GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT USRA!! |
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MAY EVENT 2023
We are so excited to move forward with our annual May Event. After having to cancel for the last few years, we are thankful we can once again meet in person as we help to rebuild, re-energize and re-connect our industry. For more info on the USRA May Event check it out here.
Upcoming Trade Shows:
-The IR Show: Jan. 17-19 in San Diego, CA
-MAGIC: Feb 13-15 in Las Vegas, NV
-The Atlanta Market: Feb 18-20 in
Atlanta, GA
For more show info: Links are below.
Hope you plan to attend the shows and of course the upcoming USRA May Event 2023
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THE USRA IS IN BUSINESS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS! |
Join the USRA and become part of the community. USRA offers not only money saving benefits, but also networking and educational opportunities. We do what we can to help you improve and grow your business. |
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Candy Wilhite & Suzie Lister in the Jambu booth at the IR Show in San Diego. |
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HAPPY RETIREMENT!!
Join us in wishing Candy Wilhite from Jambu & Co, a very Happy Retirement. After 45 years in the shoe business she's decided to retire.
Candy has been a great friend & supporter of the USRA and we appreciate all she has done for us.
Good luck on your next adventure Candy! We will miss you. xo
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WELCOME
OMNI DIGITAL GROUP!
Omni Digital Group, an advertising and data company headquartered in Iowa, is excited to partner with the USRA and help shoe retailers grow!
We have been exclusive to the shoe space now for 5+ years serving shoe retailers both big and small across America. How do we do this? We have developed proprietary software that connects to a retailer's POS system to help them use data to grow through Facebook, Instagram, email, and texting. For example, we can take every profile in your POS system and match that with a Facebook profile. We can then place ads in front of these people and then see how many come into your store to shop. We focus more on in-store transactions vs eCommerce. You can see all of the analytics and ROI data on our dashboard!
We look forward to working and connecting with many of you over the phone and at industry events. Here's to growth!
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Aetrex 3D Scanner Making Friends Fast
The Albert 2 Pro is state-of-the-art and user-friendly with increasingly broad applications.
AETREX CEO LARRY SCHWARTZ was confident the latest version of its 3D foot scanning technology, the Albert 2 Pro, would be a hit in stores with customers being able to discover what shoes and orthotics fit best. And that’s exactly what’s happened since the scanners rolled out nationwide, beginning in October 2020. Soon after, though, wholesalers began reaching out to Aetrex about utilizing the services of the Albert 2 Pro—BOA Fit System being the first.
“BOA was interested to see how they could use our scanner, specifically 3D foot measurements, to help them further understand and identify the subtle variations in foot shapes,” Schwartz says. “We have the only scanner that collects 16 different 3D measurements, so it’s incredibly useful for developing footwear. The Albert 2 Pro can also collect both static (standing) and dynamic (walking) pressure data.”
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FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT:
Dan Jablons
Retail Smart Guys
Cell: 818-720-2585
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We’re the ONLY ones not raising prices!
Inflation is everywhere right now. We know.
And your vendors and suppliers are telling you they have to raise prices. We know.
Our costs have gone up too. But we're doing something different. We're not raising prices. We're reducing our margins, because we want to help you.
- If you are worried about inflation
- Or worried about growing your business
- Or want better cash flow
- Or need any kind of help with your stores
Right now is the time to contact us. The answer to any economic struggles in retail is to TURN FASTER. And that’s what we’ll help you do.
We can help you with:
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Merchandise Planning: The best way to improve your profits and cash flow is to speed up your turns and improve margins. We do that for retailers bigger than you and smaller than you, everyday in 18 countries.
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Purchase Order Entry: Sick of entering your own PO's after market? We'll do it for you, for less than minimum wage.
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Social Media Posting: Feeling burnt out on the Social Media stuff? Let us take it over. Again, less than minimum wage.
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Bookkeeping: Are you behind on getting your books up to date? Don't you wish you had financials that actually meant something to you? Let us do it for you, at a price that is lower than anything else in the market.
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Clienteling: The best way to drive sales is to have a solid clienteling program in place. Ours includes the best software for the job, and detailed client analysis that will tell you who to contact, and what to offer them!
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Merchant Service Rate Reduction: We can help you lower your merchant service costs WITHOUT having to change processors. That will save you a ton of money.
Reach out to me today, and we'll get you more money. It's that simple.
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Two Spring 2023 Trends Dominated at Coterie and Magic New York
Brands at the Coterie and Magic trade shows this week were all about bold choices in their footwear collections for spring ’23.
The Sept. 18-20 showcase at the Javits Center in New York City featured a variety of pumps, boots and sandals that correlated with a general return to live events and the workplace. Overall, brands expressed a sense of optimism, with many noticing an uptick in orders from retail customers looking to buy more new shoes to cater to demand in the marketplace.
When it comes to the trends that will dominate the forthcoming season, certain styles stood out above the rest. Most obviously, Western boots were everywhere, even at brands that don’t generally specialize in boots.
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It’s a drizzly morning in Charlotte, N.C., and Rack Room Shoes president and CEO Mark Lardie is reflecting on what it means to run a 100-year-old company. But there’s a sense he doesn’t spend a lot of time ruminating on the past.
“Retail is a relentless game. Every morning, across the country, 520 of our store managers will open their stores and start their business again. So there aren’t a lot of chances to pause,” he says. “But I guess a 100-year anniversary is cause to do so for a moment.”
That point comes up again and again during FN’s visit to the company’s headquarters, during sit-downs with Lardie and members of his leadership team. Retail is 365 days a year. And with the emergence of real-time data, you find out quickly whether you’re winning or losing.
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Get Out & Vote!
The 2022 midterm elections are fast approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 8, when Americans will vote in pivotal national, state and local races that will help decide the future of the country.
To help encourage Americans to turn out to the polls, a growing list of brands and retailers are helping to get out the vote. READ MORE...
Let's all get out and use our voice for change. Need to register?
I am a voter.® is a nonpartisan movement that aims to create a cultural shift around voting and civic engagement by unifying around a central truth: our democracy works best when we all participate.
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Skechers’ 30-year Sales Veteran to Retire
It‘s been a long and successful run. After nearly three decades with Skechers, Senior Vice President of Domestic Sales Rick Graham is hanging them up.
“We’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of Skechers this year, and Rick (Graham) has been a part of our family since the beginning,” states Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “He excelled at the company from the moment he joined us as a regional sales rep in 1993. For 18 years, Rick served as SVP for Domestic Sales guiding the best team in the business and building key relationships to help Skechers become the leader it is today. Though we will miss his insight and dedication to the company and industry, Rick leaves us prepared for the future.”
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Keith Keokuk
RICS Software
Business Development Manager
317-275-5941
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We can help with:
* Open to Buy
* Inventory Planning
* Marketing
* Point of Sale
* Vendor Negotiations
* Employee Analysis/Sales Training
* Store Management
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Success You Can See
Constant Contact is a trusted partner in helping small businesses, non-profits and individuals achieve real results and move their business forward. With all the tools you need to market your ideas, we make it easy to quickly and affordably build a professional brand online, attract customers, and do more business online.
Members of the USRA receive a free trial and then special discounted pricing.
Start marketing your brand today!
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EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS MADE EASY
ADP helps organizations of all types and sizes unlock their potential.
You may only need easy-to-use payroll software or you may be looking for solutions to make other aspects of HR simpler. See what our solutions can do for you.
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We Are Two Ten
Footwear Foundation
OUR MISSION IS TO BRING HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY TO THE PEOPLE OF FOOTWEAR
We provide crisis and hardship relief, mental health counseling, academic scholarships, and resources to help American footwear workers and their families thrive.
Two Ten started as a simple gesture of compassion in depression-era 1939, when a group of footwear workers came together at 210 Lincoln Street in Boston to help a colleague who’d fallen on hard times.
In the many years since that first act of kindness, Two Ten has evolved into a national charitable foundation that’s provided millions of dollars in support and services to generations of footwear families.
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Get Assistance
**Please Note: We are currently experiencing an extremely high volume of applications for financial assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding during this global pandemic, and will respond as quickly as we can to each and every application in the order received.**
Two Ten offers emergency financial assistance to footwear employees and their families that have been affected by the COVID-19 global health pandemic. If you are experiencing a financial emergency due to challenges associated with COVID-19 and have been working in the footwear industry part-time, full-time or as a temp for at least one year, we are here to help.
We provide crisis relief including financial assistance, counseling, and information and referral services for eligible footwear industry employees.
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Here are some more informational links:
OFFICE & CLEANING SUPPLIES:
HAND SANITIZERS & DISINFECTANTS:
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