The Retailer And The Community

The fourth in a series of guides for retailers, this book shows how to manage relations with the community: how to identify and meet local needs, and how to win the respect and loyalty of the local customer-base.

Corporate retail has greatly expanded in the past 30 years with the introduction of the Big Box Store. While these chain stores brought many cities convenient retail options and cheap prices, they also left entire towns devastated after putting local mom and pop stores out of business. With a suburban and rural development strategy, corporate retail giants like Walmart and Target started to get a bad reputation for destroying small town and metropolitan communities. Due to a decrease in potential suburban development sites, coupled with the rise of urban population growth, these chains saw an opportunity to bring their large scale retail to dense urban areas. Beginning in 2010, corporations took the step towards urban development. Through the study of Walmart and Target it has become clear that while these urban locations are doing a much better job than their suburban counterparts of fitting within an existing context, they are still lacking in some core urban development areas, as well as neglecting to positively impact the communities they are inserting themselves into. This thesis explores the different ways in which a big box retail corporation can enhance their existing development strategy to better fit within an urban context, while also helping to boost their corporate image by positively impacting communities.

Retailing has been around as long as exchanges have existed. One person has something others want. Yet, modern day retailing has seen little innovation in the critical triangle of manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Each group has proceeded along separate pathways-all intent on achieving individual goals. Until today! Interactive digital technologies have created new communities of customers-communities that demand radically different views, approaches and methodologies. RETAIL COMMUNITIES presents a unique view of how customers, retailers and manufacturers interact in the digital marketplace. By combining BIGresearch's SIMM(r), CIA(tm) and Shopper MindSet(tm) consumer data sources, the authors have created consumer segments at the retail and manufacturer levels with both out-of-store and in-store views. Using 31 out-of-store and 23 in-store promotional categories, the "retail communities" idea enables all marketers on all levels to understand, plan and allocate promotional funds in what is called the "Retail Theater." Truly, in the customer community arena, the retailer becomes another media form to be included in any product marketing program.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. 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 and the global, between the late-nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries.

Traditional retail is becoming increasingly volatile and challenged as a business model. Brick-and-mortar has shifted to online, while online is shifting into pop-up storefronts. Virtual stores in subway platforms and airports are offering new levels of convenience for harried commuters. High Street and Main Street are becoming the stuff of nostalgia. The Big Box is losing ground to new models that attract consumers through their most-trusted assistant—the smartphone. What’s next? What’s the future for you—a retailer—who is witnessing a tsunami of change and not knowing if this means grasping ahold of new opportunity or being swept away? The Retail Revival answers these questions by looking into the not-so-distant retail past and by looking forward into a future that will continue to redefine retail and its enormous effect on society and our economies. Massive demographic and economic shifts, as well as historic levels of technological and media disruption, are turning this once predictable industry—where “average” was king—into a sea of turbulent change, leaving consumer behavior permanently altered. Doug Stephens, internationally renowned consumer futurist, examines the key seismic shifts in the market that have even companies like Walmart and Procter & Gamble scrambling to cope, and explores the current and future trends that will completely change the way we shop. The Retail Revival provides no-nonsense clarity on the realities of a completely new retail marketplace— realities that are driving many industry executives to despair. But the future need not be dark. Stephens offers hope and guidance for any businesses eager to capitalize on these historic shifts and thrive. Entertaining and thought-provoking, The Retail Revival makes sense of a brave new era of consumer behavior in which everything we thought we knew about retail is being completely reimagined. Praise for The Retail Revival “It doesn’t matter what type of retail you do—if you sell something, somewhere, you need to read Doug Stephens’ The Retail Revival. Packed with powerful insights on the changing retail environment and what good retailers should be thinking about now, The Retail Revival is easy to read, well-organized and provides essential food for thought.” — Gregg Saretsky, President and CEO, WestJet “This book captures in sharp detail the deep and unprecedented changes driving new consumer behaviors and values. More importantly, it offers clear guidance to brands and retailers seeking to adapt and evolve to meet entirely new market imperatives for success.” —John Gerzema, Author of Spend Shift and The Athena Doctrine “The Retail Revival is a critical read for all marketing professionals who are trying to figure out what’s next in retail… Doug Stephens does a great job of explaining why retail has evolved the way it has, and the book serves as an important, trusted guide to where it’s headed next. ” —Joe Lampertius SVP, Shopper Marketing, Momentum Worldwide and Owner, La Spezia Flavor Market “Doug Stephens has proven his right to the moniker ‘Retail Prophet.’ With careful analysis and ample examples, the author makes a compelling case for retailers to adapt, change and consequently revive their connection with consumers. Stephens presents actionable recommendations with optimism and enthusiasm—just the spoonful of sugar we need to face the necessary changes ahead.” —Kit Yarrow, Ph.D., Consumer Psychologist; Professor, Golden Gate University; Co-Author, Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings are Revolutionizing Retail “Doug Stephens doesn’t just tell you why retail is in the doldrums, he tells you why retail is a major signpost for the larger troubles of our culture and provides a compelling, inspiring vision for a future of retail—and business, and society.” —Eric Garland, author of Future Inc.: How Businesses Can Anticipate and Profit from What’s Next