Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Reducing Out-of-Stock Issues



Ted Gladson, a Chicago-based business leader, served as the president and founder of Gladson Interactive, a store merchandising and design company, for more than 30 years. Over the course of his career, Chicago’s Ted Gladson has handled a wide variety of issues regarding design and merchandising, including out-of-stock issues.

Having a large number of out-of-stock products damages a store’s reputation and can drive away customers. Below are a few ways stores can reduce their number of out-of-stock issues and maintain consumer trust:

- Expand RFID use. Using RFID, or radio frequency identification, helps retail businesses track their inventory and understand their stock levels at varying times during the day. This makes it easier to avoid out-of-stock problems since there is a clear record of what exists in the store during the ordering process.

- Don’t create out-of-stock issues. Sometimes, retail stores create out-of-stock situations by covering merchandise on the shelf or moving items from their usual spot. Although the store has these items in stock, when customers cannot see the item they are looking for, they assume the item is out of stock and will skip over it or buy it at a competitor.

- Stay vigilant. Although technology is a great way of tracking products, retailers must be vigilant of shoplifting and of receiving incorrect quantities. These incidents are not tracked as easily with technology and can create an unforeseen out-of-stock issue. Retail owners should figure out why certain products seem to be disappearing and address the problem.

Monday, August 28, 2017

The Transitional Housing Program Offered by 360 Youth Services


An accomplished business leader with over three decades of experience in the store design and merchandising sector, Ted Gladson of Chicago, Illinois, was the president and founder of Gladson Interactive. Dedicated to helping his local community, Ted Gladson supports several organizations in the Chicago area, including 360 Youth Services.

One of the many programs maintained by 360 Youth Services is its Transitional Housing Program, which serves men between the ages of 18 and 24 and women and members of the LGBTQ community between the ages of 18 and 21 who are homeless.

The initiative consists of housing as well as services to help improve life skills, employment, and education for participants. Most individuals are part of the program for 18 to 24 months, during which time they live at apartments in Naperville and Lisle that are part of 360 Youth Services’ transitional housing options.

Individuals in the program are assessed to determine their specific needs and given a contract that details expectations for apartment maintenance, schooling, use of support services, and curfew. During the course of their involvement with the Transitional Housing Program, residents work with trained staff members to improve their life skills and work towards self-sustainability.

Since 1971, 360 Youth Services has been helping young individuals navigate life’s challenges through counseling, substance abuse prevention education, and housing options.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Shelf Merchandising Strategies


An entrepreneur and pharmacist in the Chicago area, Ted Gladson is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy. Over the course of his career as president of Gladson Interactive (known as Gladson), Ted Gladson has worked with retail pharmacies and other stores nationwide to improve their operations and boost their sales, specifically through shelf merchandising

Retail store owners can enhance the customer experience and drive sales by implementing a well-planned shelf merchandising strategy. Part of a successful strategy entails the use of shelf labels. Labels should clearly identify products and include pricing and pictures of the products. This strategy not only improves customer satisfaction but also streamlines the restocking process. 

Another strategy to improve shelf merchandising is to improve shelf re-stocking. Retail store owners should avoid out of stocks which lead to lost sales and customers. With inventory software, retailers can maintaining adequate merchandise levels and avoid over and under stocked shelfs and thereby maximize sales.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

What Is a Planogram?


Ted Gladson of Chicago founded the store design and merchandising company Gladson Interactive in 1971 and served as the president of the company until his retirement in 2005. While president, Ted Gladson developed image and dimension databases for planograms.

A planogram is an image that shows how products in a retail store should be arranged. Such diagrams show what shelf a product should be on and how many facings. In retail, products need to be situated at the edge of a shelf with labels outward toward the customer, a method known as facing. Planograms demonstrate the number of facings for each product on a shelf. This is determined by a product’s stock keeping unit (SKU) number. When planograms are used, precise product placement can increase sales.

Planogram techniques vary from simple photographs of sections to highly detailed schematics that determine exact placement of products. Since it is an important step in product placement, some retailers hire outside visual merchandisers to help develop planograms, while other stores have in-house specialists.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

360 Youth Services’ Operation Snowball


With a degree in pharmacy from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Ted Gladson founded the Gladson Interactive company in 1971, where he served as president until the company was sold in 2005. Today, Ted Gladson is a board member and president of the Chicago Drug Club, a board member of the Illinois Pharmaceutical Travelers Association, and a supporter of 360 Youth Services. 

360 Youth Services is an organization in DuPage County that provides counseling, substance abuse prevention programs, and transitional housing for homeless youth in the area. One of the organization’s projects is a twice-yearly retreat for high schoolers called Operation Snowball. The name comes from the idea that positive impact can snowball as it’s shared with more and more people. 

The program helps teens deal with the issues they may be facing, especially drugs and alcohol addiction, and aims to increase their self-confidence, communication, leadership, and coping skills. Teens work in groups with peer leaders and adults to get to know each other, participate in fun activities, and have discussions about serious topics like dealing with grief. The program encourages a drug-and-alcohol-free lifestyle and fosters connections between people who share those values.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

360 Youth Services


Ted Gladson, Chicago-based founder and former president of Gladson Interactive, gives back to his local community. One of the many nonprofits Ted Gladson donates his time to is 360 Youth Services, which helps young people to succeed in education and life in Chicago and beyond. With counseling, mentoring, and housing programs, the organization gives all young people a chance to grow and thrive.

Founded in 1971 by concerned educators and parents, 360 Youth Services strives to educate young people on the dangers of substance abuse, while also giving those with poor home situations a safe place to stay and the opportunity to continue their education. The programs offered teach youth how to make life-serving choices regarding substance use. It is also considered a safe place for gay, lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual and questioning youth.

Those in the local community who want to be a mentor have the opportunity to volunteer and spend time with young people of ages 18-24. A positive influence in a young person's life can have a lifelong effect. The goal for these youths is for them to become educated, employed and self-sufficient. Volunteers are truly the heart of this committed group.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Ted Gladson and Scuba Diving


From 1971 to 2005, Ted Gladson of Chicago, Illinois, was the president of Gladson Interactive, where he was recognized for his distinguished career and inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Aside from his work in Chicago, Ted Gladson enjoys scuba diving. 

As can be expected, novice scuba divers often make mistakes. Here are three of the most common mistakes new divers make. Avoid them to best enjoy your new pursuit. 

1. Doing Too Much - Between buoyancy control, keeping track of your gauges and equipment, and enjoying your dive, new divers often have a plate full of tasks. The Scuba Diver Life website suggests leaving the camera behind on your first dives, so as not to overload yourself. Once you are more familiar with diving and all the attention it requires, you can then bring the camera along. 

2. Surface Strain - New divers often forget that they can use their buoyancy control device (BCD) on the water's surface to avoid putting much effort into staying afloat with all that awkward, heavy equipment. Using your legs to keep yourself above water requires much more energy than simply inflating your BCD, leaning back, and floating. 

3. Not Asking Questions - There is no shame in not understanding something, especially with an involved sport like scuba diving. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification during instruction. The chances are excellent other students have the same questions, but like you, are too embarrassed to ask. Instead, realize that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be thorough, and ask away.