Robert Spector, who is known for his expertise on Nordstrom’s legendary customer service, has something in common with Margaret Thatcher, Mario Cuomo and Abraham Lincoln.  And you do too! These three political leaders either grew up in a family of shopkeepers (like Spector) or owned a retail store. 

In his book The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy are Surviving and Thriving (New York, Walker Publishing Company, 2009), Robert Spector discusses what a great background retailing makes for politics and other fields of endeavor. But his main premise is that small, independent shops are an important part of the American cultural and economic landscape.

It doesn’t sound like much fun to grow up in a family butcher shop, which was the business that Spector’s family ran in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.  Part of his book is dedicated to the history of his family’s enterprise, and all that he learned from it (aside from the fact that he didn’t want to become a butcher). 

But the main focus of The Mom & Pop Store is on small family businesses across the US and abroad, and what we can learn from one another.    One lesson that keeps recurring is the necessity of change.  He profiles a delicatessen in Newark that has had to change its menu and workforce as the community and neighborhood have diversified.  But he also mentions that the deli has remained true to its roots while adding new specialties.

“Those stores that survive are the ones that find ways to adapt, to reinvent themselves,” according to Spector.  “Every successful enterprise must adapt to change.  Mom & pop stores stay in business by constantly tweaking what they do.”

Customer service is also a recurring theme, and it becomes clear that providing excellent customer service, and becoming an integral part of the community, are keys to long-term success.  He gives some great examples of businesses that are doing very well thanks to their dedication to their customers.

Many of the businesses that Spector talks about have grown, changed hands, or changed location. Some have been close to closing, and have come back from the brink to not only survive, but as Spector says in his title, to thrive.  If you are looking for a source of inspiration, you will enjoy reading about your fellow retailers in The Mom & Pop Store.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder