Competing in tough times: business lessons from L.L. Bean, Trader Joe's, Costco, and other world-class retailers

Preface xii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Questionable Future Facing Global Retailers 5 Chapter 2: Low-Cost Strategies I: Key Elements of a Low-Cost Provider Strategy 27 Chapter 3: Low-Cost Strategies II: Delivering Low Costs Through Minimizing Product Proliferation 49 Chapter 4: Differentiation Strategies I: Effective Human Resource Strategies 81 Chapter 5: Differentiation Strategies II: Enhancing the Service Experience 111 Chapter 6: Differentiation Strategies III: Developing and Maintaining a Strong Private Label Program 141 Chapter 7: Implementing Cost-, Differentiation-, and Value-Based Retail Strategies 173 Appendix: Individual and Composite Financial Performance, Customer Service, and Worker Satisfaction Metrics of the Best-Practice Retailers 203 Index 229