There’s a saying I live by as a business owner: Play your own game.
If you’ve spent any time in retail, you know how easy it is to get caught up in what your competitors are doing. They launch a new promotion. You panic. They drop their prices. You scramble. They rebrand. You second-guess everything.
Before you know it, you’re off your game and your business suffers for it.
What Does “Playing Your Own Game” Mean?
Playing your own game means getting crystal clear on YOUR story:
- What makes you special? Not your competitor down the street, YOU.
- What makes you different? What’s YOUR unique angle, YOUR secret sauce?
- What problems are you solving? For YOUR customers, in YOUR way, with YOUR values?
Notice all those “yours” in there? That’s intentional.
Before you spend another minute analyzing what your competition is doing, you need to be 100% clear on who YOU are as a business. In any relationship, growth begins by looking inward and being clear about who we are and what we want.
Competitors Are Background Noise, Not Your North Star
Don’t get me wrong, you should absolutely keep an eye on the competition. Competitive analysis is smart business. But here’s the key: review your competitors to inform your strategy, not to dictate it.
When you’re grounded in your identity, competitor moves become data points, not distractions. You might tweak tactics here and there, but you won’t abandon your core game plan every time someone else makes a move.
Take a moment. Breathe. Reflect.
Ask yourself these three questions:
- What is MY game for my retail business?
- What am I focusing on? Why?
- Who are MY customers?
Write down your answers. Get specific. Get honest.
THEN, and only then, take the time to evaluate the competition and modify your strategy accordingly.
Stay Focused. Stay Winning. Stay You.
The retail businesses that thrive aren’t the ones constantly pivoting based on what everyone else is doing. They’re the ones who know exactly who they are, what they stand for, and who they serve.
They play their own game. And they win.
