Book Description

A guide for grocers published originally in 1886. The book is an alphabetical treatment of terms important to grocers. From "abattoir" (a slaughterhouse) to "yeast." Also includes some essays of importance to the business of the grocer. ... Read more

Book Description

$100 Billion!!!That's the loss suffered by retailers each and every year.Investigations In Retail goes to the heart of that horrendous loss and shows you the future of investigations in retail...corporate espionage...organized crime...gangs...theft rings...buyer-vendor schemes...hijacking...and so very much more!Interesting, exciting, intriguing, and amazing all describe the acts detailed in this fine retail loss prevention book. Investigations move from the very core of the store to the corporate office, distribution center, andmassive external theft operations. It is all here in one outstanding book! ... Read more

Book Description

"Small Store Survival should challenge retailers' views of small store retailing by questioning key areas of business. What is the vision for the store in 10 years? How have the customers changed over the past few years? How current are the managers about what customers genuinely like and dislike? What is being done to attract, educate, and motivate the best retail talent in the area? How effective is the merchandising strategy? What plans exist for succession?

"The real lesson of this study is that the best retailers never stop learning. They never stop growing. They never lose their enthusiasm for the customers and the business. And they never cease to revel in change and the chance to deal with it." —from the Executive Summary of Small Store Survival

Small Store Survival

Over the past decade, thousands of small retail stores have fallen victim to overwhelming competition from huge discount chains determined to take in every retail dollar in sight. But not everyone succumbs to the megastore invasion; many small retailers grow and prosper in spite of this cutthroat competition. How do they do it? Even more important, how can you do it?

Small Store Survival is the how-to book that belongs behind the counter of every independent retail store. It analyzes small-store operation in detail and lays out optimal survival strategies and tactics for seven key areas of business practice that are critical to success: customer service, marketing, merchandising, store operations, management, human resources, and finance. Its clear and logical organization enables you to evaluate your business practices function by function, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop action plans to improve operations in each of these crucial functions.

Written by a team of experts from Arthur Andersen LLP, this guide presents detailed solutions and best practices culled from retailer surveys, site visits, and industry research. Its recommendations are applicable to a broad variety of retail formats, including stores that specialize in apparel; appliances; books; drugs, health, and beauty care products; electronics; hardware; home and garden supplies; pets and pet supplies; as well as other specialty stores. Numerous case studies illustrate the problems that plague many retailers and demonstrate ways you can overcome these obstacles and improve your business. You'll learn how to:

• Identify customer expectations and meet or exceed them at every turn
• Identify, pursue, and capture a distinct customer market
• Establish a vision and culture for your store, plan where the company needs to go, and take steps to get there
• Compete for quality employees and, once you hire them, keep them
• Establish budgetary controls and contain costs
• Negotiate effectively for favorable terms from vendors and suppliers

The most successful retailers never stop learning, growing, and adapting to changing circumstances. The hundreds of sound ideas presented in this study were developed and implemented by the most successful small store operators in the industry. Here is your chance to learn and grow with them by adapting these solutions to your own business needs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a book
Outstanding. The best book on retail I have ever read. Keep up the great work and can not wait for an updated version ... Read more

Book Description

Tips on marketing strategy, designing a mailing piece, working with list brokers and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Golden nuggets of info
There are so many HUGE direct mail books out there. This one is great because it gives you the golden nuggets of info related to all aspects of direct mail--planning, writing, designing, getting mailing lists, calculating ROI, and more. Direct mail is not an easy science, but this made it easy. This book is ideal for small business owners, home-based businesses, and other start-up type businesses. ... Read more

Book Description

E-business is changing fast, along with the thinking behind it, and as yet there is no agreement on what should be taught on an e-business course and how. This revised and updated edition of a successful MBA-level text takes a strategic management perspective of e-business, although it also touches on related areas such as Internet marketing and IS. Stephen Chen focuses on the strategic implications of e-business and examines the strategies employed in a range of industries, providing a comprehensive review of current research and practice. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book to understand e-business strategy
This book is an excellent source to understand the e-business context and how strategy is fundamental to its success. For me this book has been very useful as an e-business consultant.
Unfortunately it covers british examples only. It would be very helpful if it has an international edition. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Down to earth cases and solutions for retail
This book opens with a case study of a buyer's squabble about over whose territory it is to buy a certain dress. Then we get the solution and action plan about the squabble. Who in retail has not experienced this. Yet it is refreshing to hear the solution, and to read the rest of the excellent case studies in the book.

My retail business is not a department store, yet every case study in this book was relevent to my business. The authors cover display, direct import, vendor relationships, budgets, purchasing and pricing strategies, marketing, hiring practices, and everything pertinant to retail today.

It is difficult to find a good book on retail strategies. There are hundreds of books on marketing, but only a few that cover the purchasing side of retailing. This is the best purchasing book I have found. ... Read more

Book Description

"The end objective of buying and merchandising is to achieve sales and gross margin objectives through effective merchandise management of a department or group of departments." —from Management of Retail Buying, Third Edition

There is more to retail buying than simply forecasting consumer demand. The successful buyer employs a complex constellation of skill, art, and careful study to plan and manage the flow of merchandise from the wholesaler or marketer to the consumer. This book contains the combined wisdom, knowledge, and hard-won savvy of three of the world's foremost authorities on managing retail buying, each of whom brought a lifetime of experience to the creation of this third edition of the most important book in every retail buyer's library. This comprehensive volume covers every aspect of retail buying, from targeting desired consumers and purchasing goods tailored to their tastes and needs, to negotiating with vendors, managing inventory, and using computers to expedite the buying process.

Management of Retail Buying is organized into three parts: The Buying Process, Planning and Managing Merchandise Assortments, and Where and How to Buy. Part I features an overview of the buyer's milieu; a look at how the buying process can be organized and controlled; and in-depth descriptions of the several types of buying groups, how they function, and their similarities and differences. Part II focuses on the keys to understanding the consumer, forecasting demand, and using that forecast as a basis for selecting merchandise. Because retailers of staple goods face a very different set of objectives and problems from retailers of fashion and seasonal merchandise, separate chapters are devoted to planning and control of assortments in these different types of establishments. The book's final section examines the world of suppliers, vendors, price negotiations, order placement, special services from vendors, and actual acquisition of the merchandise. The authors provide authoritative and timeless advice on competitive strategies and tactics, foreign buying, controlling the logistical factors that lie between the purchase of goods and their delivery to the point of sale, and much more.

Whether you're a seasoned retail veteran or a student or novice hoping to make retailing your life's work, Management of Retail Buying, Third Edition is destined to become the most highly prized volume on your bookshelf.

The standard text/reference for retail buying and merchandising is now revised, expanded, and updated for the 1990s and beyond . . .

This Third Edition of one of the classics in retailing literature combines the timeless wisdom of three of the industry's giants with a detailed examination of the current state of the retailer's art. It provides comprehensive coverage of every aspect of retail buying and how to manage the buying process in order to maximize profits and minimize losses. It also offers in-depth discussions of the numerous skills and techniques needed to succeed as a buyer or merchandise manager in today's competitive retail environment, including:

• Organizing and controlling the buying process
• Understanding consumer demographics and psychographics
• Identifying consumer trends and forecasting demand
• Analyzing and interpreting sales records
• Planning and control of merchandise assortments
• Using computers to increase competitiveness
• Shopping vendor lines and negotiating prices and services
• And much more

Book Description

Effective, affordable, low-risk online marketing techniques for small business owners

Most small businesses are not taking advantage of the powerful and inexpensive Internet-based marketing tools and techniques that are available to them. These tools and techniques can mean the difference between a viable business and closing up shop. But most of what small business owners hear or read about the Internet applies to large businesses with greater resources than their own, or comes from unreliable or shady sources. The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business gives the small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur the real-world tools and tactics to market their small business around the world with little investment and even less risk. Full of practical ideas on reaching new customers and increasing sales, this book will make a real difference in the success rate of small businesses and start-ups everywhere. ... Read more

Book Description

Endorsed by the Institute of Logistics and TransportThe last decade has seen steady improvements and relationship changes in retail logistics. These changes have proved so fundamental to business operating efficiency that it is now widely recognized that "logistics excellence" provides a profound competitive advantage. Emphasis is now on a quick response, efficient consumer response, category management and continuous replenishment -- in short, relationships are now seen as the key to logistics excellence.This fully revised and updated edition brings together well-known academics and practitioners to share their research, ideas and experience of retail logistics in the 21st century. Including high-profile case studies of Tesco and the Co-operative Group, the contributions from leading experts in the field cover: * logistics principles* fashion logistics* research charting the internationalization of retailing e-logistics* internet-based exchanges* the introduction of SAP ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Log Student
A good review with lessons learned about how to keep the customer happy.A must read for any retail distrbutor or manager. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fabulous is right!
Once again, Kerry Trout displays her work with beautiful photography and easy-to-follow instructions. I'm ready to hit the flea markets and start painting!!! ... Read more

Book Description

In Public Markets and Civic Culture in Nineteenth-Century America Helen Tangires examines the role of the public marketplace--social and architectural--as a key site in the development of civic culture in America. More than simply places for buying and selling food, Tangires explains, municipally owned and operated markets were the common ground where citizens and government struggled to define the shared values of the community. Public markets were vital to civic policy and reflected the profound belief in the moral economy--the effort on the part of the municipality to maintain the social and political health of its community by regulating the ethics of trade in the urban marketplace for food.

Tangires begins with the social, architectural, and regulatory components of the public market in the early republic, when cities embraced this ancient system of urban food distribution. By midcentury, the legalization of butcher shops in New York City and the incorporation of market house companies in Pennsylvania challenged the system and hastened the deregulation of this public service. Some cities demolished their marketing facilities or loosened restrictions on the food trades in an effort to deal with the privatization movement.However, several decades of experience with dispersed retailers, suburban slaughterhouses, and food transported by railroad proved disastrous to the public welfare, prompting cities and federal agencies to reclaim this urban civic space. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Public Market - an Engine for Local Economy
Helen Tangires, Public Markets and Civic Culture in Nineteenth-Century America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003)

In Public Markets and Civic Culture in Nineteenth-Century America, Helen Tangires successfully illustrates how the American public market of the 1800's was the focus of urban life, a place for public ceremony and a site where local government demonstrated the importance of a moral economy, "the welfare of the community over individual gain and profit". She begins with a discussion of how cities articulated a moral economy through laws and ordinances that restricted illegal trading practices such as selling food outside the public market's hours of operation; purchasing food with the intent of resale; hoarding products to create artificial scarcity and drive up prices; posing as a producer or trader without a license, and attempting to sell goods that were short in weight and measure (5-11). Laws and ordinances made it possible for consumers to procure food from a centralized location, and ensured that the municipality could enforce health codes, police the market and collect revenues for other government sponsored programs or projects. Through a detailed discussion of the construction and location of public markets within urban landscapes and the activities of farmers, merchants, street vendors and consumers of varied classes and ethnicities, Tangires aptly shows how "public markets were intended to preserve the republican values of egalitarianism, good government and citizenship". She uses watercolors, lithographs, engravings, affidavits and the testimony of Thomas De Voe (a New York butcher and city official) to demonstrate that "[the public market] stood at the civic and commercial core of the city...[and that] the area immediately around the market house was the most prized" (47).

Tangires documents potential threats to the moral economy through detailed accounts of the legalization of private shops in New York, the construction of private market houses in Philadelphia, and the removal of public markets from the center of major thoroughfares and main squares, but she reminds us that deregulatory movements failed to totally obliterate the importance of public markets from the conscience of local government. Local officials resisted total privatization and deregulation of food production and distribution because public markets were a major source of revenue for municipalities, public health was potentially jeopardized through private markets, and local governments were interested in providing affordable food for the working classes (151). Tangires continues with a discussion of how the United States Department of Agriculture and local governments attempted to restore a moral economy in urban areas by regaining control over food distribution and regulating the treatment of animals and the profits of middlemen. Through an analysis of Center Markets in Washington DC and Chicago, Tangires illustrates the role government played in designing and financing public markets that could successfully compete with privately owned markets and grocery stores. She also demonstrates how cities attempted to coordinate food trade with rail service through the creation of wholesale terminal markets, and discusses the role that Progressive Era social reformers played in the rebirth of the municipal market. Improving public markets fit into social reformers' overall scheme of enhancing America's image abroad, instilling moral values and civic pride in its citizens, and improving city government and quality of life by eliminating the "urban evils of rising food costs, lack of fresh food, traffic congestion, and poor public hygiene".

At the conclusion of her study, Tangires asks, "So how did the public market system change from 1800 to 1900"? She answers by stating that, "trade practices that were once considered illegal were routine by the end of the nineteenth century". According to Tangires, "[L]arge-scale food storage was commonplace [and] formerly feared and despised jobbers and middlemen...had become legitimate and significant players in urban food marketing and distribution" (204). Tangires ends by declaring that "[D]espite the mid-nineteenth-century collision between the ethos of the moral economy and the manifestations of a capitalist market economy..., ultimately public markets revealed both their resilience and their adaptability. As places of civic pride, [public markets] remained the focal point of neighborhoods and communities; they continued to foster direct contact between producer and consumer; and with the aid of the streetcar, they discovered ways to attract suburban and middle-class consumers. Cities and federal agencies fought hard to reclaim this urban civic space in the name of the common good. The public market, in short, was much an idea (or ideal) as an architectural form. It remained the principal place where society could evaluate its success or failure at organizing urban life"(205).

Reviewed by Sandra R. Heard, George Washington University. ... Read more

Book Description

Coupons for Readers is the perfect gift to motivate the reader on your list. Filled with coupons for free books, trips to the library or movies, and rewards for achieving reading goals, this one-of-a-kind book is sure to be a hit with your "bookworm." The illustrations provide a delightful mix of energy and humor. ... Read more

Book Description

This is an in-depth analysis of the structure of retailing, and particular government legislation and controls affecting individual economies within the EU.Written by authors from the subject countries, the book covers all major EU economies and includes an introductory chapter covering the major issues. It concludes by drawing a number of retail sector performance and policy conclusions.This study will be of interest to anyone concerned with comparative retailing, as well as those who wish to learn about this important dimension of EU economic activity. ... Read more

Book Description

For first-time franchise buyers, answers to common questions. ... Read more

Book Description

An amazing true story of online store Value America. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Now I know what's killing Corporate America!
This book should be mandatory reading for all Corporate executives and especially all boards of directors. It clearly spells out just what must have happened at Enron, Global Crossings, K-Mart, WorldCom, and so many other bankrupt companies. It's the so called "professional" mangement's pocket-lining greed, unchecked by the board which results in spriraling economic sdeath to the companies, the employees, the shareholders and to everyone EXCEPT the managers. Cudos to Power and Winn for an expose' that finially tells it like it is. Everyone can learn from this one.

Entertaining and an Excellent "Lessons Learned" Account
Ken Power et al does an excellent job of turning several years of memories and experiences into a very readable and detailed behind-the-scenes account of what happened with ValueAmeria. For me, the book became a text book on subjects like IPO, private funding, road shows and passing the baton from founder to CEO. The authors balance enough factual detail with colorful background to make the book interesting. I couldn't put it down. Admittedly (and understandably) self-serving in areas, the book provides insight about what all dot.coms experienced - from people who played on the field rather than watched from the bleachers.

This is an aweful book
This is truly one of the worst books I have ever read. It might as well been titled "Craig Winn rants about the people he hates while praising himself" because that is all that is really accomplished here. I will say one thing though, if you've read David Kuo's Dot.bomb (and if you haven't you should) this book becomes somewhat interesting because it really shows off how warped a man Craig Winn really is. It is a truly sickening account of the events that transpired (btw, those sensitive about racist/sexist comments should probably avoid this book as well).

On last note, please notice that all the good reviews of this book are from people who remained anonymous. I wouldn't be surprised it they were written by Crain Winn himself.

In the Company of Good but mostly Evil
I read this book in order to get a better insight into what really went on behind the facade of ValueAmerica, but in this I was sadly disappointed. Having marveled at the meteoric rise and fall of this dot com since 1999; I have been following the unfolding story quite closely through the daily news and business magazines such as Business Week and Fortune. Most recently I read David Kuo's book, which I incidentally highly recommend as being much more balanced than the diatribe Craig Winn dishes up in this tale of "good and evil".

Somehow Winn repeatedly attempts to convince us that everything he touches eventually turns into gold as long as he can keep evil persons from getting in his way. He appears over and over again as being an egocentric pontificating dictator who only vaguely understands truth from fiction. The vicious attacks and insults he hurls at everyone that dared to disagree with him are not convincing. The board of directors ousted Craig Winn; not the employees at ValueAmerica or the dozens of other "evil" persons he refers to. I found this aspect of the book particularly tiring and repetitive.

Many observers and followers of the general dot com collapse of 2000/2001 still wonder about where all that money went. Back in May 2000 Business Week wrote: "Winn is set for life. He lives on his 150-acre estate where he has built a Greek Revival mansion modeled on George Washington's Mount Vernon. Both Winn and Scatena (who served as outside counsel to Winn's earlier bankrupt venture) have been feverishly dumping their stock ... Winn has personally realized cash gains of about $53.7 million and still has an additional $15.5 million worth of stock. Winn's backers have not fared so well."

"In the Company of Good and Evil" is the one sided story of a forceful business visionary that can truly admire only one thing. Himself. A balanced and fact filled account of what really took place at ValueAmerica it is not.

an amazing story
With curiosity overcoming fear for the size of this
book, I started to read what became an amazing and
yet sad story of the fantastic rise and the meteoric
fall of Value America. If it wasn't so sad because of what happened to the many loyal employees, I would say that
this couldn't happened in our sophisticated world of business.
The book certainly was a fast read and believable as to its
rise but it was hard to believe that people so brilliant in
their creative ventures could let a few people take it down.
That is frightening in context of our government, business,
educational system, etc. Why couldn't the good guys
have seen what was happening? Before the fall! I guess
when you have faith in people, you also risk that they
have the same goals as you do. The shame is that it came
so close to proving all the "doublful Thomases"
wrong and that is the sadness of the book. So many
peoples dreams and hopes were shattered by so few.
This book certainly held my interest and I do not
attempt to give a literary review--these are my
words---------I wish it had worked.
The book was facinating. ... Read more

Book Description

How ethical are Disney, Nike, Gap, Walmart, Adidas, and The Body Shop? This handbook lists hundreds of major companies and shows how much_or how little_progress they have made in developing socially responsible codes of conduct for their suppliers.

As concern grows about the condition of workers in developing countries, this book contains everything you need to know about ethical and fair trade. It empowers the consumer with advice on how to buy the right products, influence company purchasing policy, and campaign on these issues.

Covering a wide range of goods and services such as clothes, hardware, electronics, food, furniture, health and beauty, and much more, Ethical Shopping provides everything you need to shop with a clear conscience.

Book Description

With over 7.5 million users generating $5.6 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2003 alone, eBay has become a fundamental part of contemporary American life.

Still, there are many people who, while comfortable with a computer and the Internet, aren't completely sure about how to bid, buy, or sell on eBay. Or, if they are familiar with eBay basics, feel like they are at a disadvantage when pitted against more experienced eBay users.They're not unintelligent, they just don't have the timeto learn all the tips and tricks that are second-nature to power eBay users.

eBay In a Snap's unique, random-access approach lets the reader zero right in on the thing he or she wants to learn about, and get back to winning a bid or selling a product at the highest price.

Written by a well-known expert on Internet shopping, bargain-hunting, and auctions, eBay in a Snap reveals the best tips, tricks, and techniques for everything from enhancing a listing with HTML and multimedia to buying and selling a car on eBay.