HeyJaredSavvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast
Host, Kathy Cruz is a retail business coach who owned a retail business with her sister for a decade. She knows firsthand that running a retail business, both online and in a brick and mortar has its challenges.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 7
- Latest publication
- Sep 24, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 16, 2026
Latest episodes
285. What Your Retail Return Policy Is Really Costing You (opens the original)
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Ever wonder what a single frustrating return is really costing your store? In Episode 285, Kathy Cruz breaks down why your retail return policy affects a lot more than the merchandise sitting at the cash wrap. She walks through the sales you might be losing before a return ever happens, what it really costs to restock a "generous" return, and why the gap between your written policy and your actual policy can turn you into the return department. If your store is heading into its busiest season, t
284. A Better Way to Plan Your Shop's Year (opens the original)
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Most business planners were never built for retail. They give you a place to write goals, but not a system for knowing when to start buying for a major season, when to review inventory, or when a promotion needs to be built before the night it launches. In this episode, Kathy walks through what changed in the all-new 2027 Shop Planner. For the first time, the printed and digital versions contain the exact same planning system, so the only decision is which format fits how you work. She breaks do
283. Planning Isn't What You Think It Is (opens the original)
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Kathy challenges the common belief that "I'm just not a planner person." She explains why using a planner and actually planning are two completely different skills, and why so many retailers unfairly grade themselves on the wrong one. Kathy digs into why repeating the same decisions year after year quietly drains mental energy, shares a real coaching story about a shop owner who moved five stalled projects forward in one sitting, and offers one simple question that can save you from remaking the
282. Why You Feel Like You're Always Behind as a Retail Store Owner (opens the original)
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Kathy shares the results of a poll inside MSK where 67% of independent retailers said they always feel behind, and breaks down why that feeling usually has nothing to do with how much you're doing. She walks through the four-domino chain that turns a rough day into a harsh self-label: a nervous system still in stress mode, harsh self-judgment, an identity like "I'm just not a planner person," and finally a planning system borrowed from someone whose brain doesn't work like yours. Kathy explains
281. When to Flip Your Store to Christmas: What the Data Says About Timing Your Holiday Merchandising (opens the original)
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Every fall, shop owners split into two camps. One says never rush the season. The other says shoppers are already out there spending, so meet them where they are. Both camps have a point, and in this episode Kathy walks through the data so you can make the call with confidence instead of going with your gut alone. Kathy breaks down three approaches to timing your holiday merchandising: flipping early, waiting for the traditional post-Thanksgiving switch, and the hybrid approach she recommends mo
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