Welcome to retail, baby

Some customers literally cannot wait to get their hands on the next big product release. For a certain type of consumer, having the newest tech or best-selling book or new clothing line drop is absolutely essential. When it comes to electronics, why not wait a few months to let people review the product and make sure it actually works well? For other products, however, it does make sense to try to get it as fast as possible. If you lived through the original “Harry Potter” craze of the early 20…

A customer was a bit too eager to shop at a new store in town. At some restaurants that are brand new, a “soft launch” will take place for the first few weeks they're open. During the soft launch, servers are being trained, the kitchen staff is learning how to make the food properly, and therefore the service might be a little slower than normal. That's all well and good for the restaurant industry, but there are no soft launches in retail. That didn't stop this woman from trying to break into…

Mama Bears are the fiercest competitor at the store, collecting goods and gifts for their offspring. However, as they're vying for front-of-the-line positions, fighting for special deals, and demanding that retail employees jump through hoops for the purchases, mothers can quickly transform into Karens.

This small business knows how to handle their most demanding customers. As a small business , you face unique challenges and have advantages that big chains don't always face. Especially in family-run businesses, the working conditions can be much friendlier to staffers. Corporate chains with hundreds of employees may seem cold in comparison---there's no way they can keep track of all those people. But at a small company, employees can have a little more leeway when it comes to their day-to-day…