How One Person Can Transform Your Store

learn more about Carol Tice

By Carol Tice

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Can just one employee do one single thing different and completely transform your company as a result? They can. The story of Johnny the Bagger, currently making the rounds of retail blogs, shows how it can be done.

The story begins with employee-motivation expert Barbara Glanz. The Contagious Enthusiasm author relates in her own video that she spoke several years back to an audience of 3,000 employees of a major grocery chain. She told the crowd, "Every one of you can make a difference and create memories for your customers that will motivate them to come back."

One bagger with Down Syndrome, Johnny, contacted her later to say he had thought about her advice, and come up with a plan to create those memories. Each day when he got home from work, with help from his father, he typed and printed out a thought for the day on the family's home computer. Then, the next day, as he bagged groceries, he'd put a slip with his thought into their bag.

The response was astonishing. Customers reported they had switched to shopping the store more often, as they didn't want to miss any of Johnny's thoughts! Soon his checkout line ran the length of the store, full of customers who refused to switch to shorter lines. Only Johnny's line would give them the thought for the day.



The video above tells the story in greater detail. More than 90,000 people have watched it. Bring tissues.

Why is this store so inspiring, so uplifting? Because it's a reminder that life is about more than dollars and cents. Remembering that can help businesses stand out from the crowd.

In the course of doing business, a company can do so much more than sell an item and collect customers' money. Every day their stores are open, retailers have an opportunity to transform what they're doing from a simple transaction into something that's much more than commerce -- they can lift spirits, make people smile, make employees proud of where they work, bring people together...and make their store a must-visit.

What are you doing to make your store experience memorable? Leave a comment and let us know.
Carol Tice

Owner of Make a Living Writing

Longtime Seattle business writer Carol Tice has written for Entrepreneur, Forbes, Delta Sky and many more. She writes the award-winning Make a Living Writing blog. Her new ebook for Oberlo is Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Business News

Amtrak Introduces 'Night Owl' Prices With Some Routes As Low As $5

The new discounts apply to some rides between Washington D.C. and New York City.

Business News

The 'Airbnbust' Proves the Wild West Days of Online Vacation Rentals Are Over

Airbnb recently reported that 2022 was its first profitable year ever. But the deluge of new listings foreshadowed an inevitable correction.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Business Solutions

Master Coding for Less Than $2 a Course with This Jam-Packed Bundle

Make coding understandable with this beginner-friendly coding bundle, now just $19.99.