“I’m telling you, Kathy, if we don’t step up our marketing Dungeon Deluxe is going to eat us alive.” Lena said as she walked around the store, pausing to tighten the leather cuffs and straighten the restraint straps on a mannequin. Kathy suppressed a shudder at the name of the new store. It just sounded so… cheap.
“I’ve built a reputation with this business, Lena. Taste. Discretion. Not tawdry theatrics.” Kathy sighed, the arguments stale on her tongue.
“Letting people know we exist doesn’t turn us into a cheap sex shop! I’m talking about experiential retail. It can still be discreet and classy. It’s about giving our customers a more personal experience. I did a case analysis on this in business school…. Kathy? …Are you even listening?” Lena’s tone sharpened, irritation now evident.
“I’m sorry Lena. We’ve been over this.” Kathy studied the window display, a finger tapping her lower lip as she adjusted a silk lingerie set. The mannequin stood against the display frame, its posture held perfectly upright by a set of discreet chrome rings built into the backdrop. It just wasn’t quite right. Perhaps if she moved… Her view was blocked by a handful of papers as Lena shoved them directly in front of her face, the faint scent of leather lingering as she leaned in.
“Our sales are down twenty-five percent in the last month. You need to let me do this. Look just give me one day. One live window display. If I can’t boost our takings by ten percent, I’ll drop it.” Lena folded her arms, waiting.
Kathy looked at the cold, hard text on the paper. Lena was right, the store was in trouble. Everything she had built over the last five years. She sighed.
“One day Lena. But please… make it classy. I don’t want strippers in my window.”
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