomes, "Why hasn't someone invented a drycleaning process that doesn't use all those nasty chemicals so that items could be boxed after cleaning?" I mean, those chemicals have to be detrimental to the environment and do I really want my clothing next to my skin that has been treated like a common weed in a farmer's field?

How often do you as retailers tell your customer, "We can't do that?" What response do you get? Do you ever wonder why we can send astronauts into space but we can't create a way to dryclean a sweater without ruining it in the process, for instance?

Makes you wonder.

One more experience with customer service. Sunday afternoon, my wife and I went to one of our favorite grocery stores to shop for the week. We spent an hour picking out what we needed (and a few things we didn't need!). We shopped with the Sunday advertisement in hand, but noticed quickly that many of the sale items weren't marked.

While my wife finished the selections, I went to find the customer service manager to find out what was up. Turns out the store's computer was malfunctioning and they were unable to enter the sale prices -- which means they couldn't legally mark the sale items (false advertising). I asked her to assure me that the checkout staff knew about this and there would be no problem actually getting the items we selected at the sale price.

No problem. All staff had been alerted and would automatically know to look for sale items when ringing up sales.

We finish shopping and arrive at the checkout. The first item through scans at the regular price, and the checkout employee simply pushes it on the black belt and goes to the next item.

"Wait," I said. "That's a sale item."

"Oh ... it is?" she said, looking at it as if she'd never seen a carton of orange juice before in her life.

I knew we were in trouble.

While my wife bagged, I tried to keep on top of which items needed to be price modified. My wife has a better memory than I do, so as she bagged the items, she discovered several that had not been price modified.

The checkout employee was completely confused and several times when she price modified items, she keyed in the wrong price.

Finally I suggested that we simply let the store have all of their items back and we'd shop somewhere else. This suggestions didn't phase the employee one iota. In fact, she seemed relieved.

We left the store and drove down the road to a competitor and did our shopping all over again. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I think I made a statement about customer service. I wasn't loud or obnoxious, I simply stated my case and we left quietly.

Did we do the right thing? You can settle a debate and perhaps save a marriage here if you share your input and comments. Would you have left the groceries sit and moved on to another store or would you (as my wife contends) not want to waste another hour shopping and just pay the nonsale price?

What say you?