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For the Love of Murphy's: The Behind-The-Counter Story of a Great American Retailer
"For the Love of Murphy's is an excellent account of the history of a great five-and-ten. Jason Togyer has truly captured the "behind-the-counter" view of an innovative retail organization The G. C. Murphy Company is very special to me. My management style and work ethic grew from the experience and training I acquired over a sixteen-year period as a G. C. Murphy employee. I worked as a part-time stock boy in the early 1950s and then spent five years full time in the management training program, working in seven different stores. After serving in the Marine Corps, I returned part time to the G. C. Murphy Company—and while attending Penn State University, I worked in the downtown State College store. I highly recommend For the Love of Murphy's to anyone who has had the experience of working in a five-and-ten retail store. Students of marketing management and merchandising, young entrepreneurs, and small-business owners will also gain immensely from the wealth of information in this book." —Larry R. Pollock
Chancellor Emeritus, Penn State-New Kensington Five-and-ten stores were immensely popular during the middle fifty years of the twentieth century, selling cheap, dependable goods to people from all walks of life. Now the product of a bygone era, these stores were revolutionary in their time, but few today appreciate how important they were in creating our present-day consumer culture. In this caring but honest look at one of the best-known chains of five-and-tens, Jason Togyer traces the history of the G. C. Murphy Company, headquartered in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Though not the largest chain, nor the first, Murphy's is remembered today as a commercial trailblazer, a corporation run with honesty and integrity, and, at its peak, a retailer whose more than 500 stores managed to outsell those of the giant F. W. Woolworth Company by a factor of three to one. Making extensive use of both the company archives and anecdotes from former employees and customers, McKeesport native Togyer recreates with outstanding detail the world in which the G. C. Murphy Company emerged; its survival and growth during the Great Depression; its response to a strained economy during World War II; its fight against rapidly expanding competitors such as K—Mart; its struggle and recovery in the 1970s; and its unsuccessful battle to stave off Wall Street raiders in the 1980s. Though modern-day shoppers may not know the Murphy name, they know the legacy it left behind. From its adventurous selling tactics to its strict code of corporate ethics, the G. C. Murphy Company should be remembered not as a dusty relic, but as a pioneer in the American business world. .
Price: $23.07
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Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses
An expert's in-depth exploration of the enormous impact of mega-retailers—and what communities and independent businesses can do A Book Sense Pick and Annual Highlight Large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America and are rapidly transforming our economy, communities, and landscape. In this deft and revealing book, Stacy Mitchell illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising water pollution and diminished civic engagement. Mitchell's investigation takes us from the suburbs of Cleveland to a fruit farm in California, the stockroom of an Oregon Wal-Mart, and a Pennsylvania town's Main Street. She uncovers the shocking role government policy has played in the expansion of mega-retailers and builds a compelling case that communities composed of many small businesses are healthier and more prosperous than those dominated by large chains. More than a critique, The Big-Box Swindle draws on real life to show how some communities are successfully countering the spread of mega-retailers and rebuilding their local economies. Mitchell describes innovative approaches—from cutting-edge land-use policies to small-business initiatives—that together provide a detailed road map to a more prosperous and sustainable future. "In the muckraking tradition of Fast Food Nation and Nickel and Dimed, this is a searing indictment of the impact of behemoth retailers." —John Marshall, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which included Big-Box Swindle in its Top Ten 2006 list "What Nickel and Dimed did for the Wal-Mart worker, Mitchell does for the community threatened by mega-retailers." —Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature "Stacy's book provided much of the information we were using during the campaign against Target," said Don Shor of the Davis Independent Merchants Alliance, which is sponsoring Mitchell's talk Tuesday at 7 p.m…"It's probably a Davis best-seller at this point," said Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery. —Davis Enterprise (Davis, CA), article in the May 4th issue "This letter is for anyone who still thinks that Wal-Mart would be an asset to our city, and also our city council. I urge you! I implore you! Please read this book: Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega Retailers and The Fight for America's Independent Businesses by Stacy Mitchell." —Atascadero News (CA), letter to the editor.
Price: $2.78
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Wine: The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade
The grape pre-dates humans, so it's hard to know who discovered wine. However, archeological and other discoveries have made it easier to find this out since wine was used to meet spiritual needs. At least, this is the story that is usually told. But when civilization began about 8,000 years ago it didn't take long for wine to move from an instrument of spirituality to a dominant economic power; all it took was the development of trade. Thereafter, the life and death of certain cultures often depended upon the fortunes of wine trading. Wine may have even sparked the earliest wars. Presenting its history from a commercial perspective, Wine reveals how the historically powerful wine trade has been a catalyst in many important developments throughout the ages such as sea mercantilism, early glass blowing, cooperage and cork production, trade fairs and festivals, advertising and promotion, the survival of civilization during the so-called Dark Ages, war financing, placating or pacifying troops, tranquilizing marauders, politics, literature and more. .
Price: $6.69
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On Target: How the World's Hottest Retailer Hit a Bull's-Eye
The first behind-the-scenes look at the stunning success of America's hippest discount retailer Founded in 1962 by Minnesota-based department store Dayton's, Target has grown to become America's second most profitable retailer behind Wal-Mart. On Target is the first in-depth look at the business leaders and strategies that made Target such a runaway success. The company's easily recognizable red-and-white logo, youthful television advertisements, and upscale partnerships-with designers like Michael Graves, Mossimo, and Todd Oldham-have not only removed the stigma traditionally attached to discount store shopping, but actually made it hip to be frugal. In the process, the company has cemented its place as the favorite discount retailer of middle- and upper-income families across the country. In On Target, award-winning business journalist Laura Rowley examines the methods and the success of the company from its shrewd merchandising strategy to its clever marketing campaigns, ingenious branding effort, and extensive philanthropy . An excellent education in how to beat the competition even in a crowded and weak retail market, Target's story details the history and incredible success of a unique company and an enticing, unmistakable brand. Both insightful and entertaining, On Target offers important business lessons for executives and managers in need of a bull's-eye. Laura Rowley (Maplewood, NJ) is an award-winning television, radio, and print journalist specializing in business reporting. She is the personal finance and career columnist for Self magazine and has also been published in The New York Times, Parents, and Newsweek. As a reporter and producer for CNN in New York, she reported on air for Your Money and Business Unusual, and produced live programs for CNNfn. She has also appeared on Good Morning America, Oxygen Media, and CNBC..
Price: $7.85
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Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience
The recent history of shopping has been defined by decade-long periods of dynamic change. The ’80s were the decade of the mall, with the explosion of malls being built, resulting in shoppers flocking to these new centers of retail. The ’90s were the decade of the discounters, as Wal-Mart rolled out their discount shopping experience from their base in the heartland to both coasts and many other discounters, Target and Kohl’s among them, following suit. The first decade of the new millennium is the decade of luxury, with retailers offering an expanded range of traditional heritage brand luxury to the “classes,” and retailers serving the mass market offering up new, more affordable versions of luxury for the “masses.” We are now into the second half of that decade and the logical question is “What’s next?” Shopping will answer this question using the three tools that give marketers and retailers “future vision” – as discovered by Pam Danziger, president of marketing consulting and research firm Unity Marketing. .
Price: $9.35
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The Profitable Retailer: 56 surprisingly simple and effective lessons to boost your sales and profits
Earn more. Learn More. It’s that Easy. Attention retailers: Are you feeling a bit overworked and thinking you’re not nearly as profitable compared to the effort you’re putting in? While this book won’t get the carpet vacuumed or your orders put away, it will show you how to generate a higher cash return and help you achieve the success you do deserve. This is not another how-to retail book; there are plenty of those. There are no fancy theories or case studies here. Who running a store has time for that? Instead, this is a collection of fun and practical lessons written for retailers - by a retailer. They cover the crucial aspects of your business – strategy, marketing, customer service, operations, and employee relations. From them, you’ll learn how to: ·Instantly drive more traffic, more business, and more loyal customers through your door. ·Create a better ROI for your marketing and advertising dollars. ·Attract and retain the best staff possible. ·Get more cha-ching for your hard work. Learn more. Earn more. It’s that easy..
Price: $19.95
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Distribution Channels: Understanding and Managing Channels to Market
This book targets those who are involved in the marketing and distribution of products and services, whether they are working for a supplier, a customer, or another player. It provides a fast track to the issues, measures, relationships and success factors involved in bringing products and services to market, and is especially relevant for those who are looking for guidance in addressing the commercial and financial aspects of their role. It is also relevant to those who are financially literate but new to the concerns of distribution..
Price: $46.39
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How to Succeed at Retail: Winning Case Studies and Strategies for Retailers and Brands
Who are the world's best retail brands? Is there a formula for success that others can learn from? How to Succeed at Retail presents a winning template for action that can apply to traditional brands and retailers alike. Building on the process introduced in the international bestseller Retailization, it encourages managers to become "retail obsessed" and to think strategically, creatively, and operationally in a retail context. Twenty-five international case studies demonstrate success in action, explaining how the world's most successful brands sell themselves to today's increasingly demanding shoppers. The messages and lessons apply to any and every business, making this essential reading for CEOs, brand managers, sales managers, marketing managers, retail managers, and students of retail studies, marketing, and business. .
Price: $23.54
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Small Store Survival: Success Strategies for Retailers (National Retail Federation)
"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..
Price: $29.97
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