Contrary to popular belief, I love pizza. If I was cast onto a deserted island and I only had one choice of food to select from, it would be pizza.

There is no such thing as "bad" pizza. Even frozen pizza is good. However, there is a huge difference between good, great and the best.

I have always searched out the best. At one time, deep dish Chicago pizza from Giordano’s was it. But too much cheese and crust and I hate only being able to eat one piece.

New York has fabulous pies but getting to NY when one is hungry is not an option. And either is Italy. Which brings me to the Detroit metro area.

Actually we are very lucky to have great pizza here. Buddy’s is always good for semi-thick crust and Tomatoes APIZZA is great for thin crust. But until you’ve had authentic Italian thin crust made just right with the perfect homemade sauce and mozzarella, you haven’t had the best. 

I found the new best and it’s a place so secluded, you would wonder why anyone would open in this location. Supino’s is owned by Dave and is located in the Eastern Market on Russell St. Dave is committed and the only one making the pies. And after working consecutive 18-hour days, he will be committed in more ways than one.

The place is "eclectic" meaning he bought used tables and chairs and put a coat of paint where it needed it. It’s small, cozy and yet to have beer or wine but that’s coming I was told.

What Dave brings to the table is the most incredible pie that is so good, you won’t be satisfied until every piece is gone. OK, I stopped at two, but that’s me (I could have eaten the whole thing).

If you’re hungry for pizza after reading this, do yourself a favor this weekend and head to Supino’s. And if you have a better place, I need to know about it. And fast!

Happy Tuesday!

Futuristic is my #6 Strength according to Gallup Organization. While Focus is my #2 Strength, I love to seek out what the future will look like. It is so much fun to anticipate the future and see it unfold before your very eyes whether the future is minutes or months ahead.

I remember reading The Popcorn Report by Faith Popcorn some years ago. Popcorn wrote about the future as she always does and is the one that invented the word "cocooning." Cocooning is when we decide to stay at home, sit in front the open fire, bake cookies, read books, play games and chill out. It eliminates the need to stress out outside the home.

Like any futurist, our time always comes eventually. In these turbulent times, Popcorn has once again become relevant. In fact, her new word is "ubercocooning." She states that bar sales are down, people can’t even get drunk anymore because when they drink nothing happens and the biggest impact is the lack of trust.

According to her interview in the WWD October 29 issue, Popcorn talks about four new values in the ubercocooning environment:

Goodness; Empathy; Simplicity; and Happiness

People will pay a lot for happiness, joy and laughter. Witness the box office last weekend. The #1 movie Madagascar was another animated hit that did $66 Million. The #2 movie Role Model was a comedy that did $20 Million. No wonder the Lions were blacked out for the second time this season.

Trust will be word of the next decade. Obama won big because people trust Obama. The Big 3 trust Obama to bail them out. The unemployed trust Obama to get them jobs. The people trust Obama to get us out of war.

But trust is a difficult word. It must be earned and it takes time. Patience is not one of Popcorn’s new values but it should be. Then again, if you are a Lions fan, even your patience is wearing thin after 50 plus years.

Happy Monday!

Now that we finally got rid of the TV advertising and bloodied yard signs from the election, now we have to deal with the inundation of discounts, freebies, coupons and special offers from retailers.

With unemployment hitting 6.5% and consumer sentiment at rock bottom, the crucial holiday selling season for retailers is predicted to be the worse since 1991. Experts are looking for a 1.7% increase over last year. I think retailers would be happy being even.

As consumers, what do we value most? It used to be customer service. Other factors included convenience, location, brands offered, return policy, and value/price.

What do you value most?

Discounts are good because they give immediate satisfaction. You know you are not paying list price. The problem is you never know if you are getting the "best" discount.

Freebies are good but then we are getting more "stuff" than we originally shopped for. Buy 1 bag of chips and get another for free is great but you end up eating more chips.

Coupons are good because you get instant savings after doing all the work of clipping, storing and presenting them before expiration. The issue with coupons is that you have to remember to use them.

And we all love special offers. These are time sensitivity based so you have to act quickly to take advantage of them. The most popular of all are the day after Thanksgiving sales (I think Wal-Mart will start at midnight this year). The issue with special offers is that if you are too busy, then you can’t take advantage of them.

I love ELP (everyday low price) best. Wal-Mart and Costco adhere to ELP most of the time. We would love to adhere to ELP if our suppliers would let us so we do discounts and freebies.

So with Christmas shopping right around the corner, besides what you value most, what is on your shopping list? Hint: Gift cards are rated the #1 gift this season and are never discounted or given away. Go figure.

Happy Friday!

A little over 3 months, Americans were complaining bitterly about $4 gas. SUV and pick-up sales sank and the mood was sour. This was before the economic crisis, a new President and the stock market plunge.

I predicted gas to hit in the mid-2’s and the stock market to bottom at 7200-7800. We did hit 7800 and I think the market will find the 7’s  again before the 10’s. But for oil to drop from $143 to under $60 a barrel is unprecedented. Or is it?

Today, gas is $1.99, a level not seen in more than two years. However, no one is celebrating this fact. No one is out rushing buying SUV’s and pick-ups. In fact, no one is rushing out of their homes.

We finally have a new President. Obama makes only the 44th American to reach this lofty goal. His reward? The stock market crated 900 points, retail sales hit the lowest level in "who can remember" days, and GM will make an announcement tomorrow that will be riveting for the USA.

GM’s CEO Rick Wagoner only three months ago told the world that he predicted the price of oil to be in the $130 range in 2009. So many wrong predictions over the years have cost Detroit and now we have 2.4 million jobs in limbo because of it. Wagoner can say a lot of things tomorrow: we already know GM had the worst month in history with sales down 45%.

We also know that he stated that bankruptcy was not an option. At 11AM tomorrow, Wagoner’s speech will be more important than Obama’s Tuesday night in Grant Park. He could say that unless GM gets money from the government now, GM will close down (assets sold to the highest bidder).

He could say that GM is shuttering "x’ number of plants. Or GM is shuttering "x" number of divisions. Or GM is terminating "x’ number of employees. Or he could say a combination of all. GMAC is already down for the count so nothing to say about this once dominant division.

Wagoner won’t talk about $1.99 gas. He also won’t talk about merging with Chrysler–most likely the deal is off the table until GM gets its house in order. Wagoner needs support and he needs it now. Yes, GM and the other two have made huge mistakes the past 30 years and they have now caught up to them. It’s truly Saw VI for the auto companies.

But if the government lets them crash and burn, life will be far worse for all. We don’t even want to look into the future to see what that brings us.

I will close with one final comment: I hope my predictions are 100% BS.

Happy Thursday!

It seems everything in business, politics, even religion is based on what I call the 1-2 Phenomenon.

In business, most industries have two key players. Coke-Pepsi; Caterpillar-Deere; Boeing-Airbus; McDonalds-Burger King; M&M Mars-Hershey; Duracell-Eveready; Costco-Sam’s Club; Kroger-Safeway; CVS-Walgreens; Proctor & Gamble-L’Oreal; Best Buy-Circuit City. And the list goes on.

There really isn’t room for #3. Sure, #3 exists in most markets but usually the top two control at least 80% of the business. Some #3’s that come to mind include Ray-O-Vac, 7UP, Arby’s, Rite-Aid, Dillard’s, and Chrysler.

Which brings me to the Michigan market for beauty supplies. We are #1 and Maly’s is #2. But the public/private equity group SBH which owns both Sally stores and BSG which runs its Cosmoprof stores opened in Michigan more than a year ago. So there are three players of which only two can dominate and survive. Who is going to be the odd-man out?

GM, Ford and Chrysler have the same issue. Only two can survive. Lately, it seems even the 1-2 leaders are having troubles. Circuit City is close to filing bankruptcy and is closing stores to cope. Big changes are coming at L’Oreal as their U.S. sales are plummeting especially in the pro beauty category.

Today it’s about politics and the Republican and Democratic parties. Oh, there are many others, but these two have led the way for as long as we can remember. I think the great thing about voting for judges is that they aren’t affiliated with any party.

And with Christmas around the corner, the focus will shift to religion. One of our top radio stations is already playing Christmas music full time. Starbuck’s red cups are out. Soon tree farms will be sprouting in parking lots. The 1-2 religions love this holiday (as do the malls and shopping centers!).

It’s good to be #1, the view always changes in front of you. Avis will always be #2 and sometimes that’s not too bad either. For Obama and McCain, being #2 after today sucks. And being #3? Forget about it!

Happy Tuesday!

With the election finally coming tomorrow, I thought it was time to take out one of my favorite books, The Book of Excuses, Unabridged Version. Appropriately, Chapter 5 is titled, Excuses Not To Vote.

While I can’t list all the reasons, I will share some of the author’s best:

1. My vote doesn’t matter. With some 130 million registered votes, what difference does one less vote make? Answer: Why do people buy lottery tickets when the odds are much worse?

2. I don’t like any of the candidates. Well, who does? The average person can list the number of best friends on one hand. Truth is we dislike more people than we like.

3. I hate standing in long lines waiting to vote. Well, the absentee ballot was available long before today.

4. Other than the President and perhaps the Proposals, I don’t even know the other candidates. Truth is most others don’t know either. That’s why some people vote straight party ticket or why some don’t even vote for the other candidates. But then again, you can read about the other candidates and learn enough to properly vote.

I love the Book of Excuses. The first few chapters are really good such as excuses for showing up late; forgetting a birthday or anniversary; not having manners; and not sending thank you cards. I think a couple more chapters could be included for the Detroit Lions, Wolverines, and L’Oreal.

Excuses are for losers. Get out and vote tomorrow. And vote for the right reasons and the right people.

On a sidebar, I couldn’t let today pass without a mention of the miraculous finish at Spartan Stadium on Saturday. Incredible, amazing, outstanding and one of the craziest times ever at a game. One more reason never give up even when the odds are stacked against you. Sweet victory is the best taste of all. And yes Dawn, you can bid on tickets next year!

Happy Monday!