One of my favorite quotes from a retailer about the last edition of Specialty Shop Retailing is this one: “I have read, highlighted, marked up and re-read this book so many times it groans when I pick it up!” It’s been so much fun for me to hear from shopkeepers around the world about how helpful they have found the first three editions of my book, which sold over 40,000 copies and were translated into Russian. I am very happy to announce that the fourth edition has just been published as a trade paperback and e-book by HenschelHAUS.

A lot has changed since the third edition came out — the proliferation of social media and the need to compete the Internet, especially Amazon, being the ones that immediately come to mind. The new book is 450 pages long, which is how much space it took to address all the issues that independent retailers today need to know about in order to succeed. In addition to the book, I’ve created online forms that can be downloaded for free, along with a guide to additional resources and an extensive glossary of retailing terms.

I am very grateful to the many retailers who shared their stories in order to make this new edition as valuable as possible. My sales reps shared their insights about what they would like their customers to know, and I’ve added my thoughts about how vendors, sales agencies and retailers can work together for our mutual success. I feel confident that anyone who runs a brick-and-mortar store today or is considering starting one, or who works in the retail field, will get more than their $19.95 worth out of this book.

Because Specialty Shop Retailing: How You Can Succeed in Today’s Market focuses on ideas for competing in a market dominated more and more by Amazon, I would like to ask a favor: please buy the book from your local independent bookstore (they can get it through Ingram), IndieBound, or the link on the Specialty Shop Retailing website. The Kindle version is only available through Amazon, however we will be adding an ePub edition soon. If you are a sales agency or vendor interested in a quantity of books, please contact me at [email protected] for wholesale pricing. Because we all share the goal of wanting to help today’s retailers succeed!

Happy Retailing,
Carol “Orange” Schroeder

Please note that there won’t be a Specialty Shop Retailing blog next week due to the NY NOW gift show.