Lean Retail and Wholesale

Essential reading for those who want to learn how Lean provides a competitive edge in today's fast-paced, multi-channel, and cost-conscious environment. --Mark Temkin, Director, Demand Planning, Barnes & Noble, Inc. Provides an enlightening perspective on the applications of Lean principles to the increasingly challenging worlds of the retail and wholesale sectors. --Professor C. John Langley, Jr., Penn State UniversityFeaturing real-world case studies, this practical, streamlined guide reveals how utilize a comprehensive Lean methodology throughout retail and wholesale businesses to reduce costs and improve productivity, quality, customer service, and profitability. Lean Retail and Wholesale examines Lean opportunities from the viewpoint of retail strategy, merchandise management, and store and distribution operations and provides a holistic, systematic approach for identifying and eliminating non-value-added activities. The Lean techniques presented can be applied to traditional brick-and-mortar wholesalers and retailers as well as e-businesses.Coverage includes: Using Lean as a tool to survive and thrive in retail and wholesale(R)evolution of retail--from the general store to e-commerceThe Lean journey from goods to servicesLean retail and wholesale: early signs of promiseBasic Lean concepts and tools: building a solid foundationAdvanced Lean concepts and tools: K.I.S.S. (keep it simple and straightforward)Retail strategy: sales and marketing, location, human resources management, IT, supply chain management, and customer relationship managementMerchandise management: planning, buying, pricing, and communicationsStore operations managementLean retail and wholesale distributionLean assessments and value stream mappingLeadership, culture, teams, and trainingPartnering, outsourcing, import, technology, and Six SigmaCritical thinking and continuous improvement: methodology, education, training, and analyticsDefining and measuring success-measurements and current statisticsThe road ahead: thoughts and suggestions on the future of Lean in retail and wholesale