Samli provides an academic rather than a practical day-to-day approach to retailing, and his book may help move retailing toward the mainstream of academic research and interest. . . . The author incorporates good references and an overview of many theories that can be applied in an academic retail setting. Recommended for advanced undergraduate, graduate, and professional collections. Choice

Samli breaks new ground in the study of retailing by providing, for the first time, a comprehensive look at overall retail marketing strategy written specifically for advanced-level students and professionals in the field. Whereas most books in this area have stressed a how-to approach, Samli focuses on planning, implementing, and analyzing the results of the retail marketing strategy. He argues that as retail competition becomes keener and as the retailing environment becomes more adverse, success in retailing will be equated with the ability to develop an effective marketing strategy rather than extensive emphasis on day-to-day operations.

Organizing his study according to the three key phases of the strategy-making process--planning, implementation, and control--Samli proposes a new concept, differential congruence, as the basic philosophy of success in developing a retail marketing strategy. He draws upon the extensive, yet until now largely neglected, body of research in the field to illustrate the principles of effective marketng and demonstrates that these principles and strategies are equally applicable to large retailing giants and small retailing establishments. The comprehensive discussion ranges from an examination of intermarket shopping patterns and the plight of downtown shopping areas to detailed analyses of segmentation in retailing, store-image definition measurement, and retail pricing strategy. An essential text for advanced courses in marketing, sales, and retailing, this book will also be read with profit by store managers and corporate retailing executives.