Specialty Shop Retailing

New revised and updated edition! When Carol Schroeder and her husband founded Orange Tree Imports twenty-five years ago, they had no retail background whatsoever. With drive and determination, they taught themselves everything they needed to know-merchandise display, record keeping, inventory management, and the myriad other skills that make up a storeowner's craft. In Specialty Shop Retailing, Carol shares this experience and wisdom so that you too can grow your business into an award-winning success. This newly revised edition also brings you the latest in technological trends, advertising, hiring, and customer service. More than just a lively memoir filled with helpful hints, this comprehensive guide covers every aspect of opening and operating a retail store, from choosing a location and store design to niche marketing, advertising, and customer service. Carol Schroeder supplies more than two dozen ready-to-use forms, and her tutorials on visual merchandising, store design, and advertising are supplemented with numerous photographs, sample ads, and witty cartoons. The book includes an extensive glossary of retail terms and a bibliography of additional reading sources for help on special topics such as writing a business plan and managing employees. In response to reader demand, this revised and updated edition offers new information on advertising in new venues such as cable television; the effects of e-commerce on small businesses; customer service trends and programs; and hiring and retaining employees in good times and bad. Like any wise businessperson, Carol Schroeder doesn't rely entirely on her own experience. From interviews with dozens of the most successful specialty retailers in the United States and Europe, she culls practical solutions to some of the field's most daunting challenges. She addresses major strategic issues, such as the pros and cons of buying into a franchise, negotiating a lease, competing with big box discounters, and diversifying product mix. Many of these solutions are built on straightforward, simple techniques that can be used in any store setting. Whether you're a seasoned retailer with many years' experience or a novice just beginning to plan a store, Specialty Shop Retailing will inform and guide you with up-to-date information, practical advice based on the author's experiences, and simple strategies for establishing yourself and finding success.