12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, but purposeless and solipsistic, September 21, 2006
This review is from: Shopportunity!: How to Be a Retail Revolutionary (Hardcover)
This is a book about what's wrong with American retailing, written by a consultant to consumer products companies. If you're interested in this topic, go read any of the books by Paco Underhill, such as "Why We Buy," which are far superior to this entertaining but ultimately pointless and borderline offensive romp.
Daniel Akst complained sufficiently about the book's self-centered elitism in his Wall Street Journal review, so I'll touch on other matters here. The other major problem with this book is a more fundamental one: who is the audience? It seems to be written with Kate Newlin's potential client base -- retailers and consumer product companies -- in mind, now that Newlin has her own consulting firm and has parted company with ace trendmeistress Faith Popcorn. Possibly due to the editor's intervention or some other such afterthought, it looks like it was papered over as a call to arms among the buying public to incite a revolution in dynamic buying experiences. to bring the thrill back to shopping. There are more buyers among the general consumer public, apparently, than there are product managers at consumer product companies.
Yawn. Who cares? There are some well-intentioned and well-placed remarks about Wal-Mart, bad supermarkets, Dell, and Whole Foods, most of which have been covered better elsewhere. Some of the dirty secrets of "outlet store" retailing are enlightening. Apart from that, it's hard to imagine a reader caring much about this, just as it is hard to imagine anyone other than marketing professionals caring about "dynamic connectedness of brands," or whatever it was.
Instead, we find out more than we ever wanted to know about Kate Newlin's life shopping in a chic Manhattan neighborhood and in the Hamptons. She must be a real bore at cocktail parties. We also find out a few things we may not have wanted to know about how consumer products companies plumb the depths of the human psyche in order to find more effective ways of selling to them - such as "hypnosis focus groups," an idea that makes my flesh crawl just thinking about it.
Worst of all are the "rules" at the end of each chapter, which also seem like an editor's device to make the book more salable (on the "all popular nonfiction books must have lists" principle) but are equally pointless - e.g., Rule #12: "Let Brands Transform You."
By the way, I bought this book as an impulse item at my local Barnes & Noble Superstore. No, an aspiring young novelist working at the store did not passionately recommend the book to me. No one gave me my choice of two books with a postage-paid return mailer in which to return the one I didn't like. I did not take advantage of the overpriced coffee and stale pastries in the cafe. But yes, the casher did look up my discount card number so that I could get an additional 5% off. (No, that did not make me feel cheap and spoil the entire experience for me.)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Two, Two, Two Books in One!, September 29, 2006
This review is from: Shopportunity!: How to Be a Retail Revolutionary (Hardcover)
I loved it and bought 10 copies for friends and colleagues. It's the first business-focused book I've read that reads like literature. She's an excellent and entertaining writer and poses some very interesting points. E.g. We save money at Wal-Mart but pay more in taxes to cover the healthcare costs of Wal-Mart's un-insured employees. She reminds us to EXPECT great service, quality and product-performance that aligns with its advertising claims -- rather than just buying the cheapest thing available from a surly clerk in a disorganized big box store. Support the little guy and feel better about spending your hard-earned money!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Analysis of the American Shopping Landscape, September 29, 2006
This review is from: Shopportunity!: How to Be a Retail Revolutionary (Hardcover)
After reading this fantastic analysis of the American retail market, I realize why I just cannot bring myself to go shopping in the majority of stores in this country. It brings no joy, no reward, just a major headache. Newlin explains in a succinct, entertaining style the reasons we shop. And, if we can just listen to some of her insights, shopping once again can be a fun and joyous activity.
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