Main Street Matters by Heart on Main Street

The right price isn’t just a number — it’s a design. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our series inspired by Thomas Nagle’s The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing with a deep dive into how price structure shapes customer choice. As Nagle writes: “A good price structure turns the art of selling into the science of choice.” In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the way you...

Why do some prices feel right while others trigger hesitation? In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser explores one of the most fascinating and practical parts of pricing strategy: the psychology behind how customers perceive value. As Thomas Nagle writes in The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing, “Customers do not perceive prices as numbers; they perceive them as cues about value.” In...

Not all customers are created equal — and they shouldn’t all pay the same price. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our series inspired by Thomas Nagle’s The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing with a deep dive into customer segmentation — the key to understanding who truly values your products, services, and experience. As Nagle writes: “Value is always specific to a par...

Most independent retailers set prices the same old way — take the cost, add a markup, and hope for the best. But what if that approach is quietly costing you money? In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our series inspired by Thomas Nagle’s The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing with a deep dive into value-based pricing — the method that starts with your customer, not your...

Independent retailers often focus on cutting costs or boosting sales — but the fastest way to improve profitability is through smarter pricing. In this kickoff to our new 10-part series based on The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing by Thomas Nagle, Patrick Keiser explains why even a small change in price can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line. As Nagle reminds us: “Pricing is the moment of t...

The holidays are the most wonderful — and busiest — time of the year for independent retailers. One of the most powerful ways to stand out, drive foot traffic, and create a little Main Street magic? A beautifully decorated holiday window. Join us for an inspiring and practical conversation with Amy Meadows, founder of Windows Matter and former head designer of Chicago’s iconic Marshall Field’s hol...

Have you ever wondered why certain items linger in your stockroom despite knowing they’re not selling? It might not be about poor planning. Sometimes, the reasons go deeper.   Join Melodie van der Baan, Co‑Founder and CEO of Max Retail. Together, we’ll explore the emotional and strategic underpinnings of why inventory gets stuck, and tell the stories behind those stubborn shelves.   In this episod...

Independent retailers don’t fail because they lack effort — they fail because marketing feels random, overwhelming, and inconsistent. In this final episode of our Duct Tape Marketing series, Patrick Keiser ties everything together and shows how to adopt the marketing system mindset that turns one-off tactics into a steady, sustainable process. Marketing isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doi...

Most independent retailers don’t fail because they lack effort — they fail because they’re flying blind. Without tracking the right numbers, you can’t know what’s working, what’s wasting money, or where to focus your energy. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a focus on simple metrics that make a big difference. As J...

Independent retailers don’t have to do it all alone. In fact, some of the most effective growth strategies come from teaming up with other businesses and organizations. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a focus on the power of partnerships. Partnerships allow you to borrow credibility, reach new customers, and creat...

Most independent retailers' marketing strategies don’t fail because they lack ideas; they fail because they lack consistency. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a focus on creating a marketing calendar that turns chaos into clarity. Instead of scrambling to promote holidays, rushing last-minute social media posts, or...

Every retailer loves referrals — but few have a system to generate them consistently. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a deep dive into the referral stage of the Marketing Hourglass. Referrals are the most powerful form of marketing because trust is already built in. Referred customers spend more, stay longer, and...

For most customers, the first impression of your retail store doesn’t happen on Main Street — it happens online. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a focus on building a total online presence. Your digital storefront is as important as your physical one. Customers are Googling your business, checking reviews, scrolli...

Trust is the currency of retail. Without it, your marketing falls flat and your sales stall. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a deep dive into how content marketing builds trust for independent retailers. Content isn’t just about blogging or chasing the latest social media trend. It’s about creating simple, authent...

In a crowded marketplace, sameness is death. If your independent retail store looks and sounds just like everyone else, customers have no reason to choose you. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch with a focus on differentiation, specifically, how to craft your talking logo. A talking logo isn’t your graphic logo or a catch...

Independent retailers often say, “Everyone is my customer.” But in reality, trying to appeal to everyone means you end up connecting with no one. In this episode of Main Street Matters, Patrick Keiser continues our Duct Tape Marketing series by John Jantsch and explains why defining your ideal customer profile is the single most important step in creating a successful retail marketing strategy. Yo...

Independent retailers need more than one-time sales; they need loyal customers who come back again and again. In this kickoff to our Duct Tape Marketing podcast series, host Patrick Keiser introduces John Jantsch’s powerful Marketing Hourglass framework (Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, Refer) and shows how it applies to small businesses and Main Street retailers. In this episode, you’ll learn...

Last week, Heart on Main Street traveled to Asheville, NC, to help a community rebuild following last year's devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Host Patrick Keiser, tells the story of three stores that were affected by the hurricane and the flooding that ensued: Second Gear, which had been located in the River Arts District, Diamond Brand Outdoors, which lost its manufacturing center and inve...

In this episode, host Patrick Keiser talks with three retailers who have been through traumatic experiences and seen the devastation of their stores at the hands of natural disasters. Andrea Morris of Brickwood Boutique in Temple, TX, Anita Cereceda of The Islander in Fort Myers Beach, FL, and Christy Morris of Mix Mercantile in Sulphur, OK, all share their emotional stories of going from loss to...

In this final episode of our Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, we’re combining the art of visual merchandising with the science of shopper behavior to unlock one of Paco Underhill’s most valuable insights: how display height, depth, and tactile engagement work together to keep customers in your store longer, interacting with more products, and making more purchases. From the “strike zone” that m...

In this ninth installment of the Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, host Patrick Keiser explores one of Paco Underhill’s most powerful retail strategies: the Art of Adjacency. It’s the science — and art — of placing complementary products together to spark more sales. Forget fighting over “prime” display space; cross-merchandising the right way can transform ordinary shopping moments into higher-...

In this eye-opening installment of the Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, host Patrick Keiser dives into one of the most overlooked but critically important areas of a retail store: the dressing room. Based on insights from Paco Underhill’s retail classic Why We Buy, this episode unpacks why fitting rooms aren’t just changing spaces — they’re conversion machines. Patrick explores the psychology o...

In this episode of Main Street Matters, we turn our attention to one of the most overlooked tools in your retail arsenal: signage. As part of our Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, host Patrick Keiser breaks down why great signs do more than inform — they guide, persuade, and create memorable in-store experiences. Drawing from Paco Underhill’s classic retail research, Patrick explores how signs i...

In this sixth installment of our Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, host Patrick Keiser takes a thoughtful look at how age and physical ability shape the way customers shop — and what retailers can do to make their stores more accessible, inclusive, and profitable. Drawing on key insights from Paco Underhill’s classic Why We Buy, Patrick explores the realities of designing retail environments tha...

What if you could increase impulse purchases just by letting customers touch, smell, hear, or even taste your products? In this fifth installment of our Why We Buy Summer Book Club series, host Patrick Keiser dives deep into how sensory engagement drives buying behavior — and why independent retailers need to think beyond sight alone. Drawing inspiration from Paco Underhill’s research, Patrick bre...