Independent Thinking Podcast

Just a few weeks after being formally introduced as a consultant for Nationwide Marketing Group's Custom Integration division, Frank Sterns was with the group in Austin for the second-annual Oasys Summit. There, we sat down with him to talk about his first in-person experience with the group as a part of the team, and we dove into his career history and his vision for the group.

In an industry where the battle for margins enhancement is ongoing, something like product protection programs should be a no-brainer to business owners. But how you – and your sales team – approaches product protection with your customers can make or break the pitch. Howard's is a great example of a retailer that understands what makes its sales team tick, and leaning into that to improve their attachment rates.

Founded in 2009, BEDGEAR has quickly become one of the fastest-growing performance sleep brands in the world, and it's no accident either.

What if there was a way to benchmark your business against others in just about every aspect? That's exactly what NMG's new Cost of Doing Business study aims to solve.

Victrola is helping independent retailers capitalize on the resurgence of the record industry by offering innovative and modernized turntables. Don Inmon, head of product and brand there, dives into the category and their portfolio.

It was a truly action packed PrimeTime for the NMG Furniture, Bedding & Outdoor team. At the end of it all, we caught up with Jeff Rose, VP of the division, to talk about the new vendor introductions, the first-ever tour offered to Members of the World Market Center campus and other trends impacting the furniture, bedding and outdoor industries.

The TV market is a truly fascinating one to follow. Screen sizes continue to get bigger and picture quality continues to get more vibrant and clearer. But how much better can these displays actually get? We sat down with Bruce Walker, product evangelist at TCL, to get a – ahem – clearer picture of what's in store for TV technology.

A year in, we sat down with Chris Whitley to talk about the launch and growth of Ellipsys Commercial Technology Group and what's ahead for his expanding network.

You can't have a conversation about the retail industry without talking about the current status of the economy or where it's heading. We did just that with Velicia Sutton, managing director and general manager for Wells Fargo. In addition, Velicia dives into the world of inventory financing and shares how independent retailers can leverage this available benefit to free up cash to focus on other areas of their business.

Founded by Ken Dudley in 1978, Tip Top Furniture in Freehold, New York, has seen three generations of Dudley's take their place at the head of the family business. Currently run by Donna Mae, she and son Colby sat down for an interview during PrimeTime to talk about the keys to their multi-generational success and how they manage to merchandise a store that – at 35,000 square feet – can truly hold the entire population of Freehold.

While with us in Las Vegas for his first experience at a PrimeTime event, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Program Manager Dan Cronin sat down for a podcast. Cronin recounted his experience at the show, talked about the just announced Partner of the Year Awards (of which, NMG was an honoree) and much more.

The odds of a family-owned business making it past the second generation are never really great. So, the fact that Oaklyn, NJ-based Nastasi's is currently a fourth-generation owned and operated independent retail store is simply miraculous.

Unveiled during PrimeTime in Las Vegas this week, OneShop is Nationwide Marketing Group's revamped and upgraded digital solutions platform that's tailored to the needs of the independent retail channel.

Powerhouse Alliance Executive Director Dennis Holzer dives into the world of distributor buying groups with us and talks about the trends in product and purchasing that they see on the distributor side of the business.

Larry Carrico was presented with a unique opportunity early in his career to take over a rent-to-own business deep in the south. From that one location, he's been able to grow Rent One into a massively successful multi-state, 100-store operation.

Legends Home has been hard at work over the past few years evolving as a company, expanding into new categories and providing independent retailers new and streamlined ways of doing business.

Announced late last year, SlimTech looks to be one of the biggest innovations in the refrigeration category in nearly half a century. Why? And how? We sat down with Mario Gonzalez, senior manager of product marketing for the JennAir brand, to dive deep into the new technology and all the impacts it could have on this space.

Bob Maricich, Chairman and CEO of ANDMORE – the brand behind the Las Vegas, High Point and Atlanta furniture market events – graciously stopped by the Nationwide Marketing Group showroom during Las Vegas Furniture Market.

PayPal sheds some light on the many ways in which customers prefer to spend their money at retail – none of which involve cash or checks.

To get a grasp on why lighting has experienced such a surge in popularity in the custom integration industry, we chat with Jennifer Kirkpatrick, director of sales for American Lighting.