Retail has never existed in a vacuum. This interdisciplinary volume explores how English commercial, co-operative and charity retailing were shaped by and in turn influenced their social and political environments, from the local to the global, between the late nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries. Historians, sociologists, archivists and heritage professionals engage with current debates on the rise of modern business and the decline of the high street, class and credit, professionalisation in the voluntary sector, migration and the end of empire. This book will be a key resource to better understand retail and community in an era defined by social change, shedding new light on the enduring centrality of community relationships to modern retailers.
In the world of economics and business, engaging with loyal customers while also seeking out new, potential customers is a must. With the recent advancements of social media technology, these operations have increased the need for more developed methods to mesh consumer-business relationships and retention. The Handbook of Research on Retailing Techniques for Optimal Consumer Engagement and Experiences is a thought-provoking reference source that provides vital insight into the application of present-day customer relationship management within the retail industry. While highlighting topics such as digital communication, e-retailing, and social media marketing, this publication explores in-depth merchandiser knowledge as well as the methods behind positive retailer-consumer relationships. This book is ideally designed for managers, executives, CEOs, sales professionals, marketers, advertisers, brand managers, retail experts, academicians, researchers, and students.
Physical retail isn’t dead—but boring retail is! Remarkable Retail equips the savvy retailer with eight essential strategies to thrive in an increasingly volatile and uncertain future. Digital technology has profoundly altered the competitive landscape for retailers. In Remarkable Retail, industry thought leader Steve Dennis argues that in a world of nearly infinite choice, where the lines between digital and physical are increasingly blurred, even being very good is no longer good enough. To win and keep customers today, retailers must be nothing short of remarkable. In most retail categories, digital channels are often central to the consumer’s journey, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t also shopping in stores; they’re just using them differently, often browsing in one channel and buying in the other. The notion of a physical store channel and an ecommerce channel is increasingly a distinction without a difference; the customer is the channel. The future belongs to those who embrace the blur of digital and physical that represents modern retail today and work to deliver an experience that is more harmonized and more memorable, regardless of how consumers decide to shop. Packed with illuminating case studies from some of modern retail’s biggest success stories—and leveraging Dennis’s more than thirty years as a senior executive and strategic consultant to dozens of brands—Remarkable Retail lays out the case for going beyond a slightly better version of mediocre and forging a path to being truly remarkable. To help retailers on this transformation journey, Dennis presents eight essential strategies for visionary leaders who are prepared to reimagine their way of doing business. A remarkable retailer is digitally enabled, human-centered, harmonized, mobile, personal, connected, memorable, and radical. In an age where consumers have short attention spans, myriad options, and a digitally integrated relationship with every brand, Remarkable Retail is your indispensable guide to creating a powerful retail experience that keeps your customers coming back for more.
How small, one-of-a-kind businesses can break through among giants Megachains like Walmart, Starbucks, Home Depot, and The Gap attract Americans to thousands of outlets by offering a large selection of goods and services. But this doesn't mean that independent stores can't compete with the big guys-and win. Retail expert George Whalin identifies and explores twenty-five highly popular and profitable independent stores from around the country. Unlike the mom-and-pops of yesteryear, these businesses embrace technology and innovation, generate word of mouth, and turn their size into an advantage. They include: ? ABC Carpet and Home in New York City ? Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon ? The Junkman's Daughter in Atlanta ? Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, Ohio Readers will be inspired by how these independent stores are thriving and take away lessons they can apply to their own businesses.
What we got wrong -- A concept catches fire -- Food desert realities : perception, money, and transportation -- Food desert realities : social capital, household dynamics, and taste -- The "Healthy food" frame -- The problem solvers -- A path forward -- Epilogue -- Appendix : food desert media database.
Forge deeper and more meaningful connections with consumers and embrace the latest opportunities occurring across the physical and digital retail landscape to become more adaptable, resilient and successful. While change is a constant in retail, flux has accelerated in innovation, digital disruption and changing consumer demands and expectations. Written for both digital-first and physical retailers, Next Generation Retail describes how to respond to the needs and expectations of today's consumers and connect with Generations Z and Alpha in an authentic and relevant way. Highly practical in approach, it explores the latest opportunities and pitfalls to avoid for developments including the metaverse, livestream shopping, instant commerce, blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Next Generation Retail also describes how to create compelling content and retail media to drive commerce and monetize data while maintaining customer trust. Featuring original research and interviews with top industry experts, it contains examples and case studies from a range of brands and organizations including Lancôme, Burberry and Walmart. This is an essential resource for retailers of all sizes to adapt to and thrive in today's environment of breakneck change and innovation.
A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.
Almost weekly, the news is full of stories about disappearing retail chains. From House of Fraser and BHS to Toys'R'Us and Sears, recognised names are vanishing overnight – as such large organizations disappear, so the malls, shopping centres, high streets and main streets become emptier and less appealing to visit. The retail sector is hugely important in terms of job numbers: in the US, it employs around 30 million people (directly and indirectly); in the UK, around 10 million. As such, anything that jeopardises the retail sector will have a deep and lasting impact on millions of lives, as well as on public policy. While many blame the 'Amazon effect', this is an oversimplification. Deeper forces are at work that are changing people's relationships with brands, the balance of power between producers and consumers, and the whole nature of the supply chain that has existed since the industrial revolution. Retail Therapy offers a comprehensive analysis of these forces and their impact on the world of retailing. More importantly, it presents a cogent analysis of the longer term trends that are shaping retailing, and outlines a clear road map for sustainable success in the future.
"...Extraordinary: Gibbs has popped the hood and taken apart the engine of commercial design and development, showing us each individual part and explaining fit, form and function." —Yaromir Steiner, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Steiner + Associates "...the most comprehensive and expansive book ever written on the subject of Retail Real Estate Development. Gibbs is by far the most prominent advocate for reforming retail planning and development in order to return American cities to economic and physical prominence." –Stefanos Polyzoides, Moule & Polyzoides Architects & Urbanists The retail environment has evolved rapidly in the past few decades, with the retailing industry and its placement and design of "brick-and-mortar" locations changing with evolving demographics, shopping behavior, transportation options and a desire in recent years for more unique shopping environments. Written by a leading expert, this is a guide to planning for retail development for urban planners, urban designers and architects. It includes an overview of history of retail design, a look at retail and merchandising trends, and principles for current retail developments. Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development will: Provide insight and techniques necessary for historic downtowns and new urban communities to compete with modern suburban shopping centers. Promote sustainable community building and development by making it more profitable for the shopping center industry to invest in historic cities or to develop walkable urban communities. Includes case studies of recent good examples of retail development
