Antony Welfare - The Retail Handbook: Helping You Achieve Your Potential in Retail

The Retail Handbook - Helping you achieve your Potential in Retail First published in 2011 by
Ecademy Press
48 St Vincent Drive, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5SJ
www.ecademy-press.com

Printed and bound by Lightning Source in the UK and USA
Designed by Michael Inns
Artwork by Karen Gladwell

Printed on acid-free paper from managed forests. This book is printed on demand, so no copies will be remaindered or pulped.

ISBN 978-1-907722-36-3

The right of Antony Welfare to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.

Copyright 2011 Antony Welfare

CASE STUDY ONE
Online retail case study

CASE STUDY TWO
Culture and values development case study

To all independent retailers and to the nation of shopkeepers

All my friends and family (A, B, C and K)

If youve enjoyed The Retail Handbook, then please

Follow The Retail Handbook on twitter
AntonyWelfare or #retailinspector

Visit www.retailinspector.com or www.retailpotential.com
for updates and free downloads

Post a review on www.amazon.co.uk

Sam Walton, the founder of the largest retail organisation in the world, said in his autobiographyMade in America,I had to get up every day with my mind set on improving something". You may not be aiming to create another Walmart, but any independent retailer starting out or looking to improve will find 'The Retail Handbook a very useful guide on how to do it. The book takes the reader on a well constructed journey through the key areas that need to be considered.

There is a good combination of strategy and nitty-gritty, with numerous common-sense tips based on insights from Antonys retail experience. Both the planning and the execution are well covered and each section has a helpful checklist of subjects to consider. The book is possibly unique in providing such a comprehensive practical guide to retailing in one compact volume.

Like any good business guide, the customer is always at the centre of things and I like the importance placed on values. The journey starts by challenging you to know your customer and moves logically through the key functional areas of the business. There are strong sections offering up-to-date tips covering on-line marketing and social media.

Antony has set out to apply what he learned from his hands-on experience at large retailers such as Sainsbury, M&S and Dixons, to retail businesses of all sizes. The beauty of the book is that it offers the independent retailer the opportunity to exploit thinking and techniques often considered the preserve of big retail chains.

The case study covering Freshmax, Antonys recent retail venture, is fascinating reading and is a real-life example of how to put theory into practice. Antony shows he is passionate about his subject and this is why the The Retail Handbook should prove relevant, positive and uplifting to any retailer.

Roger Best

Retailer with over 20 years experience leading consumer brands and former CEO of Radley

We all remember Tony Blair for some great moments and not so great moments during his time as Prime Minister. Some say that his most famous moment was at the Labour Party Conference in 2001, when his underarm sweat patch was the main topic of conversation at the conference, and one of his party even boasted that his drenched blue shirt showed he worked hard. This may be true, but the image of unsightly sweat patches has always been a problem.

This was the time before FreshMax Shirts the only shirts that eliminate sweat patches and the reason why I have written this book for you. In 2009, we launched a very successful online retail business to sell FreshMax Shirts to the world (and even Tony if he wanted one). We established a retail business which took a new fabric technology and science to a shirt, a new brand and a trading E-commerce website in only nine months. This business has since moved on, and the shirts are now being sold in Marks and Spencer amongst other large retailers.

It was during this period I decided to write this book to help independent retailers grow their business and compete with the large retailers. I had spent 15 years in retail until I launched FreshMax, and during my time at FreshMax my eyes were opened to the issues and concerns that smaller retailers have, and the realisation that independent retailers could learn from the larger retailers and this could make them very successful.

I hope you enjoy the book, and I wish you every success with your new journey to achieving your Retail Potential.

Antony Welfare

The Retail Inspector
@retailpotential.com

Welcome to The Retail Handbook.

This handbook is designed to take you as a retailer, or aspiring retailer, on a journey to understand how to run a retail business successfully. It is aimed at independent retailers wishing to learn the best practice from the larger faceless retailers that we see on all our high streets, retail parks and online.

We cover the main areas of running a retail business and give you advice that will:

Improve your customer satisfaction

Grow your product range

Improve your sales

Develop your team

Sell more profitably

Take the first steps to opening an online retail store

This handbook will help you understand the process behind these areas, and introduce you to some steps for achieving these improvements in your retail business.

Even if you are new to retail, maybe you are wishing to set up a new retail business, then this book will help guide you through the areas that you need to plan and develop in order to achieve your potential in retail.