Christmastime is here again and with it comes my lifelong obsession with retail. This truly is the greatest time of the year and I live for the commerce that flows around it.

People say, “Christmas has become too commercialized”. It’s true. We are all driven to find the perfect gift for that special person, sometimes at whatever cost. I spent a few hours Saturday at the BMO Centre wandering the aisles of staving Calgarians who were desperately dropping money for unique and sometimes ingenious goods for that loved one. I couldn’t get enough of it. The craft fair is commerce at it’s roots. Make something, likely with your heart and hands, and sell it for profit. The world of retail used to always be this simple. Go to your favourite store, shoppe, bazaar, fair etc and buy, whatever you have to to make the season right. That is until the internet ripped the heart out of Santa.

Now I would be a hypocritical Grinch if I didn’t tell you that I have bought presents on the web. The sheer selection of items that you can reach via the web make this a retail phenomenon. Every year that goes by, I find myself buying new and novel items that I haven’t seen in stores. But every time I hit “click to buy” I feel the knife in my heart. I live and breathe retail daily and know the challenges that stores continue to have in finding the right mix of product and value to provide unique offerings to its patrons. If we just look at the art of online shopping for the selection, value and convenience it is, retail is doomed. But what about the experience?

I realize that the experience of hitting the malls is no picnic this month but we should embrace it. Is it really a special gift if I search it on eBay/Google/Amazon and have it shipped to my home while I sit on my couch drinking eggnog? Hell no! The real art is the experience in securing the gift within the marketplace we live in. That’s what makes it a special gift and what gives you the stories to tell for years to come. Everyone loves to hear “that” story about “that” tremendous find for “that” amazing person in their life. The only place this story can be formed is within the madness of the retail that Christmas brings.

So let’s all head out there this next 12 days and revel in the moment. There could be a day in our lifetime where we don’t have these gigantic commerce superstructures to visit. Enjoy the parking issues at Chinook Centre. Embrace the jostling and barging that goes on in Walmart. Bang carts with the people rushing to the checkouts at Costco. Cheer for yourself when you figure out your personal jigsaw puzzle of gifts that you have to solve before Jesus’ birthday. Most of all, buy some stuff because it’s good for your soul more than it’s good for the economy. Don’t go crazy and live within your means but come on buy some shit you don’t really need or likely want.

It continues after Christmas too. Boxing Day is like retail porn for people like me but admit it, you love it too. I know we can all buy electronics online much easier but get out and smell the money trading hands that morning. I will be the guy standing in Best Buy with a big smile on my face.

Happy hunting!

Marco

Mary and I heard from our friends Michelle and Alan about somewhere new to get fresh fruit and veggies. We decided this was the Sunday that we would venture over to the Blackfoot industrial area and see what the fuss was all about.

It was better than I expected. Although the location is certainly not on the beaten path (4645 46th Ave SE), it was an easy to find location just off Blackfoot Trail SE. As you approach the colourful quonset looking building, it looks nothing like your new world farmers market. As you come through the door, you realize quickly that this place is going you have some quality and selection in produce.

The first thing you notice is the variety of selection that this quaint place has within it. Seasonally, you will find choices in fruit and vegetables that your average grocery store will not have. I was surprised at the variety of vegetables that are in stock this weekend and we quickly started loading our baskets full. The second thing is the quality of the product. Fresh produce is not always in abundance in stores. We were pleased with the quality of the product and even more pleased when we sampled the goods lated that night. Lastly, we were stunned at the amount of product we were able to buy for less than $30. Things like hot peppers, grapes and baby carrots, which often go at premium pricing in grocery stores, went for bargain pricing here. I was cautioning Mary on the price of the Champagne grapes she was loading into bags when I realized they were priced at half the grocery store rates.

The staff were very helpful to us and the patrons were even more helpful. You could tell that these customers were fond of this market and wanted to pass along their experiences testing some of the more unique samplings of the assortment. They would steer me towards their personal choices and give me the tasting choices of the selection. I can tell you that I tested their hypothesis that evening and they were right in all cases. I was well informed by them as to the seasonality of the foods and the fact that the market shuts its doors in mid-November as the supply of local veggies dries up.

Overall, we loved DJ’s Market! It was a refreshing change from the traditional farmers market experience and lended itself more to shopping at a farm, than a market. Is it worth driving from the far NW or NE corners of the city to buy? Probably not. But if you are living in the south central part of Calgary, this is a must try. We look forward to reloading our fridge there again next week.

Marco

I own a business and I spend most of my time investing in the people that make this company great. I can’t think of a better place to spend my time.

It’s the easiest statement in business. I’m only as good as my weakest staff member. But do businesses really know what that means. We, as the people that inhabit this planet, are complicated beings. We do not make things easy on other people around us and we tend to carry baggage and issue around with us. I strongly disagree with the statement that staff should “leave their personal issues at home” and come to work fully prepared to help the team. Of course, I expect everyone who works with us to do their best in this regard but to think that they can forget or fully bury their other life, is foolish. What staff really need is somewhere to go that is positive when their personal life is sideways. I feel compelled to be a resource to my colleagues when they need it most.

I think the impact of a positive understanding of their personal issues, to be moving and remarkable to a company. Boundaries are critical and mutual understanding and respect is essential to success in staff discussions but ignorance of these situations is unacceptable. I spend many hours a day taking the pulse of my operations and gauging where the hot spots are. If I am told that a staff member is troubled or having issues at work or home, its essential that we act quickly. The staff member isn’t always going to be willing to discuss and may show resistance but in my experience, the results are remarkable.

I have had countless situations with my employees over the years and I venture to guess that the large majority turn out right. Listening to them is an art, all the while steering them towards resolving their emotions over something. Very often, the issues at work come from the issues they carry with them from home. It is our responsibility to give them some of our time to listen, often without comment. It’s never easy because often there are obvious answers to their problems but they need to work through the reasoning themselves. I also believe that we have an obligation as leaders to also be honest with the employee, at work and often when they open up about home. A bad situation can’t always be sugar coated for them but I always err on the side of giving them a solution. They need to walk through the conclusion themselves.

A colleague who feels like you are invested into their work AND home life is a colleague who will become your greatest advocate. Their problems may persist and they may ultimately not be able to clear themselves of the issue but they will be committed to you and your business cause. Take a few minutes to look at your employees with a different set of eyes. See them as people. People who have tumult in their past and future and those who, like you, are vulnerable to the situation. If you can reach them on another level, you are giving them a great gift that they will remember and desire to return in the form of valuable performance.

Marco