Advance praise for The Nordstrom Way

"Nobody does it better than Nordstrom. And this is the first thorough, close-up look at its service secrets. A real winner."— Tom Peters President The Tom Peters Group

"Outstanding customer service and Nordstrom's are synonymous. The innovative approach has allowed them to find out what the customers want and then do it. Their standards of service are what we all shoot for."— David D. Glass President and Chief Executive Officer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

"Nordstrom is a national model for outstanding customer service. American business should use this book as a primer to learn how to make and keep happy, satisfied customers."— J. Willard Marriott, Jr. Chairman and President Marriott International, Inc.

"When you run a family business that includes your customers as extended family, you're unbeatable. This book outlines an American family saga that has become the admiration of the world."— Leonard A. Lauder President and Chief Executive Officer Estée Lauder Companies

"Nordstrom's business is built on one-to-one communication with the customer. Their professional salespeople bridge the gap between the designer and the consumer. The Nordstrom Way is what the '90s are all about!"— Donna Karan Designer and Chief Executive Officer Donna Karan Company

"The Nordstroms 'wrote the book' on customer service. Now we have a chance to read, chapter by chapter, how through four generations, this family has established one of the finest retail institutions in the world."— Peter Strom, Vice Chairman Polo/Ralph Lauren

When it comes to customer service, Nordstrom's standards are "what we all shoot for," declares David Glass, President and CEO of Wal-Mart. "The Nordstrom Way," marveled correspondent Morley Safer in a "60 Minutes" profile, is "not service like it used to be, but service like it never was."

What makes Nordstrom so special? What, exactly, does this retail giant do that so clearly distinguishes it from the competition? How does the Nordstrom customer service culture work? And, most importantly, what lessons can industry learn from Nordstrom's example?

The Nordstrom Way answers these questions and more. Coauthored by top Nordstrom salesman Patrick McCarthy and based on veteran journalist Robert Spector's exclusive, in-depth interviews with the Nordstrom family, senior executives, directors, and salespeople, The Nordstrom Way offers the first inside, uncensored book about this much admired— and much feared— retail powerhouse.

Working at Nordstrom is not for everyone. The authors describe a hotly competitive "Darwinian" culture where 35,000 employees are given freedom to either think and act like entrepreneurs or pass into extinction.

In the course of their analysis, the authors isolate practical lessons that readers can apply to both their professional and personal lives, including:

• Becoming "other-centered" rather than "self-centered"
• Valuing the nobility of service
• Finding and bonding with customers
• Serving and keeping those customers
• Giving frontline people the freedom to make decisions

The Nordstrom Way is a vivid, richly anecdotal chronicle of an American business success story.

This book challenges the notion that economic crises are modern phenomena through its exploration of the tumultuous `credit-crunch' of the later Middle Ages. It illustrates clearly how influences such as the Black Death, inter-European warfare, climate change and a bullion famine occasioned severe and prolonged economic decline across fifteenth century England. Early chapters discuss trends in lending and borrowing, and the use of credit to fund domestic trade through detailed analysis of the Statute Staple and rich primary sources. The author then adopts a broad-based geographic lens to examine provincial credit before focusing on London's development as the commercial powerhouse in late medieval business. Academics and students of modern economic change and historic financial revolutions alike will see that the years from 1353 to 1532 encompassed immense upheaval and change, reminiscent of modern recessions. The author carefully guides the reader to see that these shifts are the precursors of economic change in the early modern period, laying the foundations for the financial world as we know it today.

Retailing: Environment and Operations is a complete introduction to the retail environment and retail operations for students of retailing, marketing, service management and related studies. It covers all the key areas of retailing activity and the supply chain. The text introduces and integrates appropriate business, consumer and social concepts to provide an effective framework for the study of retailing, specifically within the UK. It focuses on how managers and professionals in the consumer supply chain can improve their market effectiveness and operational efficiency. Written in an accessible style, Retailing: Environment and Operations is designed for use on a single one-year course, a double one-semester module or two one-semester modules. The book is written in language accessible to the student and future manager. It builds on simple concepts to provide a sound foundation for further critical studies in retailing and service management. The analysis is illustrated with numerous case studies, tip/examples and discussion topics. Retailing: Environment and Operations is ideal for first year students on a degree or higher diploma course in retailing, service management or marketing.

The area of retailing is growing, more jobs are being created and shopping has become a major leisure activity. There are two specific dimensions to retail marketing, first how to attract customers into the retail environs - shop, restaurant, pub, or the 'virtual' internet store for instance - and second how to persuade those customers to make a purchase from that outlet. Retailing is one of the most established branches of the Marketing discipline, indeed most retailing activity predates the concept of Marketing. Retail Marketing begins with a thorough examination of the retail industry and then looks at the way marketing principles can address industry challenges. Case studies throughout provide real world examples to assist student learning. Retail Marketing is intended as core reading on specialist Retailing courses, and supplementary reading on courses covering different aspects of marketing. It includes examples and cases from European, Australasian and Asian/Pacific retailing and covers issues that reflect the needs and interests of students from a wide variety of backgrounds. The text has a tactical/operational emphasis and will appeal to retail practitioners as well as students.