Should I give customers what they ask for, or what I believe they need?

Give them what they ask for. Every time. Now, I'm not saying don't lead a little. Put things where they'll see them, make suggestions. But the customer votes with their wallet, and that's the only vote that counts. I remember early on, one of our buyers came back from market all excited about some fancy housewares line. Beautiful stuff. "Sam, this is what people need in their homes." Well, we put it out there and it just sat. Meanwhile, customers kept asking where the plain old mixing bowls were, the ones we'd sold out of. The fancy stuff looked nice. But they didn't need it, and they sure didn't ask for it. What they asked for was the mixing bowls at a price they could afford. You start deciding what people need better than they know themselves, you're not in retail — you're playing God. And God doesn't have to make payroll on Saturday. Listen to what they're buying. Listen to what they're asking for at the register. Walk your stores and watch. The customer will tell you exactly what they need if you pay attention. And if you give it to them at a price nobody can beat, they'll come back tomorrow.