Profitgroups Furniture Retailers Gather for "Colossal" Meeting

April 26, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on April 27, 2010

More than 60 attendees representing almost 30 retail companies gathered in Colorado Springs last month for the third "Colossal" meeting of Profitgroups, the retail performance group division of retail automation vendor and consultant Profitsystems.

The Colossal Meeting, with the theme "Thinking about Tomorrow Today - Prospering in the New Economy," brought together five performance groups into one two-day super-sized meeting. Meeting topics included: The 5 Keys to Unlocking a Lifetime of Demand with the Design Trade, Search Engine Optimization, Got Social Media, Get Business Success, What's New--What€™s Next Version 12.0, and more. Speakers included Melissa Galt of Prosper by Design; David Lively of The Lively Merchant; Shelley Parlin, COO of Profitsystems; Rick Stark, former Profitsystems CEO; and Wayne McMahon, David McMahon and Chris Millet, who are all part of Profitconsulting.

"Exploration on how to increase profitability, industry insights, and best practices made this year's Colossal Meeting the most successful one to date," said Phyllis Zaepfel, vice president of Profitgroups and meeting facilitator. "The agenda was designed to not only educate the attendees on relevant and timely topics but also serve to rejuvenate and recharge our independently owned home goods retail store members."

Each day began with a full breakfast buffet, included a full day of presentations and panels, coupled with a networking lunch. Profitgroups' members continued networking with dinner and entertainment on the first evening.

"I have learned more about operating a profitable retail furniture company through Colossal than any other meetings or organizational events I have attended," said Mark Kruger, owner of Kelly's Furniture, Kirksville, Mo. "In addition to the educational aspect of these meetings, the contacts you make with like-minded business professionals have become invaluable."

"You always come away with many good ideas for both marketing and operations," said Patrick Young, owner of Patrick's Furniture Mart in Cape Girardeau, Mo. "It is easy to go back and take advantage of each idea that other business have implemented with great success. Stepping outside your store twice a year to meet with other retailers and examine your company, your books, your every aspect of your operation is invaluable to the overall success of your business."

This fall Profitgroups will hold individual meetings for each separate group. The agendas for these meetings will have different topics chosen to address the needs of each separate group. Some sessions, such as financial benchmarking, remain consistent for all meetings as this is an important metric used toward improving profitability.

For more information on participation in an upcoming meeting, contact Phyllis Zaepfel here, or call 800.325.2018 for more details.