Global Value Chains and Production Networks: Case Studies of Siemens and Huawei presents theories and frameworks that facilitate the evolution of GPN studies, from macro perspectives based on territory and industry to the use of micro (firm-level) data. The book explores these theories and frameworks through detailed case studies of two major corporations, Siemens and Huawei. With the GPN/GVC structure of Chinese firms not well known outside China, despite the growing importance of Chinese firms in the global economy, this guide plays a pivotal role in facilitating the use of data that promise to unlock economic cooperation and value.

Radical transformations are under way in retail. In a world facing a succession of major economic, social, and environmental crises, as well as protest movements and a constant technological revolution, our scope of analysis should be broadened to help brands and entrepreneurs develop their business and help students orient their research. Taking these changes into consideration with a close look at developments in China, the authors of this work offer tools for proper reflection, both for jobs in fashion and in other markets. This publication is not exhaustive, but it aims to highlight today's events in a dynamic, forward-looking way so that the reader can make informed decisions giving them the keys to prepare their sales development well and make it a real success, based on the following three subjects: * What is fundamental in merchandising and distribution. * What is shaking up all organizations today. * What we should be foreseeing in coming months. The world of retail is constantly changing between the basics that have been in place for years and the new things that are coming out regularly through the rise of new technologies. To be competitive and innovative, brands must learn to stand out and innovate in order to stand out from the crowd. Whether virtual or physical, the book explores existing good practices and opens up to those already implemented abroad. It is aimed at students or professionals in sales, marketing, communication, retailing, etc. Small or large companies seeking to maximise their sales and strengthen their brand image and their relationship with their customers.

The advent of new technologies has been an impetus for rapid development in several industries, including the area of retail services. These recent advances push industry leaders to infuse new innovations into their various systems and processes. Successful Technological Integration for Competitive Advantage in Retail Settings examines the various effects of changing markets and subsequently how these changes cause retailers to meet consumer demand by integrating more sophisticated, advanced innovations in their daily practices. Focusing on corporate strategies, innovation management, and relevant case studies, this book is a pivotal reference source for researchers, practitioners, and developers interested in recent innovation trends within the retailing industry.

The general store in late-nineteenth-century America was often the economic heart of a small town. Merchants sold goods necessary for residents' daily survival and extended credit to many of their customers; cash-poor farmers relied on merchants for their economic well-being just as the retailers needed customers to purchase their wares. But there was more to this mutual dependence than economics. Store owners often helped found churches and other institutions, and they and their customers worshiped together, sent their children to the same schools, and in times of crisis, came to one another's assistance.

For this social and cultural history, Linda English combed store account ledgers from the 1870s and 1880s and found in them the experiences of thousands of people in Texas and Indian Territory. Particularly revealing are her insights into the everyday lives of women, immigrants, and ethnic and racial minorities, especially African Americans and American Indians.

A store's ledger entries yield a wealth of detail about its proprietor, customers, and merchandise. As a local gathering place, the general store witnessed many aspects of residents' daily lives--many of them recorded, if hastily, in account books. In a small community with only one store, the clientele would include white, black, and Indian shoppers and, in some locales, Mexican American and other immigrants. Flour, coffee, salt, potatoes, tobacco, domestic fabrics, and other staples typified most purchases, but occasional luxury items reflected the buyer's desire for refinement and upward mobility. Recognizing that townspeople often accessed the wider world through the general store, English also traces the impact of national concerns on remote rural areas--including Reconstruction, race relations, women's rights, and temperance campaigns.

In describing the social status of store owners and their economic and political roles in both small agricultural communities and larger towns, English fleshes out the fascinating history of daily life in Indian Territory and Texas in a time of transition.

The retail industry has undergone enormous changes during the last thirty years.

But there is one retailer that not only has remained consistent in the fluctuating―even tenuous―market, but also has grown in the process.

"More Than a Hobby "takes you inside the story of David Green, the man who built the phenomenal success of Hobby Lobby. Green went beyond surviving in a competitive retail market to thriving, ultimately expanding his $600 start-up company into a $1.3 billion per-year enterprise.

Green's incredible accomplishments were based not on business-school theory but on his grassroots experiences as a store manager and his creative application of cutting edge ideas, including:

• Allow managers to spend no more than thirty minutes per day on paperwork
• Instead of paying a middleman, assemble as much of the product as possible in-house
• Give buyers the freedom to purchase without restraint--but within the realm of common sense
• Keep God and family first

"More Than a Hobby "is a practical field manual, filled with revolutionary ideas for all those who dream of success in the world of retail business.

In 1867, less than three years after the Civil War left the city in ruins, Hungarian Jewish immigrant Morris Rich opened a small dry goods store on what is now Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Over time, his brothers Emanuel and Daniel joined the business; within a century, it became a retailing dynasty. Join historian Jeff Clemmons as he traces Rich's 137-year history. For the first time, learn the true stories behind Penelope Penn, Fashionata, The Great Tree, the Pink Pig, Rich's famous coconut cake and much more, including how events at the downtown Atlanta store helped John F. Kennedy become America's thirty-fifth president. With an eye for accuracy and exacting detail, Clemmons recounts the complete history of this treasured southern institution.

This book puts the trade war between the United States and China in historical context. Exploring the dynamics of isolation and internal reform from a Chinese perspective, the author draws upon valuable insights from China's years of isolation prior to the famous Nixon-Mao summit. Advocating internal reform as a more productive strategy than conflict with other powers, this powerful argument for globalization with Chinese characteristics will be of interest to scholars of China, economists, and political scientists.

This book demonstrates the flow of the international trade of secondhand goods and examines the socio-economic background and mechanisms of the trade. It highlights the actors involved in the trade of secondhand goods and how traditionally secondhand good have largely been traded through social or ethnic networks in order to effectively transfer quality and market information. The development of information technology and emergence of new information platforms have changed these business models. The policies and regulations relating to the trade of secondhand goods are explored, alongside the negative impact of these trades, and the growing awareness of the circular economy. This book illustrates how importing countries as well as international institutions have developed regulations in order to balance these two issues. It will relevant to students and economists interested in development economics and economics geography.

This is an impressive volume that brings together top researchers working on the economics of retailing and distribution. The content ranges from rich descriptive analyses of the key aspects of technical change driving the industry, to technical discussions of cutting edge empirical techniques. It will be a great resource, both for experts in the field, and researchers and graduate students thinking of working in the area.' - Thomas J. Holmes, University of Minnesota, US'Despite the enormity of the retail sector and its importance to the US economy, prior to this book there was no guide to economic research issues in retailing and distribution. The Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution provides the definitive synopsis of economic and regulatory issues pertaining to this dynamic sector and defines the frontiers of the research agenda for this emergent field.' - Judith A. Chevalier, Yale University, US 'Entry and exit. Technical progress. Consumer search. Big data. If you had to choose just one sector to show the power and insight of modern economics, retail and distribution might well be it. This excellent volume merges theory, data, and econometrics to examine a fascinating industry, with a rich blend of history, abstract analysis, and case studies. Leading scholars in the field take us from first century vending machines to e-commerce in a well-edited, authoritative, and highly readable collection of survey articles.' - Jonathan Haskel, Imperial College London, UK This Handbook explores and critically examines current research in economics and marketing science on key issues in retailing and distribution. Providing a rich perspective for the discussion of public policy, contributions from several disciplines and continents range from the history of chains and the impact of multinational retailers on international trade patterns to US merger policy in the retail context, the rise of the Internet, and consumer-to-consumer sales. The chapters address methodological issues such as the structural estimation of entry games between retailers, productivity measurement when both inputs and output are not fully observable, and demand estimation with variable assortment. Policy issues explored include mergers, zoning, and the regulation of buyer power, while other chapters address some of the recent exciting developments in technology, retail formats, and data availability. The book goes on to study the changes in online retailing and 'big data', and to examine competition in specific retail sectors including gasoline stations, automobile dealerships, supermarkets, and 'big box' retail. This state-of-the-art Handbook is an essential reference for students and academics of economics and marketing science, and offers an outsider's perspective to specialists in operations research, data analytics, geography, and sociology. Contributors: V. Aguirregabiria, E. Basker, R.R. Betancourt, A. Carden, C. Courtemanche, A. Dukes, P.B. Ellickson, S.F. Ellison, L. Foster, T. Geylani, J. Haltiwanger, W. Hickman, D. Hosken, M. Hwang, R. Jing, S. Klimek, C.J. Krizan, J.H. Mortimer, C. Murry, M.D. Noel, S. Ohlmacher, A. Pozzi, H. Raff, B.T. Ratchford, F. Schivardi, N. Schmitt, H.S. Schneider, H. Smith, M.D. Smith, J. Suzuki, S. Tadelis, S. Tenn, A. Zentner

In this book, leading experts in the field examine the effects of the recent growth in concentration in the European food retailing sector. In particular, the book develops a number of buyer power propositions and builds on the previous work of several of the authors, to consider how the growth of large supermarket chains affects competition in food retailing. The authors outline the theoretical and policy analysis underpinning the work and assess evidence on the size and growth of supermarket chains across the EU. Whilst not entirely critical, they suggest that there is strong evidence in some countries that supermarkets use their buying power to impose unfair terms and conditions on suppliers, particularly affecting small suppliers. The authors use case studies, to provide an in-depth analysis of four European countries, namely France, Germany, Spain and the UK. The book ends with a discussion of policy issues against a backdrop of likely future trends in concentration in this area. Academics working in the areas of microeconomics and industrial economics as well as those involved in European competition policy more generally, such as lawyers, civil servants and consultancy groups, will find this volume enlightening.

When Adam Smith wrote in 1776 that England was a nation of shopkeepers, he meant that commerce was a major factor in political decisions. Smith's observation was even more on-target for Victorian England: shopkeepers, shops, and shopping were a vital part of life. Those Victorians with resources could shop often and had many choices. Industrialization and their imperial connections gave them an almost unprecedented array of goods. Even the poor and working classes had more to eat and more to spend as the century progressed. Here, Graham explores the world of Victorian shops and shopping in colorful detail. She offers information on the types of shops and goods they offered, the people who owned and operated them, those who frequented them, and the contribution of shops and shopping to the Victorian lifestyle and economy.

Shopping in Victorian England reached a level of importance not wholly appreciated even by Victorians themselves. New types of shops appeared, offering an expanding array of goods inventively packaged and displayed for an expanding group of shoppers. As the shops grew, so did the activity -- part excursion for provisions, part entertainment. Women shopped most often, but men, too, had their shops. Victorians could, by the end of the 19th century, shop without even leaving their homes: orders could be placed by mail, telegraph, or telephone. Shops catered to all classes -- the rich, the poor, and the in-betweens.

This book will help modern readers envision the Victorian shopping experience by taking them inside the shops and up to the counters. Readers will learn how the shop was organized, what services and goods were available, and how goods made their way from the shop to the home. GrahaM's compelling account provides a vivid glimpse into a vital--but largely unappreciated-- aspect of Victorian life.

The social landscape is undergoing a global change with the emergence of e-payment and blockchain technology. This new technology changes the ways in which consumers and businesses interact with each other. This dynamic offers both opportunities and challenges to the socioeconomic landscape. It is important to understand the strategies, opportunities, and challenges contained in the e-payment and blockchain sector. The Handbook of Research on Social Impacts of E-Payment and Blockchain Technology is a comprehensive reference source that examines the strategies, opportunities, and challenges contained in the value creation of e-payment and blockchain technology, which lead to economic and social progression. Further delving into topics such as mobile financial services, technopreneurship, and cryptocurrencies, this dynamic resource is essential for students, academicians, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, business executives, researchers, blockchain professionals, technologists, systems engineers, policymakers, and government officials.

The trading, selling, and buying of personal transport has changed little over the past one hundred years. Whether horse trading in the early twentieth century or car buying today, haggling over prices has been the common practice of buyers and sellers alike. "Horse Trading in the Age of Cars" offers a fascinating study of the process of buying an automobile in a historical and gendered context.

Steven M. Gelber convincingly demonstrates that the combative and frequently dishonest culture of the showroom floor is a historical artifact whose origins lie in the history of horse trading. Bartering and bargaining were the norm in this predominantly male transaction, with both buyers and sellers staking their reputations and pride on their ability to negotiate the better deal. Gelber comments on this point-of-sale behavior and what it reveals about American men.

Gelber's highly readable and lively prose makes clear how this unique economic ritual survived into the industrial twentieth century, in the process adding a colorful and interesting chapter to the history of the automobile.

This book explores opportunities for diversifying modern Kazakhstan's economy, which is still heavily dependent on its natural resources, as well as looking at economic opportunities for the whole Central Asian region arising from the Chinese government's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The book is comprised of four parts. Part 1 explores the first main theme of the book: development of the economy based on the resource sector with the example of Kazakhstan. Part 2 examines opportunities for diversification arising from BRI: a rise of transport and communication industries alongside the new Belt and Road economic route. Part 3 explores the view from China on the perspectives of regional development, not least the economic reasons for the launch of this programme, investments and planned effects. Part 4 discusses other internal sources for diversification of the economy in Kazakhstan based on development of local industry in the oil and gas sector, small- and medium-sized enterprises and tertiary sector of the economy. This book will be of value for students, academics, policy-makers, and practitioners focused on economic development and business in the Central Asian region, as well as those who are working on the design of instruments for economic development in their own countries.