From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Ever walk into a Starbucks and wonder: why didn't I think of this? But, honestly, do you really understand the merchandising mechanics of getting a million people to line up for a tall vanilla latte, or of matching up a dark green mug and a Norah Jones CD with a drink order? Rubinfeld, Starbucks's former executive vice president of store development and an advisor to other well-known brands, has given it all quite a bit of thought, and with a writing assist from Hemingway-who also co-authored Bill Gates's book Business @ the Speed of Thought-he painstakingly shares his blueprint for creating financial and cultural retailing success. This is by no means a relaxing corporate history on the rise of a global coffeehouse. It's an intense examination of what goes into conceptualizing a viable retail plan. Whether it involves serving sushi on a conveyor belt or selling sunglasses, he explains how to grow a franchise into a powerful marketing presence. From the initial "ideation" and differentiation of the concept, to choosing the right location for the first store, making the design and merchandising decisions, and attracting venture capital-Rubinfeld walks anyone who wants, or needs, to understand retailing through the thought process at every decision-making opportunity. He does so while continuously drawing examples from the local mall, explaining concepts in terms of what retailers like Oakley, Chico, Potbelly Sandwiches and, of course, Starbucks have done right. He also shares his insights on what others, like the bankrupt candle company Illuminations, did wrong. Rubinfeld sidesteps jargon and avoids cute or memorable phrases... save one: "retail is detail." The phrase aptly summarizes the contents of this book-which in its latter chapters even delves into the minutia of real estate management. This is an intricately detailed game plan for becoming the retailing world's next Starbucks. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
If there’s one thing that’s consistent in today’s business world, it’s rapid change. So how do you not only stay steady but actually grow—and quickly enough to stay safely ahead of your competitors? Built for Growth delivers specific solutions to create a brand and presence that generates true customer passion, as you lay a solid foundation for long-term success. Author Arthur Rubinfeld was a major driver in Starbucks' unprecedented retail expansion from 100 stores to more than 4000-- and its transformation into one of the world's most recognized brands. Here he draws on his singular expertise to present a proven, holistic approach to conceiving, designing, and executing your business plan: creating exciting concepts, growing them to fruition in local markets, expanding rapidly, and keeping your brand fresh and relevant as it matures. His revolutionary approach to business strategy embodies strong personal values, promotes exceptional creativity, leverages scientific methodology in finance and market analysis, and brings it all together with 'old-time' customer service. Each lesson is clearly distilled with detailed examples from one of the best business writers, Collins Hemingway, co-author with Bill Gates of the #1 bestseller Business at the Speed of Thought. So whether you're seeking to reignite growth or planning your first store, Built for Growth will be utterly indispensable. Foreword by Jeff Brotman, Co-founder and Chairman of Costco, the world's #1 warehouse club.
From the Back Cover
"A valuable primer on all aspects of retail: brand, location, people, finance, property management, expansion strategy, and long-term thinking. Rubinfeld understands the difficulty of the small guy getting started and the big guy keeping the brand fresh. Even an experienced retailer will want to stop and reflect at his insights, which come from many years in every aspect of thebusiness." —From the Foreword by Jeff Brotman, Chairman, Costco
Built for Growth shows exactly how to create winning retail brands, how to create a unique, compelling brand even as you establish a rock-solid foundation for long-term success. Arthur Rubinfeld architected Starbucks' expansion from 100 stores to nearly 4,000, helping to establish Starbucks as one of the world's most-recognized brands.
Now, drawing on his singular expertise with Starbucks and as a consultant to Oakley, Gateway, adidas, and Washington Mutual, he offers breakthrough strategies and techniques for all facets of retail: choosing locations, recruiting management and associates, defining organizations and systems, designing stores, merchandising, day-to-day execution, and more.
Together with Collins Hemingway, coauthor with Bill Gates of Business @ the Speed of Thought, Rubinfeld introduces a proven, holistic approach to conceiving, designing, and executing your retail business plan: creating exciting concepts, growing them in local markets, preparing for aggressive expansion, and keeping the brand fresh and relevant as it matures. This revolutionary approach integrates strong personal values, exceptional creativity, the latest scientific methodology, and passionate customer service. Whether you're seeking to reignite growth or planning your first store, Built for Growth will be absolutely indispensable.
Retail brands that win, brands that last
A complete framework for retail success: conception, design, and execution
Imagination, courage, and drive
Start by believing: you can become a national or international brand
"Go long": execute on rapid growth
Retail organizations and models that scale rapidly and "put the game out of reach"
Your retail presence: capturing the essence of your brand
From locations to store design: generating real customer passion
"Main & Main": own the best locations and markets
From demographics to street traffic: all you need to know about choosing locations
Push the envelope: innovate to maintain brand leadership
How to reinvigorate product, design, service, and quality—over and over again
"Finally, a straightforward, insider's perspective on how retail success really happens. Arthur's incredible track record at Starbucks alone makes this a must-read for anyone thinking about starting, buying, or reinvigorating a retail business. Packed with insight, inspiration, and the practical tools to grow a business, Built for Growth won't disappoint." —Scott Bedbury, Author, A New Brand World
"Only five business plans in a hundred address a real customer need. Built for Growth shows retailers how to do more than just talk about serving customers; it is a step-by-step guide to building a business that provides an exceptional customer experience. As someone who has started several businesses, I believe that Arthur'sadvice will be invaluable to anyone starting a retail or service business." —Tom Stemberg, Founder and Chairman, Staples
"For someone who has been in the retail business for a long time, Arthur's book explains how established retailers can innovate while staying true to their core values and their core brand. It is unusual for a professional in Arthur's position to willingly share their expertise in such a comprehensive, succinct, and personal manner." —Marvin S. Traub, Former CEO Bloomingdale's; Current CEO Marvin Traub Associates, Inc.
"I have known Arthur since we lived in the same apartment building as young professionals just getting started in New York City. We have enjoyed a great personal as well as professional relationship. Arthur was one of the primary architects of Starbucks' strategic retail growth and development. His passion for retail, his knowledge of branding and design, and his heart for people are the main ingredients for his success at Starbucks, where he set the gold standard for high-quality, rapid retail expansion." —Howard Schultz, Chairman and Chief Global Strategist, Starbucks Corporation
Arthur Rubinfeld achieved breakthrough results for such premier companies as Starbucks, Oakley, Gateway, adidas, and Washington Mutual. In Built for Growth, he shares his unparalleled knowledge about envisioning, building, launching, expanding, and sustaining winning retail brands. The book delivers battle-tested advice for crafting retail plans that work, executing them systematically and aggressively, generating genuine customer loyalty, and innovating to keep your brand fresh, year after year. The lessons herein can mean the difference between success and failure. So whether you're opening your first store or you are an "old hand" in retail, don't just read this book—live by it.© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Arthur Rubinfeld, the architect behind Starbucks' expansion, helped build Starbucks into one of the world's top brands.
As executive vice president at Starbucks, Rubinfeld built a multi-faceted store development and design organization with the talent, in-house processes, and systems necessary to execute rapid expansion. Under his leadership, Starbucks grew from 100 stores to nearly 4,000 stores worldwide, and established innovative co-tenancy and co-branding relationships with companies ranging from Wells Fargo to Barnes and Noble. Starbucks' store development capabilities remain the standard by which the industry measures brand presentation, real estate site selection, store design, construction management, and asset management.
In 2002, Rubinfeld founded AIRVISION, now emerging as one of the world's leading developers of integrated brand positioning, strategic growth, retail design, and operations. Since its founding, the AIRVISION team has worked closely on the development of many of the nation's most recognized brands including Oakley, Gateway, adidas, and Washington Mutual.He can be reached at arthur@airvision.net
Collins Hemingway is best known as the coauthor with Bill Gates on the #1 best-seller, Business @ the Speed of Thought, and has worked in the business and technology arena for 30 years. A Microsoft director of business development and international marketing, Hemingway was an integral part of the company that virtually defined the digital revolution. Through his firm, Escape Velocity Ventures, he lectures and writes on topics as diverse as management, aviation, medicine, technology futures, and the importance of conscience in creating profitable enterprises.© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
ForewordForeword
When I was starting out in the retail business a long time ago, first working for my father's clothing store and then starting a couple of retail businesses with my brother, I could have benefited from this book by Arthur Rubinfeld. Built for Growth: Expanding Your Business Around the Corner or Across the Globe is a valuable primer on all aspects of retail: brand, location, people, finance, property management, expansion strategy, and long-term thinking. He understands the difficulty of the small guy getting started and the big guy keeping the brand fresh. This book contains a lot of information that will not be obvious to most people. Even an experienced retailer should stop and reflect on Arthur's insights, which come from many years of experience in every aspect of the business. (Arthur and I first met in the early 1990s, when he directed Starbucks' retail expansion and I was on the Starbucks board.)
At Costco, we follow many of the precepts that Arthur describes here. We are fairly sophisticated about analyzing data versus going with our gut, but senior management is also hands on. We go out to the stores. We try to know as much about what is happening on the stores' floors as our sales associates. We are actively engaged with the people involved in evaluating and selecting our merchandise. I am personally involved in real estate and site selection, which remains one of my primary responsibilities. Of course, Costco has fewer stores than most other retail concepts, so each decision is very, very important to us. I recommend that every senior manager stay in touch with the practical day-to-day functioning of the business, especially site selection. Putting together a great team is also important, as is treating employees well. Our management team has been together since our founding more than twenty years ago, and our benefit package is designed to encourage long-term employee retention. Arthur explains the benefits of such practices to retail businesses of all sizes, particularly how investment in quality can provide a better return on investment than the usual approach of cost cutting.
Built for Growth should benefit a wide audience, especially people who are out of the retailing mold who want to start their own business. The practical advice is good, and the book provides a broad understanding of brand, an insider's perspective on retail strategy, and a professional's approach to structuring the business. Built for Growth is also easy to read, and Arthur's warmth and intellectual curiosity come through. I agree with him that retail is more difficult than it looks. When you're out there on your own, just getting into the business, you don't know what you don't know. Arthur fills in the blanks.
Jeff Brotman Chairman, Costco Corporation
© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
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