Retail Management (Hardbound - 2008)

Retailing is the set of business activities that adds value to the products and services sold to consumers for their personal or family use. Often people think of retailing only as the sale of products in stores. But retailing also involves the sale of services: overnight lodging in motel, a doctor’s exam, a haircut, a video-tape rental or a home-delivered pizza. Not all retailing is done in stores. A retailer is a business person who sells products or services or both, to consumers for their personal or family use. Retailers attempt to satisfy consumer needs by having the right merchandise, at the right price, at the right place, when the consumer wants it. Retailers also provide markets for producers to sell their merchandise. Retailers are the final business in a distribution channel that links manufacturers to consumers. A distribution channel is a set of firms that facilitate the movement of products from the point of production to the point of sale to the ultimate consumer.

Retail Management is a comprehensive textbook designed to meet the needs of all the students and teachers of the subject, professionals in this field and those pursuing MBA and diploma in business and retail management. It is also a valuable source of information for industrialists associated with retail and managers and employees working in malls and retail store establishments. It provides an in-depth coverage of retailing theory and explains the key concepts of retailing through numerous illustrations, examples, exhibits, tables, figures and case studies.

Beginning with introduction the book discusses retail location, store design and layout, brands, pricing and retail promotion strategies. The book also discusses challenges faced by retailers in India and other developing countries. It goes on to discuss category management, supply chain management, human resource management, inventory management, internet retailing, information technology and retailing. Finally, it discusses strategies to deal with booms and slumps, and legal and ethical issues in retailing.

S.C. Bhatia, a Chemical Engineer from BITS, Pilani, and also an MBA, is a consultant to many leading companies. He has got rich and versatile experience in managing various business activities and institutions. He has contributed articles in journals of repute and presented professional papers on various subjects.