The Late Middle Ages (c.1300-c.1500) saw the development of many of the key economic institutions of the modern unitary nation-state in Europe. After the 'commercial revolution' of the thirteenth century, taxes on trade became increasingly significant contributors to government finances, and as such there were ever greater efforts to control the flow of goods and money. This book presents a case study of the commercial and financial links between the kingdom of England and the duchy of Aquitaine across the late-medieval period, with a special emphasis on the role of the English Plantagenet government that had ruled both in a political union since 1154. It establishes a strong connection between fluctuations in commodity markets, large monetary flows and unstable financial markets, most notably in trade credit and equity partnerships. It shows how the economic relationship deteriorated under the many exogenous shocks of the period, the wars, plagues and famines, as well as politically motivated regulatory intervention. Despite frequent efforts to innovate in response, both merchants and governments experienced a series of protracted financial crises that presaged the break-up of the union of kingdom and duchy in 1453, with the latter's conquest by the French crown. Of particular interest to scholars of the late-medieval European economy, this book will also appeal to those researching wider economic or financial history.

This edited volume examines global power-rivalry in and around South Asia through Bangladeshi lenses using imperfect and overlapping interest concentric-circles as a template. Dynamics from three transitions -the United States exiting the Cold War, China emerging as a global-level power, and India's eastern interests squaring off with China's Belt Road Initiative, BRI-help place China, India, and the United States (in alphabetical order) in Bangladesh's "inner-most" circle, China, India, and the United States in a "mid-stream" circle, and the United States and Latin America, among other countries, in the "outer-most" circle, depending on the issue. In an atmosphere of short-term gains over-riding long-term considerations, the desperate, widespread search for infrastructural funding inside South Asia enhances China's value, raises local heat, releases new challenges, with costly default consequences looming, issue-specific analysis overtaking formal bilateral relations and a stubborn uncertainty riddling the Bangladeshi air as its policy preferences stubbornly show more certainty.

In Retail and Social Change Steven Miles, presents a cross-disciplinary analysis of the evolution of retail and how in both its material and virtual guises it has come to reframe our relationship with the social world. Retail has become increasingly influential in homogenising the urban experience. And yet in reacting to trends in virtual consumption retailers are also becoming more and more conscious of the need to engage with consumers in more sophisticated ways. Retail and Social Change will interest students and scholars in geography, cultural studies, sociology, marketing and business studies interested in how and why retail pervades both our physical and emotional lives in increasingly unexpected ways. It will provide a lively, comparative and thought-provoking contribution that interrogates the implications of retail change, for what it means to be a citizen of a consumer society in the twenty-first century.

The book focuses on food security highlighting the role of indigenous knowledge and scientific research in addressing the plight of poor small-scale agricultural producers. Rapidly growing global population and global policies and management governing sustainability, hunger, food security and poverty alleviation are discussed. Additionally, impacts of probable climate change, research on land productivity and performance of dependable food crops i.e. cassava and pearl millet are discussed. Analyzed in great detail are roles of small stock, urban/peri-urban agriculture and advantages of climate-smart agriculture and participatory research in enhancing food security of the small-scale agricultural producers in Southern Africa.

Examining the implications of recent important developments, the primary aim of this book is to bridge the gaps in existing literature on India-Pakistan economic engagement and to examine various aspects of the trade normalization process. The book includes familiar themes of India-Pakistan bilateral trade in goods and services, providing new insights into the potential for trade and the challenges involved in realizing it. The respective chapters examine the current trade trends and identify the possible sectors for bilateral FDI flows between the two countries, which could help forge deeper economic ties between them. In light of India’s changed investment policy, this analysis is pertinent for investors and policy-makers alike. The book also includes chapters on a variety of unconventional subjects, such as estimating the levels of informal trade, an analysis of a trade perception survey and identifying trade potential using a CGE modeling approach. Further, a number of sectors have been identified for in-depth analysis, including sports goods, healthcare and energy. These sector-based analyses reflect the gap between current levels of trade in the selected industries and the possible trade potential. The studies identify key tradable commodities in the health and sports industries, as well as opportunities for trading in energy. The book thus provides readers with a deep understanding of the process of normalizing economic relations and enhancing bilateral trade at the micro and macro levels, on the basis of which the authors subsequently provide recommendations for policymakers.

This book focuses on Iran to explore the question of how the nature of industrial organizations and the whole system they constitute can exert a great influence on an industry's competitiveness and resilience. The author examines what happens if firms and companies participating in the manufacturing and distribution process of a certain product are not organized to a high degree and operate independently. The book begins with an inquiry into the historical environment of Iran's apparel industry, which has never been stable. It then reveals the specific practices that enable firms to maintain their independent business, and argues that the elastic state of the production and distribution system has worked for the survival of self-reliant member firms. The typical Iranian apparel firm persists in maintaining independent operations regardless of its size, a practice that is inimical to the development of long-lasting business relations with other firms as well as to vertical integration between firms, in all stages from production to distribution. A distinguishing feature of Iran's apparel industry is that the member firms are barely organized compared with their counterparts in advanced industrialized countries. Despite such a weakly organized system, generally small-scale but self-reliant Iranian firms courageously persist in the face of the market's difficulties. Superficially, it appears that Iran's apparel market is being filled with Chinese goods, but the reality is somewhat different. Apparel firms that are currently doing business with China but are ready to terminate it at any time are taking advantage of newly emerging opportunities to ensure the survival of their own businesses. Reopening those businesses for domestic operations remains an ever-present possibility for them.

This book takes a comprehensive look at Japanese firms engaging in export and foreign direct investment (FDI) and develops new methods and data to investigate the internationalization of firms, which is a focus issue in international trade. Using micro-level data, the book provides an introduction to theoretical and statistical analysis of internationalization modes of Japanese firms with productivity heterogeneity. It makes clear that although the productivity of internationalized Japanese firms is higher on average than that of firms serving only the domestic market, the difference in productivity between exporters and FDI firms is not as obvious in comparison with that of their counterparts in the United States and Europe. Focusing on this point, the book analyzes not only productivity heterogeneity among firms, but also the differences in firm-specific factors other than productivity: industry-specific factors, market-specific factors such as market size and variable and fixed costs for export, and FDI in destination countries. This in-depth investigation reveals how those factors make the modes of Japanese firms' internationalization different from those in the United States and Europe. Further analysis focuses on the effects of match quality, organizational and institutional factors in the market on firms' exports, and FDI. As an approach to the current trends in international trade, this book is unique in using detailed firm-level panel data drawn from Japanese government statistics.

​This publication provides insight into the agricultural sector. It illustrates new tendencies in agricultural economics and dynamics (interrelationship with other sectors in rural zones and multifunctionality) and the implications of the World Trade Organization negotiations in the international trade of agricultural products. Due to environmental problems, availability of budget, consumer preferences for food safety and pressure from the World Trade Organization, there are many changes in the agricultural sector. This book addresses those new developments and provides insights into possible future developments. The agricultural activity is an economic sector that is fundamental for a sustainable economic growth of every country. However, this sector has many particularities, namely those related with some structural problems (many farms with reduced dimension, sometimes lack of vocational training of the farmers, difficulties of put the farmers together in associations and cooperatives), variations of the productions and prices over the year and some environmental problems derived from the utilization of pesticides and fertilizers.

This book analyzes the current economic situations in African countries at the local, regional, and national level. It examines the growing interest from developed and developing countries to invest in Africa and their different reasons for doing so, which aren't always aligned with the interests of African countries. Growth in African GDP has benefitted mainly multinational corporations while the rest of the population remains at the subsistence level, creating a smaller middle class and less opportunity for local businesses to flourish. This book offers potential models of cooperation which could create added value for both African countries and the MNCs investing in them.

The inside scoop on boosting sales through spot-on analytics

Retailers collect a huge amount of data, but don't know what to do with it. "Retail Analytics" not only provides a broad understanding of retail, but also shows how to put accumulated data to optimal use. Each chapter covers a different focus of the retail environment, from retail basics and organization structures to common retail database designs. Packed with case studies and examples, this book insightfully reveals how you can begin using your business data as a strategic advantage.Helps retailers and analysts to use analytics to sell more merchandiseProvides fact-based analytic strategies that can be replicated with the same success the author achieved on a global levelReveals how retailers can begin using their data as a strategic advantageIncludes examples from many retail departments illustrating successful use of data and analytics

Analytics is the wave of the future. Put your data to strategic use with the proven guidance found in "Retail Analytics."

Highly successful in hardcover, this analysis of both the current status of logistic and its future role in European business is now available in paperback for students of logistic, distribution, strategy and international business.

Logistic in Europe is undergoing a period of unprecedented change. The Single European Market, German unification and reform in eastern Europe have together had a major impact on the continent, with inevitable consequences for logistics. At company level, there is also increasing petition from the newly industrialized countries of the Pacific Rim, not to mention the dismantle of trade barriers within Europe which have so far afforded considerable protection to some European industries.

The two main sections of the book consider demand and supply the market place for logistic services. In analyzing demand, the authors focus on the changing needs on manufacturers and retailers, the two principles users of logistics in advanced economies. On the supply side they examine a number of different kinds of provider of the logistics services, including carriers, freight forwarders and information technology companies. These providers are both responding to the needs on users, and initiating developments of their own. The rise of the mega-carrier is an especially important development, and one chapter is devoted to examining their prospects for success.

The aim of EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH is to publish interesting manuscripts of high quality and innovativeness with a focus on retail researchers, retail lecturers, retail students and retail executives. As it has always been, retail executives are part of the target group and the knowledge transfer between retail research and retail management remains a part of the publication's concept. EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH welcomes manuscripts on original theoretical or conceptual contributions as well as empirical research - based either on large-scale empirical data or on the case-study method. Following the state of the art in retail research, articles on any major issues that concern the general field of retailing and distribution are welcome.

This book is a multidisciplinary analysis of cultural, regional and economic factors affecting international food trade. Contributions from expert authors illuminate the importance of food culture prevailing in the market as a basis for decisions about food trading. Central concepts include value chains, conventions and public infrastructure and their importance for international trade. The reader is taken into a discussion about cultural and economic contexts which influence local decisions among buyers and manufacturers of seafood and how those contexts mutually influence trade between countries. Chapters investigate the trading pattern of codfish (Bacalao), between Nordic and Iberian countries and discuss how business relations are created and structured. The driving forces behind such patterns and how business relations become habits which are hard to change, are revealed through the research presented. As a multidisciplinary work, this book will have broad appeal. It will be of interest to those exploring cultural, economic and public policy issues associated with food trade, as well as anyone with an interest in the seafood market or the Nordic and Iberian regions.

This comprehensive text focuses on the fashion segment of the retail industry. It begins with a broad overview of fashion retailing, then focuses on on-site and off-site environments, management and control functions, merchandising fashion products, and ends with communicating with and servicing the clientele. In this new edition, the authors focus on the globalization of the retail industry with emphasis on US retail expansion into foreign markets as well as global brands' proposed expansion into the US market. This edition has been extensively updated to include current trends including sustainable fashion, the growth of the multi-cultural market, and the impact of new technology and e-commerce. With many engaging photographs and examples to illustrate the concepts, Fashion Retailing is ideal for learning the fundamentals of global fashion retailing and the basic business concepts involved. New to this Edition: ~All new Chapter 17 on Communicating to Customers Through Electronic Media ~New Happening Now feature in each chapter covers the latest retailing methods with such items as The Growth of Mobile Commerce, Gap's overseas explosion in Latin American Countries, and J. Crew's global push, among many others ~Full color insert featuring the entire photo program in vibrant color Teaching Resources ~Instructor's Guide \provides suggestions for planning the course and using the text in the classroom, supplemental assignments, and lecture notes. ~A new Test Bank includes more than 350 questions featuring true/false, multiple choice, short answer or essay questions and midterm and final exam questions. ~PowerPoint (R) presentations include images from the book and provide a framework for lecture and discussion

Discover how Brooks Running Company CEO Jim Weber transformed a failing business into a billion-dollar brand in the ultracompetitive global running market. Running with Purpose is a leadership memoir with insights, inspirational stories, and tangible takeaways for current and aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and the 150+ million runners worldwide and those in the broader running community who continually invest in themselves. This leadership memoir starts with Jim Weber's seventh-grade dream to run a successful company that delivered something people passionately valued. Fast forward to 2001, Jim became the CEO of Brooks and, as the struggling brand's fourth CEO in two years, he faced strong headwinds. A lifelong competitor, Jim devised a one-page strategy that he believed would not only save the company but would also lay the foundation for Brooks to become a leading brand in the athletic, fitness, and outdoor categories. To succeed, he had to get his team to first believe it was possible and then employ the conviction, fortitude, and constancy of purpose to outperform larger brands. Brooks' success was validated when Warren Buffett made it a standalone Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary in 2012. In the pages of Running with Purpose, you will find: Brooks' bold strategy and unique brand positioning that fueled its move from the back of the pack to lead. The key to building a purpose-driven brand that is oriented around customer obsession, building trust, competing with heart, and having fun along the way. The six clear leadership lessons Jim has learned along his path and applies at Brooks to develop staff into authentic leaders. How Berkshire Hathaway's support and influence provided a tailwind for Brooks' business and brand to surge. An inside look at the ups and downs of Jim's personal journey, which led to his conviction that life is too short not to enjoy what you do and the people by your side.

The authors describe in detail what makes today's online retailing different and provide 8 central success factors for the new generation of Internet sales. Based on internationally recognized best practices, it becomes obvious what makes online retailers successful. The authors pull together "lessons learned" from the last 10 years, and give readers a tour of the future of online selling.

First published in 1954, this volume presents a description and analysis of trends in the structure, organisation and technique of the distributive trades in the United Kingdom from 1850 to 1950. Special attention in the work was given to the growth of large-scale retailing and changes in the character of consumer-demand and shopping habits in the shops themselves and in retailing techniques. The study was intended to provide a contribution to a little-explored aspect of the social and economic history of the British people and to the economics of distribution and of scale in distribution. This book is complementary to the earlier study issued by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research - The Distribution of Consumer Goods (Cambridge, 1950) - which examined the costs and methods of distribution in one year. It will remain of value to anyone interested in the history and development of the British economy.

Originally published in 1950, this book is one of a series of studies regarding the structure of the British economy which were produced by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research after the Second World War. It was produced in collaboration with a group of leading businessmen, all of whom were concerned in one way or another with the distribution of consumer goods and dissatisfied with the existing state of knowledge about distribution. The study represented a substantial advance in the knowledge of distribution and an important contribution to structural economics. It will remain of value to anyone with an interest in the development of the British economy.

By providing a comprehensive theoretical framework, this book aims to map the most relevant technologies that have the potential to reshape the retail industry. The authors demonstrate how technology is pushing innovation, and examine how smart technologies can be fruitfully applied both in-store and through digital channels. The aim of the book is to synthesise theory and practice, and provide a richer understanding of new digital opportunities offered by the 'smart' experience. An accessible resource for researchers who want to understand this phenomenon as part of their expertise in digital marketing and e-commerce, Smart Retailing also provides insights for practitioners who are experiencing the dramatic effects of new technologies on their retail strategies.

The first book focusing specifically on talent management, retention and leadership in the luxury industry. It explores how to lead and manage the people this industry attracts, and the major HR challenges the industry is about to face as the previous generation of luxury pioneers retire and Asia becomes a major player in the luxury world.

The first-person account of the family that changed the American retail landscape.

Longtime Dollar General CEO Cal Turner, Jr. shares his extraordinary life as heir to the company founded by his father, Cal Turner, Sr., and his grandfather, a dirt farmer turned Depression-era entrepreneur. Cal's narrative is at its heart a father-son story, from his childhood in Scottsville, Kentucky, where business and family were one, to the triumph of reaching the Fortune 300--at the cost of risking that very father/son relationship. Cal shares how the small-town values with which he was raised helped him guide Dollar General from family enterprise to national powerhouse.

Exploring three generations of a successful family with very different leadership styles, Cal Jr. shares a wealth of wisdom from a lifetime on the entrepreneurial front lines. He shows how his grandfather turned a third-grade education into an asset for success. He reveals how his driven father hatched the breakthrough dollar price point strategy and why it worked. And he explains how he found his own leadership style when he took his place at the helm--values-based, people-oriented, and pragmatic. Cal's story provides a riveting look at the family love and drama behind Dollar General's spectacular rise, pays homage to the working-class people whose no-frills needs helped determine its rock-bottom prices, and shares the life and business lessons of one of 20th-century America's most compelling business leaders.

Brand Revolution offers a radical new approach to brand management. With big brand case studies including L'Oreal and Jaguar, the author draws on her extensive experience as a marketing consultant to put together this highly engaging and practical book for developing, improving and controlling the identity of your brand.

Few retailers understand how to adapt to the different needs and backgrounds of international travellers. Harness the burgeoning levels of tourism and learn everything you need to get travellers engaged with your business and spending money, with insight from LVMH, Harrods, CHANEL and more. The modern traveller is an enigma. These potential customers, young and old, are in search of memorable experiences, just as much as physical products. They want to make their trip unforgettable, while minimizing their impact on the environment. Leading Travel and Tourism Retail is an invaluable guide for any retail professional who wants to benefit from the increasing number of travellers who are venturing abroad ready to spend money, on everything from luxury goods and souvenirs to cultural activities and experiences. Engaging and accessible, it covers everything from creating a business plan and analyzing the competition, to product considerations and the role of technology and data, offering a glimpse behind the inner workings of some of the best-known brands in the world. Delivering invaluable insight through fascinating interviews from high-profile professionals including Group President of LVMH Retail, CEO of Harrods, and President of CHANEL foundation, this is a must-have handbook for achieving retail success in the continually evolving, multifaceted world of travel and tourism. FULL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS: - Jacques Stern, CEO of Global Blue Tax Refund - Stephen Bebis, former CEO of Brookstone Gadget Stores - Andrea d'Avack, former President of Chanel Perfumes & Cosmetics worldwide - Christine Comaford, founder of Smart Tribes Institute - Frances O'Grady, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress, UK - Desiree Bollier, Chair & Chief Merchant of Value Retail, creator and operator of The Bicester Village Shopping Collection - Taylor Safford, President & CEO of Pier 39 entertainment & shopping complex, San Francisco - Craig Robins, Founder & Owner of the Miami Design District Development, Florida - Louis de Bourgoing, former International Chairman of WH Smith - Dan Cockerell, Former Vice President of Disney's Magic Kingdom - Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods, London - Malik Fernando, Director of Dilmah Tea & Luxury Resorts, Sri Lanka - Tine Willumsen, Founder of The Diversity Council, Denmark - Jonathan Chippendale, CEO of Holition Technologies & Former Managing Director of De Beers Diamonds (Middle East) - Paul Samuels, Executive Vice President & Hugo Brady, Vice President of AEG Entertainment Group - Ravi Thakran, Group Chairman of LVMH Asia - Jason Holt CBE, Chairman of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, UK Department of Education - Ben Zifkin, Founder & President of Hubba.com, NY - Lesley Batchelor OBE, Director General of the Institute of Export & International Trade

Forge deeper and more meaningful connections with consumers and embrace the latest opportunities occurring across the physical and digital retail landscape to become more adaptable, resilient and successful. While change is a constant in retail, flux has accelerated in innovation, digital disruption and changing consumer demands and expectations. Written for both digital-first and physical retailers, Next Generation Retail describes how to respond to the needs and expectations of today's consumers and connect with Generations Z and Alpha in an authentic and relevant way. Highly practical in approach, it explores the latest opportunities and pitfalls to avoid for developments including the metaverse, livestream shopping, instant commerce, blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Next Generation Retail also describes how to create compelling content and retail media to drive commerce and monetize data while maintaining customer trust. Featuring original research and interviews with top industry experts, it contains examples and case studies from a range of brands and organizations including Lancome, Burberry and Walmart. This is an essential resource for retailers of all sizes to adapt to and thrive in today's environment of breakneck change and innovation.

Written by experts in Luxury and Fashion Management at SKEMA Business School this exciting new book offers a new perspective that challenges the established rules of the luxury and fashion industry. The authors and contributors examine the evolution of luxury strategy and how the luxury industry is being redefined in the twenty-first century.