Why Profit Matters More Than Sales in Indie Retail

Sales growth is often treated as the goal in retail.

But without profit, growth just creates more pressure.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at why profit isn’t optional for independent retailers, and how better stock decisions change far more than just the numbers.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing turnover.

And it’s not about discounting everything to keep cash moving.

It’s about making deliberate, data led decisions that protect margin, reduce stock pressure, and give you room to breathe.

I’m joined by Paola Majuli, Stock Doctor and former senior merchandiser at global retail brands, to unpack what actually happens when retailers stop reacting and start managing stock with intention.

Together, we talk through real client results, what the numbers are showing after six months and a year, and why confidence often returns once the chaos settles.

In this episode, we cover:

Why profit, not cash flow alone, keeps retail businesses sustainable

What blanket discounting really costs you over time

How retailers increased sales while holding less stock

Why margin awareness changes decision making

What better stock management does for confidence and clarity

How strategic discounting differs from panic discounting

We also talk about Black Friday, overstock, pricing confidence, and why being selective about what you discount can actually drive stronger results than putting everything on sale.

If you’re running an independent shop and feel stuck in a cycle of buying, discounting, and hoping for the best, this episode will help you think more clearly about how profit, stock, and confidence fit together.

Chapters

00:00 Why profit isn’t optional

01:13 The real problem with blanket discounting

04:08 What the numbers show after six months and a year

06:27 Pricing, margin, and confidence

10:09 Why stock decisions matter more than people realise

12:36 How better data changes behaviour

17:47 Smarter Black Friday strategies

23:44 What confidence looks like in profitable businesses

Links

Stock Doctor: https://stockdoctor.net

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out the Stock Doctor

Find out more at stockdoctor.net

When Is the Right Time to Open a Second Shop?

Opening another shop is often seen as the obvious next step in retail growth.

But knowing when to do it, and whether your business is actually ready, is far harder.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at what really changes when you move from one shop to two, and then beyond.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing expansion for the sake of it.

And it’s not a checklist for opening multiple locations.

It’s about timing, clarity, and understanding whether the business you have today can genuinely support what comes next.

I’m joined by independent retailer Sarah Holmes, from Pencil Me In, who has grown from one shop to three across different locations in Scotland. Together, we unpack how those decisions were made, what changed at each stage, and why the second shop is often the hardest.

In this episode, we cover:

1. How to tell if your current shop is ready to support growth
2. Why growth often feels like exposure rather than relief
3. What changes when each location needs a different role
4. How buying mistakes multiply once you have more than one shop
5. Why clarity matters more than creativity in multi-store retail
6. Letting go of control without losing standards

We also talk about how expansion changes your relationship with risk, cash, and your team, and why growth should support the life you want to run, not just the business you want to build.

If you’re running one shop and wondering whether there could be more, or you’re already managing multiple locations and want it to feel simpler, this episode will help you think more clearly about what growth should look like for you.

00:00 Why growth is a timing question, not a goal

01:16 From one shop to three and why pacing matters

06:19 Why growth feels like exposure, not relief

09:30 Why each shop needs a clear job to do

11:03 Specialising instead of stocking everything

15:32 The danger of unchecked buying decisions

18:08 Using data to protect cash as you grow

22:22 Letting go without losing control

29:46 Choosing growth that fits your life

Links

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

The 5 Problems Growing Retail Businesses Don’t Expect (But Almost Always Face)

If your retail business looks successful on paper but feels far harder than it should behind the scenes, this episode is for you.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about fixing beginner mistakes or chasing the next growth tactic.

It’s about what happens once your business has momentum, and instinct alone stops being enough.

After working with hundreds of established product businesses, I see the same problems come up again and again.

Not because founders are doing things wrong, but because the business has outgrown the way it’s being run.

In this episode, I walk through the 5 problems growing retail businesses don’t expect (but almost always face).

These include:

1. Why growth often creates chaos instead of clarity
2. What it really means when you don’t trust your numbers
3. Why being busy doesn’t always mean you’re moving forward
4. How everything living in your head turns you into the bottleneck
5. What to do when your business no longer fits your life

We also talk about why structure isn’t restrictive, how it creates freedom, and what it looks like when a business is designed to support the person running it, not drain them.

If any of this feels familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It usually means you’ve outgrown the stage you’re operating at.

Chapters

00:00 Why growth starts to feel heavy

01:36 When success creates chaos

06:09 Learning to trust your numbers

08:26 Busy versus real progress

11:06 Everything living in your head

15:25 When your business stops fitting your life

18:10 Retail by Design

Links

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

If you’ve been told that online retail growth means more ads, more automation, and more noise — this episode will quietly challenge that.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about scaling fast or chasing the latest ecommerce tactic.

It’s about building an online business that actually works for the people running it.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Simonds, founder of Artichoke and winner of Online Shop of the Year at the Boutique Star Awards.

Sarah runs an online fashion business in a way most people would say doesn’t scale.

She calls every new online customer.

She designs systems to protect customer service, not replace it.

And she focuses relentlessly on a demographic the industry largely ignores.

After 25 years working with retailers, I see this pattern again and again.

The businesses that perform best long term aren’t always the loudest or the most automated. They’re the clearest.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. Why slowing down parts of the online experience can increase profit
2. How calling customers dramatically reduces returns and boosts lifetime value
3. What good systems actually look like in a small retail business
4. How Sarah uses AI to support decisions without losing human judgement
5. Why community, service, and clarity still outperform “best practice”

We also talk about the less glamorous side of growth — becoming the bottleneck, building resilience into the team, and creating structure so the business doesn’t rely on one person holding everything together.

If you run a product business and want online sales that feel sustainable rather than exhausting, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

00:00 Why “more marketing” isn’t always the answer

03:10 Serving an ignored customer demographic

06:20 Calling every new online customer

10:45 Reducing returns and increasing lifetime value

15:30 From pop-ups to online growth

21:10 Removing the founder bottleneck

27:40 Systems, structure, and ClickUp

33:30 Using AI without losing the human touch

41:50 Community, collaboration, and long-term growth

Artichoke: https://www.artichoke-online.co.uk

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Catherine’s book — Tame Your Tiger: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912300096

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Why Retail Business Growth Starts to Feel Heavy at Six Figures

If your retail business is doing well on paper, but somehow feels heavier than it used to, this episode is for you.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.com.

Get 10% off hardware with the code GamePlan10.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is the Resilient Retail Game Plan — product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing more sales or adding more tactics.

It’s about the moment growth stops feeling exciting and starts feeling risky.

When decisions feel heavier.

When stock, cash flow and planning won’t switch off in your head.

And when everyone assumes you’re doing brilliantly, but you’re quietly feeling stretched.

After 25 years in retail, I’ve seen this pattern again and again. Hitting six figures doesn’t magically make things easier. For many founders, it’s the point where relying on instinct stops working and structure becomes essential.

In this episode, I talk through why growth often starts to feel heavy at this stage, why it’s not a motivation problem, and what actually helps founders move from reacting to leading again. I also explain how Retail by Design and Stock Doctor work together to bring clarity, calm and confidence back into growing product businesses — without overwhelm or fluff.

If you’re tired of winging it, second-guessing decisions, or carrying everything in your head, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on — and what support should look like at this stage of growth.

00:00 The 'Heaviness' Struggle for Product Retailers

05:42 Stock & Strategy Solutions

06:49 "Retail Growth Through Stock Insight"

10:06 "Retail by Design Program"

Website: https://resilientretailclub.com

Retail Sales Game Plan: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retailsales/

Enjoy the episode?

DM me your takeaways or questions @resilientretailclub on Instagram. And if you find the show useful, please follow, rate and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Meta Ads Have Changed – What Actually Works in 2026

If Meta ads feel like a wild goose chase lately, you’re not alone—and you’re not imagining things.

With thanks to this episode's sponsor SumUp (https://sumup.com) Use the code 'GamePlan10' to get 10% off hardware from their online shop!

Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly, and this week on The Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m rolling up my sleeves with Meta Ad strategist CJ Sinclair to dig into why product business advice for retailers is evolving fast.

Algorithms have turned upside down.

Forget the old playbook; smaller brands now have the nimble edge over the big guns. From creative diversity to new ways to track ROAS and cash flow for retailers, we break down what actually moves the needle in 2026. I’m bringing my 25 years in the trade—plus CJ Sinclair’s day-to-day on the ground—for an episode that’s equal parts practical know-how and myth-busting.

Why listen?

1. Squeeze more margin from your Meta ad spend, even with a modest budget
2. Nail creative that cuts through—no high-gloss needed
3. Get independent retailer tips to speed up pivoting, not just scaling a product business
4. Avoid common ROAS mistakes and measure what matters for profit
5. Connect your email, website and socials for rich marketing strategies that don’t break the bank
6. Learn how to improve cash flow in a small product business while boosting conversion rates

Links:

Website: https://resilientretailclub.com

Retail Sales Game Plan: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retailsales/

Enjoy the episode?

DM me your takeaways or questions @resilientretailclub on Instagram. And if you find the show useful, please follow, rate and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Stock doctor

Ever wondered what Christmas really felt like at the sharp end of retail—and what it’s whispering about your 2026 playbook?

This episode of "The Resilient Retail Game Plan" is brought to you by SumUp. Get 10% off their hardware by clicking the link and using the coupon code "GamePlan10"

I’m Catherine Erdly, and welcome to this festive edition of the Resilient Retail Game Plan—your product business advice, with a side of reality.

This isn’t a spreadsheet post-mortem, it’s an honest (sometimes wry) look at how Christmas truly landed for independent retailers.

After 25 years in retail, I know December isn’t just numbers, it’s stories, triumphs and warnings we need to catch while they’re fresh—because come January, all that noise gets buried under new-year resolutions and stocktakes.

In this episode, I’ll invite you, not just to audit your cash flow for retailers or nit-pick inventory management, but to actually feel your festive season.

Think: one sentence gut-checks, inspiration scavenger hunts, and surprisingly useful lessons from your own inbox, shopping habits and the businesses that quietly wowed you.

January clearance doesn’t have to feel like a panic move, a brand compromise, or an admission of failure.

This episode of "The Resilient Retail Game Plan" is brought to you by SumUp. Get 10% off their hardware by clicking the link and using the coupon code "GamePlan10"

Hi, I’m Catherine Erdly.

This week on the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m walking you through how to run a proper stock clearance. Not a blanket discount. Not a last-minute scramble. But a strategic, cash-releasing reset that helps you start the year lighter, clearer, and more profitable.

If the idea of discounting makes you nervous, you’re not alone. I hear it all the time. Fear of damaging your brand. Fear of training customers to wait for sales. Fear of “doing it wrong”.

So in this episode, I break down exactly how experienced retailers approach January clearance, and how small product businesses can do the same, without ending up on a discount treadmill.

We talk about when to run your sale, what should and shouldn’t go into it, how deep to discount, and what to do if stock still isn’t shifting.

This is about releasing trapped cash, reducing mental load, and giving your business the space it needs to move forward.

We cover:

– Why clearance is a strategic tool, not a failure

– What stock belongs in a clearance sale (and what absolutely doesn’t)

– How to decide your discount levels without obsessing over margin

– Why January is different in the customer’s mind

– How to plan and promote your sale so it actually works

– What to do if products still don’t sell

– How clearance can increase full-price sales

– Turning stuck stock into space, cash and clarity

If you’re heading into January with a stockroom that feels heavy, overwhelming, or quietly stressful, this episode will help you take control of it properly.

Links:

Website: https://resilientretailclub.com

Retail Sales Game Plan: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retailsales/

Enjoy the episode?

DM me your takeaways or questions @resilientretailclub on Instagram. And if you find the show useful, please follow, rate and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

On paper, Anna Scaife's business Anna Lou of London looked unstoppable — multi–seven-figure turnover, dream stockists like Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, celebrity customers, even a Carnaby Street shop. But behind the scenes, the numbers were quietly telling a very different story.

This episode of "The Resilient Retail Game Plan" is brought to you by SumUp. Get 10% off their hardware by clicking the link and using the coupon code "GamePlan10"

Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly.

This week on the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m digging into the real retail profit vs turnover conversation.

What happens when the visibility shoots up, the orders explode, but the margins… don’t?

Anna shares how she scaled too fast, drowned in stock, tried to please every buyer, and chased the kind of “success” that looks incredible on Instagram — but nearly cost her the entire business.

We talk about the ego hits, the financial shocks, the burnout, and the moment she finally rebuilt everything from a place of alignment, clarity and actual profit.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep growing, keep adding more, keep saying yes — even when it’s draining your cashflow — this one’s going to land. Hard.

We cover:

– Why high turnover means nothing without margin

– How stockists can destroy cashflow without you noticing

– When “busy” becomes a red flag

– The emotional cost of maintaining the illusion of success

– Rebuilding with a made-to-order model

– Why alignment and nervous system regulation matter more than people admit

– What sustainable retail growth really looks like

This is the story behind the story.

And it’s one every product founder needs to hear.

00:00 "Anna's Untold Business Struggles"

04:23 "Pivoting to Sustainable Simplicity"

06:29 "Misalignment and Rediscovering Purpose"

09:45 "Wholesaling: Shuffling Stock Globally"

16:03 "Staying Aligned in Business"

19:32 "Intentional Business Growth Insights"

Enjoy the episode? DM me your lightbulb moments or next guest wish list @resilientretailclub on Instagram. Please rate, follow, and review this podcast in your app—it helps more indie founders decide to give us a try!

The shopfront of retail is about to change—will you be on the right side when the robots come knocking?

This episode of "The Resilient Retail Game Plan" is brought to you by SumUp. Get 10% off their hardware by clicking the link and using the coupon code "GamePlan10"

Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly.

This week on the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I’m laying out the four seismic shifts set to hit independent retailers by 2026.

Think agentic AI that shops for your customers, TikTok Shop turning the high street digital, trust as your most valuable currency, and the resale boom rewriting what “new” means.

With 25 years of retail trenches behind me, I’m sharing not just the what, but the how—so you can cut through the noise, strengthen cash flow for retailers, and make sure your product business survives (and thrives) in the new landscape.

Grab your notebook and come behind the counter—these are the independent retailer tips that matter.

Make sure you grab my freebie at http://resilientretailclub.com/freebie

Enjoy the episode? DM me your lightbulb moments or next guest wish list @resilientretailclub on Instagram. Please rate, follow, and review this podcast in your app—it helps more indie founders decide to give us a try!

00:00 "Top Retail Trends for 2026"

06:05 "Future of Shopping: AI & Shoptainment"

10:07 "Shoppable Live Streams on TikTok"

14:16 TikTok Shop: Creator-Brand Strategies

16:33 "AI Pets and Trust Issues"

18:42 Building Trust for Small Businesses

22:44 "Building Trust Through TikTok"