As we close out 2025 and step into a brand-new year, this episode isn't about pretty planners or lofty resolutions — it's about the behind-the-scenes work that actually sets your business up for success.

In this solo episode, Ashley Alderson walks you through the five critical areas every retailer must review before the year ends so you're compliant, organized, profitable, and positioned to lead — not just hustle — in 2026.

From money and inventory to operations, goal-setting, and leadership, this is your practical, no-fluff checklist for finishing the year strong and starting the next one with clarity, confidence, and peace.

You'll learn:

• How to close out your money & accounting properly (and why your accountant should be a strategic partner, not a once-a-year contact)

• Why year-end inventory counts are non-negotiable — and how they impact taxes, markdowns, and open-to-buy planning

• Where hidden costs live inside your apps, subscriptions, and operational expenses

• The importance of systems, processes, and community — and who you should (and shouldn't) be surrounding yourself with in the new year

• How to set better goals using leading vs. lagging indicators so your plans actually turn into results

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Best Year Yet

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

As we head into 2026, one thing is clear - the gap between average retailers and top performers is widening — and it has nothing to do with effort.

In this Five Minute Friday, Ashley Alderson breaks down what the top 10% of retailers do differently right now, and why those decisions are positioning them to grow and scale while others feel stuck. Hard work isn't the issue. Strategy is.

Ashley shares the four key differences separating high-performing retailers from those struggling to gain traction — and how you can start applying these shifts immediately as you plan for the year ahead.

You'll learn:

• How building systems before you need them changes everything

• Why top retailers operate like CEOs — not reactive entrepreneurs

• What it really means to use AI as a strategic partner (not a shortcut)

• Why customer retention is outperforming reach and visibility

• The retailers winning in 2026 aren't guessing. They're operating with clarity, data, and intention — and you can too.

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

If you're getting ready to plan 2026 and want clarity—not chaos, this episode is for you.

Today, we're planning your entire year in 26 minutes. This is not a to-do list episode. This is a guided planning session designed for you to pause, reflect, write things down, and make intentional CEO-level decisions about what stays, what goes, and what actually moves your business forward.

Grab your planner, notebook, or favorite gel pens — this episode is meant to be paused, rewound, and revisited as you work through it.

You'll learn:

• How to define what you want your business to feel like by the end of 2026

• The exact reflection questions to review 2025 before planning forward

• How to identify the ONE thing that could change everything next year

• How to reverse-engineer your revenue goals using leading indicators

• How to reclaim time through systems, automation, and delegation

Links & Resources:

Best Year Yet

Retail Bootcamp

Traffic Calculator

2026 Retail Planner

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

As we close out the year and head into a new one, it's time to get honest.

Most businesses won't fail in 2026 because of the economy — they'll fail because they're still operating like it's 2019.

In today's Five Minute Friday, I'm breaking down the four biggest mistakes I saw retailers make over the last year — mistakes that are quietly costing you time, money, margin, and momentum. If your business feels busy but not profitable, chances are one (or more) of these is holding you back.

You'll learn:

• What winning retailers will do differently in 2026

• The shift from "pretty branding" to real customer relationships

• How ignoring cash flow and margin creates long-term stress

• Why underutilizing AI and automation is no longer an option

• The dangerous gap between sales and actual profitability

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Allie Falcon to unpack what it really looks like to build a recognizable brand rooted in story, style, and grit. Allie shares her journey from ranch life and handmade leather goods to manufactured apparel, wholesale growth, and a showroom at Dallas Market Center.

They talk wholesale growth, brand consistency, and what successful boutiques do differently when they market brands with a story. Plus: Round Top with Junk Gypsy stories, pricing strategy, learning to say "no," and the legacy Allie hopes to leave.

You'll learn:

• Why cohesiveness matters more than random "good products" when building a line sheet and wholesale presence

• How to move from handmade/custom work into a more sustainable model without losing your creative identity

• What boutiques do best when they market story-driven brands (and why displaying collections together matters)

• How wholesale can stabilize a business when social algorithms shift

• Two key business lessons: price for future wholesale now + know when to say no

Join The Boutique Hub

Best Year Yet

Allie Falcon:

Website: Alliefalcon.com Instagram: @alliefalconTikTok: @alliefalcon

🛍️ 10% off with code BHub

Alliefalcon.com

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

In this Five Minute Friday, Samantha Conner continues our market conversation by diving into the actual product trends hitting trade show floors right now — and more importantly, how they apply across every retail category. From apparel to home + gift, children's, and even western, today's trends are crossing categories faster than ever.

You'll learn:

• The bold color trends coming for 2026

• The rise of faster trend cycles (every 8–10 weeks) and how to keep up without overbuying

• How cost-per-wear and cost-per-use are driving smarter buying decisions

• How pop culture moments are shaping what customers want next

• Why quiet luxury is fading and maximalist, personality-driven style is back

🗓️ Download the 2026 Tradeshow Calendar: 2026 Tradeshow Calendar

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

Join The Boutique Hub

Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

Retail buying doesn't have to be overwhelming—or lonely.

This week, Ashley sits down with Angela Schmook (Roadrunners, Reps Are Local Too) and Kelly Bristol (Just Gotta Have It, GHTA leader) to reveal why your local sales reps might be the most powerful, underused resource in your business.

Fresh from the GHTA Conference in Park City, they break down how reps support retailers far beyond taking orders: helping with events, securing promos and exclusives, spotting local trends, and giving you insider knowledge you'll never get from ordering online. They also unpack the shift toward lifestyle retail—where home, gift, and apparel collide—and how to approach markets with confidence, even if you've never stepped inside a showroom before.

You'll learn:

• What reps really do and why working with one is free

• How reps help you buy smarter, plan better, and spot trends early

• How showrooms actually work (and why you shouldn't feel intimidated)

• Why home, gift, and apparel are merging into lifestyle retail

• How to prepare for January markets and build stronger vendor relationships

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

Join The Boutique Hub

Angela Schmook & Kelly Bristol

Website: repsarelocaltoo.com Instagram: @repsarelocaltoo

Facebook: repsarelocaltoo

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

Today, Samantha Conner kicks off a two-part Five Minute Friday series breaking down the lifeblood of every retail business: inventory. And to understand inventory, we're taking it all the way back to where it begins — trade shows and markets.

In Part 1, Samantha uncovers the biggest 2026 trade show trends every retailer needs to know, whether you're selling apparel, home and gift, children's, western, or anything in between. With over 25 shows attended last year, The Boutique Hub team has a front-row seat to what's changing — and how you can plan smarter.

You'll learn:

• Why there are more trade shows than ever and what that means for you

• The rise of niche markets and how they can serve your business

• How major shows are leveling up with education, activations, and immersive experiences

• What retailers should consider when deciding which shows to attend

• Why inspiration at market is becoming just as important as the product itself

🗓️ Download the 2026 Tradeshow Calendar: 2026 Tradeshow Calendar

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

Join The Boutique Hub

Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

What if 2026 could be the year you finally stop spinning your wheels and actually run your boutique like a CEO?

In this episode, Ashley sits down with "Retail Professor" and denim twin, Sara Burks, to unpack their biggest retail predictions for 2026—from AI and Meta's new Andromeda algorithm to niching down, live selling, and building a content engine that actually works.

Ashley and Sara share what they're seeing across thousands of boutiques, what's changing fast, and how the most successful store owners are planning now for a more profitable, peaceful year ahead. They'll also walk you through what to expect inside the Best Year Yet Challenge, happening January 6–8.

You'll learn:

• Why AI is no longer optional—and how smart retailers are using it in every part of their business

• What Meta's new Andromeda algorithm means for your content, reach, and ad strategy

• How live selling and video can humanize your brand and deepen customer loyalty in 2026

• How the Best Year Yet Challenge helps you map real strategy (not just wishful goals) for profit and peace all year long

• Why niching down is the only way to stand out, charge more, and build true brand authority

Join the Best Year Yet Challenge - January 6–8 — three days of live Zoom sessions with Ashley, Sara, Jeff, and the Boutique Hub team

Best Year Yet

Join The Boutique Hub

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Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

Great visual merchandising doesn't just look pretty — it sells.

In today's episode, Director of Partnerships & Education, Sara Burks shares how great merchandising goes far beyond pretty displays. It creates emotion, inspires discovery, increases average order value, and helps customers see themselves in your products. She breaks down how to design purpose-driven zones in your store, use lighting and height to influence buying behavior, and create an environment that keeps customers coming back again and again.

You'll learn:

• How storytelling transforms the merchandising experience

• Simple in-store mistakes that lower your product's perceived value

• How to design purpose-driven zones that guide customers naturally

• Why lighting, height, textures & mirrors dramatically increase engagement

• How to create a store layout that reduces confusion and increases confidence

🛍️ Join thousands of retailers who've transformed their business with The Boutique Hub.

Join The Boutique Hub

Ashley Alderson: Instagram

The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube