George Whalin, Retail Expert
Veteran retail consultant George Whalin died Jan. 10 at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., due to complications from cancer. He was 68.
Since 1987, he advised large and small retail businesses at Retail Management Consultants, based in Carlsbad, Calif., where he served as president and founder.
In 2009, the Portfolio division of publishing company Penguin Group released his “Retail Superstars: Inside the Best 25 Independent Stores in America” book. It examined the success of unique retailers, ranging from Ron Jon Surf Shop to Gump’s and Wanna Buy a Watch?
In his book, he stressed independent retailers could thrive in a tough economy. Retail success, he said, depended on one thing: offering unique product.
Whalin based many of his insights on his career as a retailer, which started with a show-business flair. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, he managed Guitar Center on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard. He counted many of the era’s music superstars among his clients, including the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and the Jackson 5.
George is survived by his wife, Terri Pilot; brothers John and Norman Whalin; and godchildren Sam and Kayley Wascom. —Andrew Asch
