In the last post we calculated the break-even point for an RMU business with one item in its product line. Although instructive, it’s hardly realistic. In this post we will look at an RMU business with a four items (the method is the same for forty items, or four hundred), each with a unique […]

  In the last post I demonstrated a simplistic approach estimating how much rent a merchant can afford.  It was a simple matter to calculate the number of units a sunglass merchant must sell to pay his rent.  Let’s reexamine the sunglass merchant and his RMU business, but this time we want to know what minimum sales […]

  Business models are often thought of as the tools of venture capitalists, bankers, and academics.   However, a model for an RMU business, wielded effectively, can be invaluable to developers and merchants alike. A good model predicts the merchant’s ability to pay his rent, estimates how many units must be sold to reach break-even, and […]

This is the third in a series of Blog Posts on how to qualify a fixture fabricator. In this posting, I discuss the role of the manufacturer’s warranty in the qualification process. Let’s begin with the written warranty. Most provide a term of one year. Exclusions (things not covered) may include: failures due to misuse, electrical […]

  In this second Blog Post on selecting a fixture fabricator, I discuss the fabricator’s vertical integration, and project management capabilities. Fixture fabrication requires the marriage of many manufacturing disciplines such as: CNC woodwork, Installation of solid surface counters, wood veneers, edge banding, and laminates, Glazing, Precision sheet metal fabrication, Powder coating, Commercial lighting, and electrical installations […]

If you are a manager whose responsibilities include asset management, specialty retail programs, or ancillary income, then it’s likely that you will be involved sourcing retail fixtures for your company’s portfolio. More than likely, you will be held responsible for the income that these fixtures are required to generate. Consequently, understanding how to qualify a […]

We are pleased to announce that Sharon Loeff of Shopworks, Inc. will be once again teaching at this year’s flagship Riordan School for Retail Real Estate Professionals. The event will take place at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ April 24 – April 28, 2016. Ms. Loeff will present the following courses. […]

Shopworks’ president, Sharon Loeff, has once again demonstrated her capacity for design innovation with the first installation of the MOD retail merchandising units.  Ms. Loeff created the MOD design for the standard product line of GST Retail, Shopworks Haltom, TX based manufacturing partner.   Steiner and Associates of Columbus, OH selected these remarkable fixtures for […]

Shopworks and Inland American REAL ESTATE TRUST, INC. team up to develop ancillary revenue for the REIT’S portfolio     Scottsdale, AZ, January 12, 2015– Shopworks, Inc., an Arizona based consultancy and its client, IA Management, LLC have recently completed a collaborative effort to develop an Ancillary Income Program for Inland American Real Estate Trust, […]

By Thomas Loeff   Developers and Specialty Leasing program managers frequently ask Shopworks to teach visual merchandising to their leasing staff.  Why is it important for a leasing representative to know how to merchandise an RMU?  Isn’t their job simply to ensure that their RMUs are fully leased, and that they meet their revenue projections?  […]

By Thomas Loeff   It is widely accepted that James Rouse and Benjamin Thompson built the first house of specialty retail when they renovated Faneuil Hall in Boston and created the first Festival Market.  But, if that is true, then it was early cart merchants and entrepreneurs who moved in and made it their home. […]

  By Thomas Loeff   The Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, IN has installed new RMUs and kiosks designed by Sharon Loeff, president of Shopworks, Inc.  The first two properties to receive the new equipment are Walt Whitman Shops, NY, and Town Center Boca, FL.  As many as ten additional properties will receive the new […]

By Thomas Loeff   Pushcarts, and kiosks have been around since biblical times, if not longer.  From wooden wheeled structures to dimly lit-stalls lining the unpaved streets of a medieval town; wherever people have congregated, there has been an opportunity for specialty retail merchants. The thirteenth century painting below shows a French marketplace.  It’s not […]