5 Things You Need in Putting Up A Small Retail Store

If you will put up a new store you will need these five things.

1. Capital – This refers to the amount of money to be spent in order to put up the store. The amount needed depends on how big the store is. The smaller the store, the smaller the capital needed.

2. Goods or commodities to sell – Goods or commodities are the different things that you put in your store for sale. One good characteristics of a store owner is that he/she knows his/her customers need.

3. Equipment and facilities – In order to operate a store effectively, cabinets, tables, chairs, benches and shelves are needed.

4. Site - This is where the store is to be located. It is always good to put up a store in very strategic places like an intersection of two streets. Some small retail stores, though, are located in the homes of the owners. The backyard or a part of the house nearest to the street which people can easily reach is used.

5. Pleasing personality – One needs a pleasing character in order to run a retail store. A successful store owner is one who is patient, honest, friendly and knows how to relate with people who buy in his/her store.

Basic Store Layout

So I was going through my college notes today, I remember having to memorize this basic kinds of Store Layout.

 1. U-shaped store layout – This layout gives the customers a good view of the goods on display and a chance to freely choose the goods they need. This kind of layout requires only a few people to attend to the needs of the customers/buyers.

2. Closed Store layout – This layout requires more people to manage the store and attend to the needs of the customers. Only the store personnel are inside the store while the customers wait to be served outside.

3. Parallel shelves Store layout – The goods are arranged parallel to each other. They are classified and arranged according to kind by shelf. This arrangement is advantageous to the customers or buyers. It will save them time and energy locating the things that they need.

4. Combination store layout – This combines the U-shaped and parallel shelves layout. The customers can have a good view of the products on display which are already arranged according to type of merchandise.

For those who are opening a new store I hope this helps. For students who are looking for more notes this can be a good help too. You can also check my  works with compilation of iPhone 4s cases that are best for cool people like you!

Rare Footage of Young US. President Barack Obama on 1991 Tv Ad, with First Lady Michelle Obama Booed at Nascar

Young Barack Obama on TV Ad 1991

Amid the negative popularity news with US fist lady Michelle Obama booed at NASCAR appearance the first couple is then again being starred on the news headlines. A new video has been circulating on social media and video sharing website Youtube about a rare footage of a very young Us. President Barack Obama appearing on a TV ad.

The ad is dated 1991, when being a president was a far fetch dream for the aspiring and talented editor for Harvard Law review School Barack Obama. I think by that time Obama was just imagining how he can be the first Black American to lead 51 states of his nation. Not knowing that 21 years later that dream would come true. From the video we can see how poor he is when facing the camera. Unlike now that he seem natural to be speaking on a lot of lenses focusing on him. Public speaking and oratorical skill is the best asset if you want to be on politics! The ad was for TBS on appreciation for Black History History Minute.

Watch the video here:



 Would you expect that Michelle Obama booed at NASCAR race? Look at her reaction here.

News Update: UC Davis Pepper Spraying Cop Relieved from Duty!

UC Davis Cops dissassembling occupy wall street protestors

This is an update on our coverage of UC Davis cops and protesters standoff where a raw video showed how two UC Davis cops intentionally released pepper sprays into a seemingly passive demonstrators. You can watch the UC Davis standoff here. 


The latest updates UC Davis police department ordered that the two police officers seen on the video were temporarily relieved from duty. This is to give way into a deeper inquiry or probe on the very intricate issue. The 10 campus university President Linda Katehi has already issued orders to make a committee that will also investigate the matter. UC Davis Chancellors will also convene to tackle the issue and regulate laws that will sanction the same incident if it will happen again. 

US Davis Police using Pepper Spray on Protestors

Lee Corso, Curses on Live TV, ESPN Network Apologize

Watch the video as ESPN sports commentator Lee Corso accidentally uttered a words that he shouldn't have. Cursing while you are live on television is a no! no! and doing it twice in a row is becoming a bad habit.  

It would appear that Lee Corso got a bit excited over the game and, well has a slipped of a tongue. 


What's more irritating is that he seem to take his cursing lightly, with a seeming apology admitting that he was just carried away. What will ESPN do about him? Will it be time to knock down and say bye, bye to cursing Lee Corso on television?!

Police Attacked Occupy Wall Street Protesters with Pepper Sprays Caught on Tape

Police Attack Occupy Wall Street Protesters  

Occupy Wall Street protest in UC, Davis went ugly when police officers used pepper sprays on passive participants. As shown on the video that we have here, one police officer took a canister of pepper spray and sprayed it on passive protesters sitting on the ground forming a human chain. Watch the intense standoff on this video. And you decide if it's police brutality and if we could live in this kind of society with cruel police force protecting the rich and the few.

Police were trying to break off the demonstration when the situation gets heated up. It ended with 10 arrests and some were hurt with pepper sprays. Clearly police were not exercising maximum tolerance to handle the standoff. Police retreated while the crown goes chanting “Shame on You!”

Let us hear what you think, was the Police action justifiable?

Whose rights have been violated here? What do you think will be the outcome of this actions? 

Six Important Factors of Store Layout

Ideal Retail Store Layout

When planning to put up a business in-store or online business store, one of the things that should be given careful thinking is your store layout. It should be attractive and impressive enough to win customers or buyers. This is done by arranging the goods inside the store or on your webpage or website attractively. The focus of this document will be more a physical store establishment rather than of an online store.

If you have Retail Store, Factory Outlet, or any store establishment you need to think of your inside arrangement which will refers to the display area, the counter, the furniture and other equipment, the shelves, etc. Convenience of 

The store layout is influenced by several factors:

1.       The Type of Customers – Will the store cater to a specific age group, race and gender, or national, international or will it be for general patronage?

2.       The Type of Merchandise Sold– What type of merchandise will the store be selling? Dry goods? Wet goods? Schools Supplies? Office Supplies? Electronics? Services?

Ideal Convenience Store Layout

3.       The Space/ Area Limitation of the Store – Does your store have big space? Small space? The area or space allotted for the store will affect the arrangement of goods, pieces of furniture, equipment, etc.

4.       The Furniture and Equipment of the Store – Is there a need for the big pieces of furniture and equipment? These things should be limited only to the essentials. Those that are not important in the efficient management of the should not be included. It will only obstruct smooth flow of movement of both the customer and the seller.

5.       Manpower – This refers to the person who will be managing the store. A bigger store would require more people to attend to the customer’s needs.

Further Reading:

To know more about how to start and plan your selling activities read my article on: Five Simple Ways to Sell Your Products.