100 Best Retail Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best retail books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Charles T. Munger, Warren Buffett, Eric Schmidt, and 229 other experts.
1

Influence

The Psychology of Persuasion

Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book.

You'll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life,...
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Charles T. MungerRobert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist. (Source)

Dan ArielyIt covers a range of ways in which we end up doing things, and how we don’t understand why we’re doing them. (Source)

Max Levchin[Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?"] (Source)

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2
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his lime green Plymouth Valiant, Knight grossed $8,000 his first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30...
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Bill GatesThis memoir, by the co-founder of Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like: messy, precarious, and riddled with mistakes. I’ve met Knight a few times over the years. He’s super nice, but he’s also quiet and difficult to get to know. Here Knight opens up in a way few CEOs are willing to do. I don’t think Knight sets out to teach the reader... (Source)

Warren BuffettThe best book I read last year. Phil is... a gifted storyteller. (Source)

Andre AgassiI've known Phil Knight since I was a kid, but I didn't really know him until I opened this beautiful, startling, intimate book. And the same goes for Nike. I've worn the gear with pride, but I didn't realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. Candid, funny, suspenseful, literary - this is a memoir for people who love sport, but above all... (Source)

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3
The definitive story of Amazon.com, one of the most successful companies in the world, and of its driven, brilliant founder, Jeff Bezos.

Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to current and...
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Doug McMillon[I read and give this book because] you need to understand what you’re up against. (Source)

Santiago BasultoI love to read biographies and stories of companies. Hatching Twitter is a really good book, and if you’re into that sort of books, bios of Steve Jobs (by Isaacson) or Jeff Bezos are great too. (Source)

Tracy DiNunzioIt's a great book and especially for people starting out. (Source)

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4

Sam Walton

Made in America

As Sam Walton himself said, this is "...a story about entrepreneurship, and risk, and hard work, and knowing where you want to go and being willing to do what it takes to get there. And it's a story about believing in your idea even when maybe some other folks don't, and about sticking to your guns." It's the story of how Walton parlayed a single dime store in a hardscrabble cotton town into Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world. The undisputed merchant king of the late twentieth century, he never lost the common touch. Here Walton tells his extraordinary story in his own inimitable... more

Jeff BezosExpounds on the principles of discount retailing and discusses his core values of frugality and a bias for action—a willingness to try a lot of things and make many mistakes. Bezos included both in Amazon’s corporate values. (Source)

Rob "Crypto Bobby" Paone@tmac604 Read it earlier this summer, a great book 👍 and also hilarious to compare to current corporate excess ala WeWork (Source)

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5
Believe it or not, today we may be living in the most peaceful moment in our species' existence. In his gripping and controversial new work, New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows that despite the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually been in decline over long stretches of history. Exploding myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened world. less

Mark ZuckerbergMy second book of the year is The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker. It's a timely book about how and why violence has steadily decreased throughout our history, and how we can continue this trend. Recent events might make it seem like violence and terrorism are more common than ever, so it's worth understanding that all violence -- even terrorism -- is actually decreasing over time.... (Source)

Eric SchmidtWhen you finish [this book], which takes a long time, you conclude that the world is in a much, much better place than it has been in the past. (Source)

Bill GatesYong succeeds in his intention to give us a 'grander view of life' and does so without falling prey to grand, unifying explanations that are far too simplistic. He presents our inner ecosystems in all their wondrous messiness and complexity. And he offers realistic optimism that our growing knowledge of the human microbiome will lead to great new opportunities for enhancing our health. (Source)

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6
E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work

Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs.

An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points...
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Dave Ramsey[Dave Ramsey recommended this book on his website.] (Source)

Timothy FerrissAfter reading The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch, I decided that extreme questions were the forcing function I needed. (Source)

Brian ScudamoreThe book that’s had the biggest impact on me is The E-Myth by Michael Gerber (I even wrote about it in my own book). I read it front to back, then reread it right away. Gerber takes you through every step of a running a business from start to finish, and shows you what you need to make it successful. I read it when I was looking to take 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to the next level, and I had an epiphany:... (Source)

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7
Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin?

Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?

And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When...
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Max Levchin[Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?"] (Source)

Nick HarkawayPredictably Irrational is an examination of the way in which we make decisions irrationally, and how that irrationality can be predicted. (Source)

Jonah LehrerDan Ariely is a very creative guy and was able to take this basic idea, that humans are irrational, and mine it in a million different directions. (Source)

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8
You want to learn about the path that we took at Zappos to get to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales in less than ten years. You want to learn about the path I took that eventually led me to Zappos, and the lessons I learned along the way. You want to learn from all the mistakes we made at Zappos over the years so that your business can avoid making some of the same ones. You want to figure out the right balance of profits, passion, and purpose in business and in life. You want to build a long-term, enduring business and brand. You want to create a stronger company culture, which will... more

Chip Conley[The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age. (Source)

Adam JohnstonInspiring case study into building brand and customer service. (Source)

Julie Rice[At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]. (Source)

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9
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious—even liberating—book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled with a lack of feedback or other assistance and unreasonable demands on memorization. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable... more

Marius Ciuchete Pauneval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theceolibrary_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_5',164,'0','1'])); Question: Was there a moment, specifically, when something you read in a book helped you? Answer: Yes there was. In fact, I can remember two separate sentences from two different books: The first one comes from “The Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman. It says: “great design will help... (Source)

Grey BakerI mainly read to decompress and change my state of mind, so it’s hard to point to an insight I read that helped me. Reading fiction has pulled me out of a bad mood more times than I can count, though, and always reenergises me to attack problems that had stumped me again. That said, I read and loved Norman Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”, and it’s helped me think through design problems... (Source)

Kaci LambeThese three books are about how people actually use design in their lives. They helped me understand this very basic idea: There are no dumb users, only bad designers. Take the time to create based on how your design will be interacted with. Test it. Iterate. That's how you become a good designer. (Source)

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10
A real-life political thriller about an American financier in the Wild East of Russia, the murder of his principled young tax attorney, and his dangerous mission to expose the Kremlin's corruption.

Bill Browder's journey started on the South Side of Chicago and moved through Stanford Business School to the dog-eat-dog world of hedge fund investing in the 1990s. It continued in Moscow, where Browder made his fortune heading the largest investment fund in Russia after the Soviet Union's collapse. But when he exposed the corrupt oligarchs who were robbing the companies in which he was...
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Eric RiesThis reads like a thriller, but is an urgent and important story about the dangers of Putin’s Russia and the events leading to the Magnitsky Act. (Source)

Anand Sanwal@geoffreysbatt @patrick_oshag 2/ Reminded a bit of the story of @Billbrowder as told in the remarkable book Red Notice which chronicles his investments in Russia very early before everyone saw the opportunity (Source)

Jonathan KayAm reading @Billbrowder's amazing book Red Notice. Did not know incredible story of Bill's dad, who got his @Princeton math PhD at age 20. Like many Jews of era, suffered massive discrimination, stigmatized because of his own dad's communism. Then Eleanor Roosevelt saves the day https://t.co/Bp5PFiIxm1 (Source)

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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11

The Nightingale

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.


FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger...
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12
For over fifty years, New York Times bestseller Mastering the Art of French Cooking has been the definitive book on the subject for American readers. Featuring 524 delicious recipes, in its pages home cooks will find something for everyone, from seasoned experts to beginners who love good food and long to reproduce the savory delights of French cuisine, from historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. Here Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle break down the classic foods of France into a logical sequence of themes... more
Recommended by Madhur Jaffrey, and 1 others.

Madhur JaffreyWell, you take it off the hob and you mix in more milk or whatever it is. You mix something cold in or put in cubes of ice and then slowly put it back. You have to cool it quickly and then put it back. You might need to put another egg in and start again. (Source)

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13
WARNING: Do Not Read This Book If You Hate Money

To build a successful business, you need to stop doing random acts of marketing and start following a reliable plan for rapid business growth. Traditionally, creating a marketing plan has been a difficult and time-consuming process, which is why it often doesn't get done.

In The 1-Page Marketing Plan, serial entrepreneur and rebellious marketer Allan Dib reveals a marketing implementation breakthrough that makes creating a marketing plan simple and fast. It's literally a single page, divided up into nine squares. With...
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14

A Man Called Ove

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty...
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Recommended by Abid Zaidi, and 1 others.

Abid ZaidiDay 6 : #30Days of posting cover of books I love (1 book a day for 30 days). No expectations, no reviews, just the covers. Inspired by @rekha_bhardwaj #MyFavouriteBooks https://t.co/rl0foOp6hK (Source)

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15
Published on the fortieth anniversary of its initial publication, this edition of the classic book contains a new Preface by David McCullough, “one of our most gifted living writers” (The Washington Post).

Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail if not from insurmountable technical problems then from political corruption. (It was the heyday of Boss Tweed in New York.)

But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a...

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Recommended by Michael Lopp, Brent Glass, and 2 others.

Michael LoppA fascinating read about when bridges were still in beta. (Source)

Brent GlassEven though you know what the ending is, he creates a dramatic sense of just what it took to bring this bridge into being and to complete it. (Source)

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16
Since the release of Doug Stephens’ first book, The Retail Revival, change in the global retail sector has accelerated beyond even the boldest forecasts. As predicted, online giants like Amazon and Alibaba.com are growing at a dizzying pace. Hundreds of well-known brick and mortar retailers have closed their doors, and brands and retailers across categories are struggling to understand the shifting needs and expectations of a new consumer.

Picking up where The Retail Revival left off, Reengineering Retail explores the coming revolution in the global retail and...
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17

Life of Pi

Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot... more
Recommended by David Allen, and 1 others.

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18
You want to open a fashion truck?
Here's how!
You want open a boutique?
This is the book for you!
And most importantly, are you trying to decide between a fashion truck and a boutique?
Read this book and get all the information you need to make the right decision for you.

Written by the award winning owner of The Fashion Truck, Emily Benson, The Ultimate Boutique Handbook is a comprehensive, easy to follow guide of how to open a boutique of your own. Ms. Benson's 12+ years of experience in the retail world will be passed on to you through stories and...
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19
Downsizing. Decluttering. A parent's death. Sooner or later, all of us are faced with things we no longer need or want. But when we drop our old clothes and other items off at a local donation center, where do they go? Sometimes across the country-or even halfway across the world-to people and places who find value in what we leave behind.

In Secondhand, journalist Adam Minter takes us on an unexpected adventure into the often-hidden, multibillion-dollar industry of reuse: thrift stores in the American Southwest to vintage shops in Tokyo, flea markets in Southeast Asia to...
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Recommended by Rafat Ali, and 1 others.

Rafat AliAnyone in B2B or business media, want to learn how to make your subject and writing interesting and big picture, read this. Certainly the most interesting book I have read in a while. https://t.co/gXHdAHBnA2 https://t.co/MfUXyXWNa6 (Source)

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20
The most comprehensive guide to marijuana gardening ever written is back with all new information and updated advice for cannabis enthusiasts. Over 200 additional pages of all new information are included in this book, from all new lighting equipment and techniques, to highly advanced cannabinoid extraction techniques and detailed, step-by-step gardening guides for novice and professional growers alike.

This book contains over 700 pages, with all new photos and step-by-step guides to every aspect of marijuana horticulture, plant breeding, and hash production. Featuring a handy...
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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
In The Book on Rental Property Investing, real estate investor and co-host of the BiggerPockets Podcast Brandon Turner has one goal in mind: to give you every strategy, tool, tip, and technique needed to become a millionaire rental property investor--while helping you avoid the junk that pulls down so many wannabes! Written for both new and experienced investors, this book will impart years of experience through the informative and entertaining lessons contained within. You'll find practical, up-to-date, exciting strategies that investors across the world are using to build wealth and... more

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22
YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THE BIG-BOX STORES! Whether you're a seasoned merchant or retail newbie, Retail 101 is the guide you need to successfully manage, market, and grow your retail business, brick and mortar or online. From two of today's top retail thought leaders, Retail 101 serves both as a strategic planning guide and as a hands-on practical reference that answers your critical questions along the way.

"The ultimate how-to guide for independent retailers. Each chapter addresses a vital ingredient for retail success, including helpful ideas, useful lists,...
more

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23

Why We Buy

The Science of Shopping

Is there a method to our madness when it comes to shopping? Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "a Sherlock Holmes for retailers," author and research company CEO Paco Underhill answers with a definitive "yes" in this witty, eye-opening report on our ever-evolving consumer culture. Why We Buy is based on hard data gleaned from thousands of hours of field research–in shopping malls, department stores, and supermarkets across America. With his team of sleuths tracking our every move, Paco Underhill lays bare the struggle among merchants, marketers, and increasingly knowledgeable consumers... more

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24
Recommended by Trevor Sumner, and 1 others.

Trevor SumnerWant to see how the future of #retail can be remarkable and thrive? I highly recommend @StevenPDennis's new book Remarkable Retail, now avail for preorder. I'm lucky to have an advance copy and am bringing a bunch of lessons into @perchexperience! https://t.co/iuCsq2Ve2V (Source)

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25

Reinventing Retail

The retail landscape is changing. Will your business adapt or die?



Reinventing Retail sets out the new rules of the industry and will help you devise a strategy to survive and thrive.



All around us traditional businesses are disappearing - undone by savvy and nimble new entrants and by failing to keep up with changing consumer demands. The world has changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years and it is not enough for retailers to launch a website and a Facebook page and proclaim themselves ready for the...
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26
In 2008, Howard Schultz, the president and chairman of Starbucks, made the unprecedented decision to return as the CEO eight years after he stepped down from daily oversight of the company and became chairman. Concerned that Starbucks had lost its way, Schultz was determined to help it return to its core values and restore not only its financial health, but also its soul. In Onward, he shares the remarkable story of his return and the company's ongoing transformation under his leadership, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history, Starbucks again...
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Recommended by Ron Conway, and 1 others.

Ron ConwayStory of his return to Starbucks, and the success of the company in a tumlutuous economic time in history. (Source)

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27

Mathematics for Retail Buying

Mathematics for Retail Buying, 8th Edition, introduces merchandising and retailing students to the most important concepts in retail math through step-by-step examples with practice problems and solutions. Coverage begins with the skeletal profit and loss statement, and moves through retail pricing and repricing of merchandise, markups, markdowns, the retail method of inventory, six-month, and assortment planning. This extensively updated edition introduces a new co-author and a practical approach that incorporates actual retail scenarios and concepts that are relevant to the fashion... more

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28
Starting a Business QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to Launching a Successful Small Business, Turning Your Vision into Reality, and Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Dream

THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO STARTING A BUSINESS IN 2019!

Have you ever dreamt of starting your own business and living life on your terms?

This book shows you EXACTLY what you need to know to stand out from the crowd!

Do you have an idea for an amazing product or service but you aren't sure how to build a business around it?
more

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29
How much do we know about why we buy? What truly influences our decisions in today’s message-cluttered world? An eye-grabbing advertisement, a catchy slogan, an infectious jingle? Or do our buying decisions take place below the surface, so deep within our subconscious minds, we’re barely aware of them?

In BUYOLOGY, Lindstrom presents the astonishing findings from his groundbreaking, three-year, seven-million-dollar neuromarketing study, a cutting-edge experiment that peered inside the brains of 2,000 volunteers from all around the world as they encountered various ads, logos,...
more

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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31
We think Chris Anderson is onto something big with 'The Long Tail', a groundbreaking look at a well-known feature of statistical distribution and its potential to revolutionize business. 'Wired' magazine editor Anderson expands his influential 2004 article into a comprehensive exploration of this phenomenon -- which, simply stated, holds that products with low demand or sales volume can collectively comprise a market that exceeds the bestsellers. Catering to the tastes and expectations of consumers increasingly disenchanted with the same old thing, these new "niches" provide limitless... more

Michael HerrmannVery fitting for the internet today. We see niches form inside niches and as entrepreneurs it's important to be aware (and make use) of that fact. (Source)

Bogdana ButnarI don't have favourite books. I equate a favourite something with wanting to do it over and over again and I've never wanted to read a book too many times. I have favourite authors and I have books that changed me in significant ways because they moved me or taught me something or changed my view of the world. So, here's some of those books... (Source)

Zhang RuiminIn a 2009 interview with Knowledge@Wharton, he explained how Anderson's ideas were helping Haier transition from traditional manufacturer to information-based service provider. (Source)

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‘A really practical and helpful guide: essential reading for anyone involved in retailing.’

Charles Dunstone, CEO, The Carphone Warehouse

Work in retail for any length of time and it gets into your system. It’s immediate, exciting, risky and hard to predict. No two days are the same – one day could be a triumph, the next a disaster. But when you get it right, it’s thrilling.

Based on one simple question, which Richard Hammond posed to...

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33
An award-winning journalist breaks through the wall of secrecy to reveal the many astonishing ways Wal-Mart's power affects our lives and reaches all around the world.
The Wal-Mart Effect: The overwhelming impact of the world's largest company--due to its relentless pursuit of low prices--on retailers and manufacturers, wages and jobs, the culture of shopping, the shape of our communities, and the environment; a global force of unprecedented nature. Wal-Mart is not only the world's largest company; it is also the largest company in the history of the world. Americans spend $26 million...
more
Recommended by Craig Pearce, and 1 others.

Craig PearceThe first book I read about business was The Walmart Effect. I think I picked it up at an airport and read the entire thing on the ensuing plane ride. It was this book that got me interested in reading about the early stages of companies. I would have never guessed they could be so entertaining. (Source)

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34
A USA Today bestseller! Companies like Netflix, Spotify, and Salesforce are just the tip of the iceberg for the subscription model. The real transformation--and the real opportunity--is just beginning.

Subscription companies are growing nine times faster than the S&P 500. Why? Because unlike product companies, subscription companies know their customers. A happy subscriber base is the ultimate economic moat.

Today's consumers prefer the advantages of access over the hassles of maintenance, from transportation (Uber, Surf Air), to clothing (Stitch Fix,...
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Recommended by Mark Hamade, and 1 others.

Mark HamadeBest CEO in America right now! A must buy book! https://t.co/tiG8VdIs7p (Source)

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35

#GIRLBOSS

In the New York Times bestseller that the Washington Post called “Lean In for misfits,” Sophia Amoruso shares how she went from dumpster diving to founding one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world.

Amoruso spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and scrounging in dumpsters for leftover bagels. By age twenty-two she had dropped out of school, and was broke, directionless, and checking IDs in the lobby of an art school—a job she’d taken for the health insurance. It was in that lobby that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay.

Flash...
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Chelsea FrankI read everything with an open mind, often challenging myself by choosing books with an odd perspective or religious/spiritual views. These books do not reflect my personal feelings but are books that helped shape my perspective on life, love, and happiness. (Source)

Vincenzo RuggieroQuestion: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path? Answer: Rework, Getting real and Remote - The combo from Fried and DHH. Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso From Impossible To Inevitable by Aaron Ross & Jason Lemkin How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross Content Machine by Dan Norris Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and... (Source)

Andrea LoubierThe 10% Entrepreneur and Girlboss. Both empower people to create a strategic plan and risk-taking that are needed for considering entrepreneurship. A lot of it is experimenting, learning and just doing. (Source)

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36
Fascinating insights into the changing supply chain industry in China, from leading international experts A fascinating look at the enormous changes taking place in China today as it evolves from global manufacturer to global consumer marketplace, The Shipping Point: The Rise of China and the Future of Retail Supply Chain Management explores how China's ascension will have a profound impact on the future of retail supply chain management. Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of leading supply chain and retail professionals from around the world to illuminate... more

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37
Brian Kurtz is the bridge connecting the bedrock fundamentals of direct response marketing to the state-of-the-art strategies, tactics, and channels of today. Overdeliver distills his expertise from working in the trenches over almost four decades to help readers build a business that maximizes both revenue and relationships.

Marketing isn't everything, according to Brian Kurtz.
It's the only thing.
If you have a vision or a mission in life, why not share it with millions instead of dozens?
And while you are sharing it with as many people as possible...
more

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38
The Clearest Explanation Ever of the Key Accounting Basics

The world of accounting can be intimidating. Whether you're a manager, business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or taking a college course in accounting, you'll find yourself need to know the basics...but baffled by complicated accounting books. What if learning accounting could be as simple and fun as running a child's lemonade stand? It can.

The Accounting Game presents financial information in a format so simple and so unlike a common accounting textbook, you may forget you're learning...
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Recommended by Andrew Elliott, and 1 others.

Andrew ElliottIf you have no understanding of accounting, read a good accounting book. A good example would be The Accounting Game by Darrell Mullis. (Source)

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39
Becoming a successful manager requires a lot more than serving customers and making sure employees show up for work on time. Even if you understand every last detail of your business, that's not enough. Your expertise means nothing if you can't pass it along to the employees. How do you actually train someone so he or she really understands what you're trying to teach? Why is delegating with follow-up so important? What makes time management such a critical component of managing a successful business? The answers to these and many more topics are covered in this book. This is more of a manual... more

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40
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
USA TODAY
BESTSELLER


Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are the four most influential companies on the planet. Just about everyone thinks they know how they got there. Just about everyone is wrong.

For all that's been written about the Four over the last two decades, no one has captured their power and staggering success as insightfully as Scott Galloway.

Instead of buying the myths these compa-nies broadcast, Galloway asks fundamental questions. How did the Four infiltrate our lives so completely...
more

Cat Williams-TreloarScott Galloway "The four" - because that's where the Marketing world is. I like the book for its honesty. (Source)

Craig PearceI am currently reading The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. I was introduced to the author, Scott Galloway during his appearance on the aforementioned Recode Decode podcast, specifically episode released on September 14. His opinion and thoughts on the big 4 (Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google) lead me to research him. I put a hold on his book from my local library... (Source)

Angela PhamI’m in the middle of The Four, which takes an awestruck-but-critical look at the four largest tech companies. (Source)

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42
Take a glimpse into the mind of the modern consumer

A decade of swift and stunning change has profoundly affected the psychology of how, when, and why we shop and buy. In Decoding the New Consumer Mind, award-winning consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow shares surprising insights about the new motivations and behaviors of shoppers, taking marketers where they need to be today: into the deeply psychological and often unconscious relationships that people have with products, retailers, marketing communications, and brands.

Drawing on hundreds of consumer...
more

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43
In this groundbreaking book Phil Barden reveals what decision science explains about people's purchase behaviour, and specifically demonstrates its value to marketing.

He shares the latest research on the motivations behind consumers' choices and what happens in the human brain as buyers make their decisions. He deciphers the 'secret codes' of products, services and brands to explain why people buy them. And finally he shows how to apply this knowledge in day to day marketing to great effect by dramatically improving key factors such as relevance, differentiation and...
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44
Buying, merchandising and the supply chain are inextricably linked. Product merchandisers play a key role within retail, as profits can be affected by how successfully they undertake their work. Merchandisers set prices to maximise profits and manage the performance of ranges, planning promotions and mark-downs as necessary. They also oversee delivery and distribution of stock and deal with suppliers. Their connection with and understanding of the supply chain is vital. Supported by theories, explanations and real-life examples, Managing the Retail Supply Chain looks at... more

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45

Retail Buying

From Basics to Fashion

"The best retail buying book available. It combines concepts with actual calculations. This provides you with a better understanding of the topics." Katherine Annette Burnsed, University of South Carolina, USA

Learn the skills needed to become a successful buyer in any area of retail. The book has step-by-step instructions for typical buying tasks, such as identifying and understanding potential customers, creating a six-month merchandising plan, and developing sales forecasts. It covers math concepts throughout and shows you how to analyze and interpret data...
more

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46
An expose of the fashion industry written by the Observer's 'Ethical Living' columnist, portraying current practice as inhumane and environmentally devastating. Siegle believes that, in spite of current problems, it is possible to be an 'ethical fashionista', and she sets out her ideas on how such a situation could be achieved." less

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47
This edition has been updated to reflect new technology and marketing trends. The result of thousands of conversations about web marketing with hundreds of companies, this handbook is a compilation of the most important and effective lessons and advice about the power of search engine optimization, social media, and email marketing. The first and only comprehensive guide to content marketing, this book explains the social, analytical, and creative aspects of modern marketing that are necessary to succeed on the web. By first covering the theory behind web and content marketing and then... more

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48
Almost one in four American working adults has a job that pays less than a living wage. Conven­tional wisdom says that’s how the world has to work. Bad jobs with low wages, minimal benefits, little training, and chaotic schedules are the only way companies can keep costs down and prices low. If companies were to offer better jobs, cus­tomers would have to pay more or companies would have to make less.
 
But in The Good Jobs Strategy, Zeynep Ton, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, makes the compelling case that even in low-cost settings, leaving employees...
more
Recommended by Doug McMillon, Sarah Taber, and 2 others.

Doug McMillonHere's a list of the top books that taught and inspired me this year. I go back to Sam Walton's book frequently and was struck, this year, by some common principles between Sam and General McChrystal. It seems they learned some similar things about what works when it comes to leading teams. For example, fostering a shared consciousness and empowering execution delivers results. Greg Foran shared... (Source)

Sarah TaberAlso check out @zeynepton's Good Jobs Strategy book for some FANTASTIC info about how to organize a business for good working conditions & wages. It's both very much against the MBA consensus & super well-backed by research into real business's results with alternative methods. (Source)

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49
In the late nineteenth century, San Francisco's merchant princes built grand stores for a booming city, each with its own niche. For the eager clientele, a trip downtown meant dressing up--hats, gloves and stockings required--and going to Blum's for Coffee Crunch cake or Townsend's for creamed spinach. The I. Magnin empire catered to a selective upper-class clientele, while middle-class shoppers loved the Emporium department store with its Bargain Basement and Santa for the kids. Gump's defined good taste, the City of Paris satisfied desires for anything French and edgy, youth-oriented Joseph... more

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50
One moment Joseph Schwartz is a happily retired tailor in 1949 Chicago. The next he's a helpless stranger on Earth during the heyday of the first Galactic Empire. Earth, he soon learns, is a backwater, just a pebble in the sky, despised by all the other 200 million planets of the Empire because its people dare to claim it's the original home of man. And Earth is poor, with great areas of radioactivity ruining much of its soil--so poor that everyone is sentenced to death at the age of sixty.

Joseph Schwartz is sixty-two.

This is young Isaac Asimov's first novel, full of...
more

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52
An engrossing, insider’s account of how a teacher built one of the world’s most valuable companies—rivaling Walmart & Amazon—and forever reshaped the global economy.

In just a decade and half Jack Ma, a man from modest beginnings who started out as an English teacher, founded and built Alibaba into one of the world’s largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend. Alibaba’s $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the largest global IPO ever. A Rockefeller of his age who is courted by CEOs and Presidents around the world, Jack is an...
more

Tim DraperDuncan Clark gets into the heart and soul of Alibaba and its founder, Jack Ma, who deftly maneuvered through the discontinuities and barriers in China to create one of the greatest companies in the world. China has thrived under the leadership of Jack Ma. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the present China and the heartbeat of a great entrepreneur. (Source)

Ken WilcoxThis book provides excellent insight into the world of Jack Ma, perhaps the most famous of the leaders of the new economy in China. Duncan Clark is a real China 'Old Hand', unique in his knowledge of the Jack Ma generation. This book is definitely on the short list for those who wish to understand the Chinese economy today. (Source)

Erik CheongI am a big fan of Jack Ma, I have 4 different books talking about Jack. He is a top entrepreneur & visionaire, who started out as a modest English teacher and built Alibaba into one of the world’s largest companies, an e-commerce empire on which hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on. I am impressed about how he overcame his humble origins and early failures to achieve massive... (Source)

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53
How do you develop products that people will actually use and buy? This practical guide shows you how to validate product and company ideas through customer development research--before you waste months and millions on a product or service that no one needs or wants.

With a combination of open-ended interviewing and fast and flexible research techniques, you'll learn how your prospective customers behave, the problems they need to solve, and what frustrates and delights them. These insights may shake your assumptions, but they'll help you reach the "ah-ha!" moments that inspire...
more
Recommended by Thomas Graziani, and 1 others.

Thomas GrazianiI am currently reading two business books: Radical Candor by Kim Scott which I expect can help me build better relationships with my colleagues, and Lean Customer Development by Cindy Alvarez which helps me have more open conversations with clients and better define our product roadmap. (Source)

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54
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... more

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55
As a leader in the booming industry of direct sales, Mary Christensen knows something about the opportunities of launching a direct selling business. Her newest book, Be a Direct Selling Superstar, is an all-encompassing guide to building, leading, and managing a direct sales organization, a book that can help anyone else generate new source of income and turn a major profit. Gain an advantage over the estimated 15.6 million people involved in direct selling in the US (over 100 million worldwide) and achieve long-term success in direct selling with this how-to on goal setting, effective... more

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56
The guide to creating engaging web content and building a loyal following, revised and updated Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other platforms are giving everyone a "voice," including organizations and their customers. So how do you create the stories, videos, and blog posts that cultivate fans, arouse passion for your products or services, and ignite your business? Content Rules equips you for online success as a one-stop source on the art and science of developing content that people care about. This coverage is interwoven with case studies of companies... more

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57

The Diary of a Bookseller

Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ... In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and... more

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58

After the Quake

The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But the upheavals that afflict Murakami’s characters are even deeper and more mysterious, emanating from a place where the human meets the inhuman.

An electronics salesman who has been abruptly deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package—and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who has been raised to view himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may...
more

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59

The Membership Economy

THE MEMBERSHIP ECONOMY

Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue

If you’ve ever used ZipCar, Amazon Prime, Spotify, NetFlix, Groupon, Weight Watchers, SurveyMonkey, United Mileage Plus, Pinterest, Twitter – you are part of The Membership Economy, an increasingly popular model that author Robbie Kellman Baxter sees as the inevitable result of technological advancements, social trends, and a generation in transition.

THE MEMBERSHIP ECONOMY argues that we are now moving away from ownership, but we still want the benefits...
more

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60
Too much time has passed since the powerful dragon Tintaglia helped the people of the Trader cities stave off an invasion of their enemies. The Traders have forgotten their promises, weary of the labor and expense of tending earthbound dragons who were hatched weak and deformed by a river turned toxic. If neglected, the creatures will rampage--or die--so it is decreed that they must move farther upriver toward Kelsingra, the mythical homeland whose location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.

Thymara, an unschooled forest girl, and Alise, wife of an...
more

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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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61
A great introduction for retail students, this book offers a user-friendly reference guide to all aspects of visual merchandising and covers both window dressing and in-store areas. Using examples from a range of shops, from fashion emporia to small outlets, the book offers practical advice on the subject, supported by hints and tips from established visual merchandisers.

It reveals the secrets of their toolkit and information on the use of mannequins, the latest technology, and how to construct and source props, and explains the psychology behind shopping and buyer behavior. This...
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62
High above the planet Florinia, the Squires of Sark live in unimaginable wealth and comfort. Down in the eternal spring of the planet, however, the native Florinians labor ceaselessly to produce the precious kyrt that brings prosperity to their Sarkite masters. Rebellion is unthinkable and impossible. Not only do the Florinians no longer have a concept of freedom, any disruption of the vital kyrt trade would cause other planets to rise in protest, ultimately destabilizing trade and resulting in a galactic war. So the Trantorian Empire, whose grand plan is to unite all humanity in peace,... more

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63
Revised and updated for the first time since original publication!

Here is the 200,000-copy staple, praised by Warren Buffett as "a gem ... I wish everyone at Berkshire would follow [Jack Mitchell's] advice--we would own the world."

If you want to put your arms around your business and bottom line, you'll want all the updated information and practices found in the landmark business bestseller, Hug Your Customers. The only way to stay in business is to have customers; the only way to increase your profit is to attract more customer visits by...
more

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66
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE SUCCESS! You already know the Starbucks story. Since 1992, its stock has risen a staggering 5,000 percent! The genius of Starbucks success lies in its ability to create personalized customer experiences, stimulate business growth, generate profits, energize employees, and secure customer loyalty-all at the same time. The Starbucks Experience contains a robust blend of home-brewed ingenuity and people-driven philosophies that have made Starbucks one of the world's most admired companies, according to Fortune magazine. With unique access to Starbucks personnel and... more

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67
The Oxford History of the United States is the most respected multi-volume history of our nation in print. The series includes three Pulitzer Prize-winners, a New York Times bestseller, and winners of prestigious Bancroft and Parkman Prizes. From Colony to Superpower is the only thematic volume commissioned for the series. Here George C. Herring uses foreign relations as the lens through which to tell the story of America's dramatic rise from thirteen disparate colonies huddled along the Atlantic coast to the world's greatest superpower.

A sweeping account of...
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68
Retailers today are drowning in data but lacking in insight: They have huge volumes of information at their disposal. But they're unsure of how to sort through it and use it to make smart decisions. The result? They're struggling with profit-sapping supply chain problems including stock-outs, overstock, and discounting.

It doesn't have to be that way. In The New Science of Retailing, supply chain experts Marshall Fisher and Ananth Raman explain how to use analytics to better manage your inventory for faster turns, fewer discounted offerings, and fatter profit margins.
more

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69

The Connected Company

The future of work is already here.

Customers are adopting disruptive technologies faster than your company can adapt. When your customers are delighted, they can amplify your message in ways that were never before possible. But when your company’s performance runs short of what you’ve promised, customers can seize control of your brand message, spreading their disappointment and frustration faster than you can keep up.

To keep pace with today’s connected customers, your company must become a connected company. That means deeply engaging with workers, partners,...
more

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70
Experts Agree: "BEST SALES BOOK EVER!" - Excellent Holiday Present -



Read The Reviews. Read The Table of Contents. If you are looking for ways to increase your sales, you have found THE BOOK you are looking for. Period! After Reading This Book, You Will Learn:


How to Build a 'Burning Desire' Within Your Customers for Your Products and Services How to Create Urgency: Reasons for Your Customers to Purchase Now! Shorten Your Sales Cycle Trial Close Assumptive Close Takeaway...
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71
Start a successful online business--and be your own boss! Being an online entrepreneur means more than just building a website--and this book breaks down everything you need to know to be successful. Inside, you'll get plain-English explanations and easy-to-follow instruction on online business basics, legal and accounting issues, website design, Internet security, boosting sales, e-commerce, and so much more.

While the ideas and concepts behind starting an online business are tried and true, the tools available to entrepreneurs change and evolve quickly--and often....
more

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72
Hard discounters are stores that sell a limited selection of consumer packaged goods and perishables - typically fewer than 2,000 Stock Keeping Units - for prices that are usually 50-60% lower than national brands. The best known hard discounters are Aldi and Lidl, but global brands include Trader Joe's, EuroSpin, Biedronka, Netto and Leader Price. Their rise has been monumental; they have irrevocably changed the face of retail in Europe and Australia, and are making steady inroads into the US. Retail Disruptors explores the very real threat that hard discounters pose to... more

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73
(Berklee Press). Berklee expert speaks on how to market and distribute your songs and group. Sell more music! Learn the most effective marketing strategies available to musicians, leveraging the important changes and opportunities that the digital age has brought to music marketing. This multifaceted and integrated approach will help you to develop an effective worldwide marketing strategy. Step by step, you will develop an active marketing plan and timeline tailored to your unique strengths and budget. You will learn to time your marketing campaign effectively, publicize your music to... more

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74
One of Michiko Kakutani's (New York Times) top ten books of 2016

A funny thing happened on the way to the digital utopia. We've begun to fall back in love with the very analog goods and ideas the tech gurus insisted that we no longer needed. Businesses that once looked outdated, from film photography to brick-and-mortar retail, are now springing with new life. Notebooks, records, and stationery have become cool again. Behold the Revenge of Analog.

David Sax has uncovered story after story of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and even big corporations...
more
Recommended by Michael Hyatt, and 1 others.

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75
Updated for 2018! Always The Newest Social Media Strategy

Struggling with social media marketing for business? No likes, comments and clicks, no matter what you try? Feeling overwhelmed or just don't even know where to begin? This book will help.

The key to success on social media is to build a strong and consistent social media marketing plan: with ideas that drive brand awareness, attract loyal customers, and help you reach your business goals - like increasing website traffic, delivering top customer service, or making sales. And...
more

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76

Rethinking Prestige Branding

Secrets of the Ueber-Brands

What makes someone do and pay anything to clinch a Kelly bag? Why are Cirque Du Soleil or Grey Goose so successful despite breaking all the conventions of their industries? What does Gucci's approach to marketing have in common with Nespresso's?

Rethinking Prestige Branding uncovers the formula for what drives the success of great luxury brands. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look into not just the practical marketing of brands, but how consumers respond to them psychologically and emotionally.

With insights from interviews with 50 premium brand experts and over 100...
more

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77
Effectively select, align and manage digital channels and operations using this second edition of the bestselling guide, Digital Marketing Strategy . This accessible, step-by-step framework enables the planning, integration and measurement of each digital platform and technique, all tailored to achieve overarching business objectives.

Ranging from social media, SEO, content marketing and user experience, to customer loyalty, automation and personalization, this edition features cutting edge updates on marketing automation, messaging and email, online and offline...
more

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78

Guide to Fashion Entrepreneurship

The Plan, the Product, the Process

Guide to Fashion Entrepreneurship delves into a comprehensive, step-by-step entrepreneurial action plan that investigates how fashion product concepts are created, branded, sourced, marketed, channeled, and merchandised. Each chapter delivers the essential tools to successfully identify market opportunities, execute product differentiation, and market a new brand or brand extension in a multichannel retail environment to achieve a profitable business.

Fashion students and aspiring fashion professionals will gain critical business and creative knowledge to move a product from...
more

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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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81
Martin Lindstrom, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, harnesses the power of “small data” in his quest to discover the next big thing

Hired by the world's leading brands to find out what makes their customers tick, Martin Lindstrom spends 300 nights a year in strangers’ homes, carefully observing every detail in order to uncover their hidden desires, and, ultimately, the clues to a multi-million dollar product.

Lindstrom connects the dots in this globetrotting narrative that will enthrall enterprising marketers, as well as anyone with a curiosity about the endless...
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82
In this newly released edition of one of his classic books, The One Minute Sales Person, Spencer Johnson, the author of the number one New York Times bestseller Who Moved My Cheese?, shows you how to sell your ideas, products, or services successfully! This is the book that has proved to be a must-have for the millions of people who were looking for the quickest way to improve their selling skills.

In these changing times, Spencer Johnson, coauthor of The One Minute Manager®, shows you how the phenomenal One Minute® methods can bring real and lasting...
more

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83

THE “MIND-READING” SYSTEM THAT IS REVOLUTIONIZING ONLINE BUSINESS

Do you know how to find out what people really want to buy?
(Not what you think they want, not what they say they want, but what they really want?)

The secret is asking the right questions - and the right questions are not what you might expect.

Ask is based on the compelling premise that you should NEVER have to guess what your prospects and customers are thinking. The Ask Formula revealed in this book has been used to help build...

more
Recommended by Louis Grenier, Jules Schroeder, and 2 others.

Louis GrenierThen, when it comes to telling stories and putting things together in a structure, “The Brain Audit” is a good book; “Then Coffee and Kale Compete” – that’s about jobs to be done; “The Ask Method” – that’s also another very important one, pretty good when it comes to putting your thoughts together and putting marketing templates together, like landing pages, anything like this. (Source)

Jules SchroederAsk shares a business strategy on one of the most direct and effective ways to rapid vision a new business into the world. Literally just asking people what they want and designing solutions based on it. It outlines the model for how I create in life and business. (Source)

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84
Network marketing-also known as direct selling and multilevel marketing-has turned millions of people into successful business owners. But to truly reach their earning potential, network marketers need to successfully grow their businesses by recruiting the right people. Written by a true network marketing superstar who personally enlisted over 1,000 people in her first year, the book reveals a proven, innovative approach to recruiting that gets results fast. Readers will learn how to: * discover their own recruiting style * identify people who will become a great part of their team * do and... more

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85
Revised edition of the authors' Retailing management, [2014] less

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86

Ultimate Guide to Amazon Advertising

The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Advertising for Business shows readers how to build an aggressive, streamlined Amazon advertising campaign for their brand, which is proven to increase their search visibility, consistently capture consumer demand, and accelerate the sale of their new products without big-budget national ad campaigns. less

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87
The retail world is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Rapidly evolving technology, globalization, and a saturated marketplace offer consumers instant access to thousands of equally compelling products and services, creating unprecedented levels of expectation. The impact of these changes is so profound that 50 percent of today's retailers and consumer companies will not survive it. Traditional business models will become extinct, and the relationship between vendors and consumers will shift dramatically.

Here, industry experts Robin Lewis and Michael Dart identify the forces...
more

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88
The creative and science-driven design of the point of sale has become a crucial success factor for both retailers and service businesses. In the newly revised and expanded edition of this book, you will learn some of the shopper marketing secrets from the authors about how you can design your store to increase sales and delight shoppers at the same time. Bythe time you are through reading, you will have learned how shoppers navigate the store, how they search for products, and how you can make them find the products you want them to see. You will also be able to appeal to shopper emotions... more

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89
Cookbook author and food writer Ruhlman explores the evolution of the American grocery store and how it has affected what we eat. The author uses two of his Midwestern hometown grocery chains, Heinen's and Fazio's, and his memories of his father's love of food and grocery shopping as the foundation for this engaging narrative. While he notes that many other writers have covered the history of the grocery store, the broken industrial food production system, and the nutritional benefits of various foods, Ruhlman delivers -a reported reflection on the grocery store in America, less

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90
The time when "fashion" was defined by French designers whose clothes could be afforded only by elite has ended. Now designers take their cues from mainstream consumers and creativity is channeled more into mass-marketing clothes than into designing them. Indeed, one need look no further than the Gap to see proof of this. In The End of Fashion, Wall Street Journal, reporter Teri Agins astutely explores this seminal change, laying bare all aspects of the fashion industry from manufacturing, retailing, anmd licensing to image making and financing. Here as well are fascinating insider... more

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Don't have time to read the top Retail books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

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  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
91
One of The Wall Street Journal's Best Non fiction Books of 2011.  From modest beginnings as a tea shop in New York, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company became the largest retailer in the world. It was a juggernaut, the first retailer to sell $1 billion in goods, the owner of nearly sixteen thousand stores and dozens of factories and warehouses. But its explosive growth made it a mortal threat to hundreds of thousands of mom-and-pop grocery stores. Main Street fought back tooth and nail, enlisting the state and federal governments to stop price discounting, tax chain... more

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92

Fashion Entrepreneurship

Retail Business Planning

"This is a useful step-by-step guide for starting your own apparel boutique or online business." Marissa Zorola, University of North Texas, US
Written by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, the book explains management, market segmentation, financial statements, cash flow, accessing capital, e-commerce, and omni-channel retailing. A hypothetical business plan that builds with each chapter and examples of business models from Warby Parker, Birchbox, and Etsy, give you a framework for building a successful fashion company. Profiles of entrepreneurs and exercises in a book...
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93
An enchanting tale of the exhilarating search for forgotten treasures at one of the greatest flea markets on earth.

For decades, the Chelsea Flea Market on the west side of Manhattan drew shoppers seeking treasures in booths crammed with vintage dresses, ancient swords, glass eyeballs, Afghan rugs, West African fetish dolls, Old Master paintings, and more. In The Golden Flea, acclaimed writer Michael Rips (“a magical storyteller” —USA Today) recounts his obsession with this charmed world.

Writing with a beguiling style that has won praise from...
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94

Retail Hell

As the token male sales associate in the handbag department, Freeman Hall knows a thing or two about ready-to-wear chaos. Speaking for every wage slave who has ever handled a bogus return, Freeman throws open the gates of Retail Hell, revealing stories from his twenty years of working "on the floor." less

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98

Shopgirl

One of the most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is quickly becoming recognized as a gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic (Elle). A frequent contributor to both The New Yorker and the New York Times as well as the author of the New York Times bestseller Pure Drivel, Martin is once again poised to capture the attention of readers with his debut novella, a delightful depiction of life and love. The shopgirl is Mirabelle, a beautiful aspiring artist who pays the rent... more
Recommended by Ev Williams, and 1 others.

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99

Market Design

Auctions and Matching

A broad overview of market mechanisms, with an emphasis on the interplay between theory and real-life applications; examples range from eBay auctions to school choice.

This book offers an introduction to market design, providing students with a broad overview of issues related to the design and analysis of market mechanisms. It defines a market as a demand and a supply, without specifying a price system or mechanism. This allows the text to analyze a broad set of situations--including such unconventional markets as college admissions and organ donation--and forces readers to...
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If you've ever dreamed of working at Vogue, photographing supermodels, or outfitting celebrities, In Fashion will equip you with everything you need to know to get an “in” into fashion. Former beauty and fashion news director of Harper's Bazaar and editor in chief of Seventeen, Annemarie Iverson—the outsider’s insider—knows just how to get noticed and stay on top. In Fashion is packed with her insightful tips, along with advice from leaders at Michael Kors, Bergdorf Goodman, Condé Nast, and more. Straightforward, honest, and insightful, Iverson has put... more

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