Merchandising: The Merchandising School of O; or What I learned from observing Oprah Winfrey in action

Lesson: Do you have true win-win relationships with your vendors? Are both parties benefiting exceedingly well? What could you do to intentionally enhance those relationships?

4. Winfrey sets trends. She is a risk-taker, a forward-thinker and a champion of the underdog. When she started her book club, she didn’t promote the same books all the big booksellers were. She followed her heart and reading interests, and through her choices, helped give recognition to authors who might never have been exposed to a national audience.