This is the best selling text in the market. It is known for its strategic look at retailing and for its very current coverage. The entire textbook is organized around a model of strategic decision making. Each chapter relates back to this overarching strategic framework. The authors are careful to present a balanced approach by including descriptive, how-to, and conceptual information in a highly readable format. The fourth edition stays on top of the latest topics and developments including; changing demographics of retail marketing, the growth of new retail formats, the use of communication and information technology to enable quick response to market dynamics, the importance of customer services, the development of the vendor-retailer partnering relationships, the importance of building on employee diversity. It reflects the changing job market with the centralization of the buying function, limited jobs for buyers, and the emergence of store management positions. The fourth edition continues to include extensive coverage of the Internet and provides numerous examples of how the Internet has affected retailing strategy.