MOUNT RAINER, MD (BRAIN)—Erik Kugler, managing partner of Cadence Retail Group, LLC, has announced the formation of a new consulting business focusing on the specialty retail industry, including the bicycle retail channel of trade, in partnership with the Gluskin Townley Group, LLC.
“We decided to combine our skill sets after doing a complete audit of strengths and weaknesses of our independent consulting businesses," Kugler said. "It makes sense to be able to provide a complete offering of profitability services to our clients, plus with GTG’s up to the minute industry insight, we will be able to offer a strategically potent set of services. This combination is designed to give clients a clear advantage in their respective markets."
The new partnership will be called GTCadence Consulting, LLC and will be headquartered in new offices located in Mount Rainier, Maryland.
The new specialty retail consultancy will focus on increasing profitability for its clients by providing a range of services including retail business assessments, business and marketing plan development, strategic planning, financial management, inventory management and assortment planning. In addition clients will be advised on business technology and reporting planning, store operations planning, service department profitability management, store layout and shopping environment audits and planning, hiring smart services, customer service training and professional development.
“I am very excited about this opportunity to expand our specialty retail services,” said Elliot Gluskin, managing partner of the Gluskin Townley Group. “Jay and I will continue to work with our existing research clients as we transition from the Gluskin Townley Group, and all of our retail services and products will be immediately integrated into GTCadence Consulting, LLC."
“Phil Koopman, my partner in Cadence Retail Group, will be joining us in the new consultancy, as will Elliot’s partner Jay Townley. Phil brings decades of hands on specialty bike shop management experience to the new GTCadence Consulting business, and Phil and I worked with Elliot and Jay when they were engaged as consultants by the bike shop Phil was co-owner of, when I was working as director of finance,” Kugler said. “Working with the Gluskin Townley Group, we developed systems to substantially and simultaneously increase inventory turns, GMROI, gross margin, sales, and the customer experience, which we had previously thought was inconceivable."
