ritz trackers

mornin merry makers 🥂📈🛎️ 📊🛀 

last week i shared my ultimate retail reading list.

dozens of you replied with the same question: "which book should i read first?"

while i want you to read all the top 10, my mind kept coming back to one title. a book that combines two of my favorite topics: excellence & metrics

yes, metrics. stay with me.

i spent the weekend revisiting "excellence wins" by horst schulze, co-founder of the ritz-carlton hotel company. walking around sunny sxsw in austin, headphones in, listening to a narrator with a delightful german accent explain their approach to excellence in customer service.

it’s not about the pillows. chocolates. training. or even the turndown service.

it's about measurement. horst remixes the old saying “you can’t expect what you don’t inspect” to a zestier version:

i've spent a decade obsessing over spreadsheets at two brands known for their customer service — apple & warby parker — but horst crystallized something i'd always felt but don’t see articulated very often:

excellence isn't accidental.
excellence is measured, tracked, & deliberately crafted
by counting what counts.

while most hospitality books drone on about host training & personalized service, here was the architect of the world's most prestigious hotel brand talking about metrics with the fervor of a wall street analyst. it’s data-licious.

excellence by numbers

picture this: you're checking into the ritz-carlton. the doorman greets you by name, the room is flawless, & somehow they remembered you prefer extra pillows.

magic, right?

not quite.

what looks like hospitality sorcery is actually precision metrics at work.

while the ritz is famous for its "ladies & gentlemen serving ladies & gentlemen" philosophy, what's less known is their obsession with measurement. amid all the luxury & personalized service, they're counting. constantly.

horst built the entire ritz-carlton empire around tracking three core metrics:

1. customer satisfaction & loyalty

2. employee satisfaction

3. advance bookings (their crystal ball for future performance)

that's it. just three numbers that tell the complete story of their business health. when these numbers shift, they dig deeper. but these three metrics guide everything.

naughty numerophobia

tracking numbers is second nature to me. that’s why i’m always shocked by how many people in this industry avoid a data-driven approach for the silliest reasons.

back in my corporate retail days, i noticed a pattern. the teams that struggled most had a messy relationship with their numbers. they either tracked too much, too little, or avoided looking at all.

the reasons were always the same:

• fear (of what the numbers might reveal)

• overconfidence ("we know what works")

• lack (of time, resources, & understanding)

• overwhelm (too many metrics, not enough clarity)

• short-termism (focusing on today's sales instead of tomorrow's success)

all the above are limiting beliefs or execution myths we collectively tell. but best of luck getting any board member, investo, or boss to deem these reasons as acceptable.

the truth always is that the numbers don’t lie, but plenty of retailers do… to themselves by not tracking numbers.

measuring results isn’t optional.

it’s the difference between running a store & running it into the ground.

my TRACK

after studying how the ritz & other best-in-class retailers approach metrics, i developed a framework to help guide any retail business. i call it TRACK because the best retailers don't just measure, they TRACK their excellence:

• 🎯 T → tightly focused

  • choose 3-5 key metrics maximum.

  • when you measure everything, you focus on nothing.

• 🌐 R → real-time & relevant

  • track what you can see quickly & act upon immediately.

  • delayed data = delayed decisions.

• 🧩 A → aligned to vision

  • each metric should directly connect to your values & vision.

  • only measure what really matters most.

• 🚦 C → comprehensive check

  • your core metrics should paint the full picture.

  • remember to balance your profiTABLE.

• 🔮 K → key future indicator

  • always include at least one leading indicator.

  • you can’t drive forward by only looking back.

if you're struggling to identify your Key future indicator, i highly recommending starting with brand awareness. it's the retail crystal ball many brands overlook, but when tracked properly, it signals everything that's coming.

want proof?

read this case study on how the realreal’s fake luxury store turned into real millions.

their nyc pop-up on canal street drove a massive 9% awareness spike that translated directly into an 11% revenue boost (while competitors were seeing declines!).

seriously, if you read just one retail case study this month
make it this one by tracksuit → the pop-up that blew up 💥

count me thrilled

i could have spent this entire email talking about the ritz-carlton's plush pillows, signature warm welcome, super yacht, or $2,000 discretion budget per employee to fix a guest’s experience. that stuff's fun to read about.

but i promised you something different with merry makery's new chapter:

substance over fluff.

real solutions that drive real results.

last week, i shared my retail reading list library. today, it's this the TRACK framework. both a taste of what's coming with merry membership. i'm working to deliver the kind of retail wisdom i wish i'd had decades ago.

practical, proven, & refreshingly bs-free.

because i believe retail operators deserve better than vague directions, instagram-worthy platitudes, or nonexistent strategies. you deserve the actual systems that make businesses run.

the spreadsheets behind the smiles.

the metrics behind the magic.

so remember, merry makers:

what gets measured gets managed,

but only what gets managed well gets mastered.

be merry,

MacK

p.s. quick closing appreciation to the other saltier ritz carlton that’s rumored to pair nicely with today’s merry partner 👇️