Hoerner - How to Sell: Recipes for Retail

Contents

Whether its ideas or products, in our business or for someone else, we all need to be able to sell. This book guides us through invaluable tips from John Hoerner, who has over 50 years experience as a retailer.

Divided into chapters covering all aspects of retail, Johns wisdom is summarised in short incisive quotes, including: advice on handling customers, stores, buyers, suppliers, stock management, marketing and PR, strategy, investment and people.

How To Sell is an authoritative guide to becoming the best retailer you can be.

John Hoerner has been a successful retailer for more than 50 years. His work has taken him from Hovland-Swanson speciality store in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he started work in 1959 while still at university, to Woolf Brothers speciality store in Kansas City, followed by Hahnes in New Jersey, H. & S. Pogue in Cincinnati and L.S. Ayres in Indiana, three divisions of Associated Dry Goods subsequently acquired by May Company and now part of Federated Department Stores.

In 1987 he was recruited by the Burton Group to run Debenhams, a chain of 59 department stores in the UK. Debenhams grew and prospered over the next five years to become one of the most profitable groups of department stores anywhere, and in 1992 John was made Chief Executive of the parent company with over 2,000 stores in the UK. In 1998 John led the demerger of Debenhams from the Burton Group, which made substantial returns for shareholders compared to the share price when he became Chief Executive.

The remaining chains of multiples were renamed Arcadia Group, which John ran until 2000 when he retired from Arcadia. In 2001 he joined Tesco, the worlds third largest retailer, based in the UK, to lead the development of their clothing business. In 2006 he took on another Tesco assignment to consolidate the clothing businesses in Central Europe and Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, which all joined forces to develop a powerful business. Since 2008, John has been a consultant for Tesco, helping the development of Tesco clothing in China, Korea, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Turkey.

John is a keen pilot, a hobby that he put to good use visiting stores during his career in the UK. He was a trustee of the London Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for 19 years, 7 years as Vice Chairman and 4 years as Chairman. He served for three years as Chairman of the British Fashion Council, which sponsors London Fashion Week. John lives on a farm in Gloucestershire with his wife Lea, their three horses, and their five rescued dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Praise for How To Sell from industry experts

This book epitomises Johns approach to business, short, simple, entertaining and above all effective. His great achievement during his long career has been his ability to teach others and this book now enables more to learn from his experience.

Richard Brasher, Chief Executive of Pick & Pay, Cape Town, former Chief Executive of Tesco UK

A Master Class for retailers... its good, thought-provoking stuff and will become an essential reference guide to management excellence. Johns achievements in business are a matter of public record; his impact on countless aspiring executives is less well known, but treasured by them all.

Mike Goring, Operations Director of Debenhams, former Operations Director of Arcadia Group

Every budding executive needs a mentor to help develop your skills, support you through difficult times and allow you the room to learn from your mistakes. Mentoring is just one of the recipes John Hoerner has honed throughout his half a century in retail, and one I was fortunate to benefit from. [This book] will give everyone the chance to learn from his experience. It is a book I wish I had written!

Terry Green, Retail Consultant, former Chief Executive of Top Shop, Debenhams, BHS, Allders and Tesco Clothing

John Hoerner makes many of the issues we battle daily in retail seem so simple and straightforward. That takes many years of insight. I recommend that you could save yourself a few years of retail learning pain by reading this book.

Neela Montgomery, Chairwoman of Crate & Barrel, Member of the Board for Multichannel Retail, Otto Group

I had the privilege of working with John Hoerner for ten years at Tesco. He always amazed me with the way he approached any situation, looking at solutions from surprising angles that I had not considered.
I practised most of the advice John gives in his book and it does work. In fact it is so simple and common sense, youll wish you had thought of it yourself.

Christophe Roussel, International Sourcing Consultant, former Head of Tesco International Sourcing

John Hoerner has been an inspiration for many generations of retailers who have had the privilege of working with him. I consider him to be the architect of the modern Debenhams. I believe this book will become an essential read for anyone in retail or anyone who wants to understand retailing better. Retailing is a competitive, fast-moving business and this book covers all of the key ingredients which any successful retailer needs to consider. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Mike Sharp, CEO of Debenhams Department Stores

Ive known John since he joined Tesco in 2001 and Ive either worked for him or with him (which is much the same thing) almost ever since. There is never a dull moment let alone a dull conversation and I have learnt more from John than almost anyone else, much of it covered in this book. Read it to short-cut your retail education. I thoroughly recommend this book it contains much of the wisdom I have gained from John in the last 13 years I have known him. I must say it reads much like most of the conversations Ive had with John over the years, i.e. dont expect a comfortable read and reassuring sound bites John has always been a dispenser of tough love and truth, not feel-good theory but at the end of it you will have learnt a lot and be better for having read it.

Jason Tarry, Commercial Director of Tesco UK and International

I learnt more from John alone than all others, collectively, that I have encountered put together in my 30+ years in retail. He has made a huge impact on UK retail, most particularly by grabbing a moribund Debenhams and then the challenged Burton Group by the scruff of their necks and transforming the cultures and operating models to create two very profitable and sustainable businesses. Much of this was dependent on his wit, wisdom and extraordinary attention to detail. His insights and words of wisdom are well worth reading and reflecting upon and likely to help you create your recipes for success!

Phil Wrigley, Chairman of Hobbs, Chairman of Majestic Wines, former Chairman of New Look

It is intensely satisfying to read a book by someone who really knows what theyre talking about having Been There, Done That at the highest level. John Hoerner, who has been the Big Boss at most of Britains important retailers, takes trouble to explain precisely how its done, step by step, and the pitfalls to watch out for.

Anyone who reads this book will have a major advantage over their rivals in the race to the boardroom. It should be a mandatory set text on every business and retail marketing course.

Nicholas Coleridge CBE, President, Cond Nast International

Comments from leading Chinese retail experts

As soon as I started reading the manuscript, I finished the book without stopping... His use of the recipe metaphor covers almost all aspects of retailing to be taken literally, as written, or used in combination with the readers own ideas, experience and creativity.

Mr Wenxin Zhu, CEO of SECNext page