From Flat Sales to Record Breaking

From Flat Sales to Record Breaking

From Tell Me Something Good About Retail by Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doc

August 19, 2025 · 37 min

About this episode

Rebecca Weirda shares her journey of transforming flat sales into record-breaking success at her luxury women's store, Leigh's Fashions.

When June sales went flat at her luxury women's store, Rebecca Weirda didn't make excuses. She rolled up her sleeves, had tough conversations with every team member, and turned a double-digit decline into a 42% sales increase the following month. In this episode, discover how the owner of Leigh's Fashions in Grand Rapids, Michigan built a 13,000 square foot luxury retail powerhouse and what it takes to maintain four consecutive record years. About Rebecca Weirda Rebecca owns Leigh's Fashions, a luxury women's specialty store celebrating its 50th anniversary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She purchased the business 20 years ago, coming from a corporate staffing background but with retail sales experience dating back to her early career selling denim. Under her leadership, the store has achieved four consecutive record years while serving customers across multiple generations and price points, from contemporary to high-end designers like Christian Louboutin and Burberry. What You'll Learn The minimum effort problem - How Rebecca used her nephew's test story to show her team they were giving 72% when they needed 100% Luxury retail standards - Why the bar is higher for luxury retailers…

People in this episode

Host: Bob Phibbs

Guest: Rebecca Weirda

Topics covered

  • retail sales
  • luxury retail
  • team culture
  • customer experience
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • sales increase
  • luxury retail standards
  • customer expectations
  • hiring philosophy
  • team culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Leigh's Fashions

Places: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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