Recommended FMCG Books

The Retail Value Chain: How to Gain Competitive Advantage through Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) Strategies / S. Finne, H. Sivonen , 2009

The book analyses the changes in the retail industry and looks at the strategic options open to companies, covering such crucial topics as retail structures, key concepts of efficient consumer response (ECR), partnerships in retail value chains, demand management, store operations, IT trends, loyalty programs and shopper information sharing. The research is based on expert opinions, real-life case examples and a global study of shopper information sharing.

Private Label: Turning the Retail Brand Threat IntoYour Biggest Opportunity / K. Lincoln, L. Thomassen , 2009

Based on exclusive worldwide research by Saatchi & Saatchi, the book encourages brand owners to see the private label growing phenomenon as a genuine business opportunity that will inspire them to really innovate. While retailers need to control private labels profitably, the best solution will be cooperation between brand owners and retailers which will add value to both businesses.

Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing / H. Sorensen , 2009

After 40 years of observing shoppers and analyzing their behavior with various high-tech tools, Sorensen creates the preeminent handbook for any marketer or retailer seeking to understand why people do what they do when they shop and to predict how shoppers will respond (or not) to package and label design, selling messages, shelf plans, and the entire retail space. Armed with this insight, it is possible to improve the effectiveness of the retail experience which becomes a matter of survival nowadays.

Retailization: Brand Survival in the Age of Retailer Power / L. Thomassen, K. Lincoln, A. Aconis , 2009

Retailization illustrates how brand power is being replaced by retailer power. Based on a "Retailization" study conducted by A.C. Nielsen, the book reveals how the world's most successful brands sell themselves in today's evolving marketplace. The book is now in its third printing and has been translated into Japanese, Danish, Russian, and Chinese.

The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How to Avoid It / J. Gerzema, E. Lebar , 2008

Based on a detailed analysis of a decade's worth of brand and financial data using Young & Rubicam’s Brand Asset Valuator (BAV), the largest database of brands in the world, the book argues that business is riding on yet another bubble that is ready to burst - a brand bubble. According to the research, trust and awareness do not add to increased asset value and while investors reward companies with greater brand awareness, consumers don't usually see much sense in that, thus the obvious need to close the gap between consumer and company/investor perceptions.

Harvard Business Review on Retailing and Merchandising / Harvard Business School Press , 2008

This collection of the articles dated 2000-2006 provides the tools and tactics you need to succeed given all of today's channels and increasingly competitive shelf space - from managing inventory to capturing value with point-of-purchase promotions and creating a successful retailing and merchandising strategy.

The Global Brand: How to Create and Develop Lasting Brand Value in the World Market / N. Hollis , 2008

Nigel Hollis, chief Global Analyst at Millward Brown, one of the world’s leading market research agencies, and 27-year marketing and research branding expert, determines brand strength based on Presence (or familiarity) and Voltage (or marketing appeal) and examines the challenges of expanding globally while creating effective local appeal. He introduces the five steps of customer commitment to a strong brand and analyzes the future of brand-building as a profitable investment.

Scoring Points: How Tesco Continues to Win Customer Loyalty / C. Humby, T. Hunt, T. Phillips , 2008

Scoring Points, one of the seminal marketing books of the last decade and an inspirational read, tells the story of how British supermarket chain Tesco conceived, launched and developed its hugely successful Clubcard program - and transformed itself into a winning brand. A compelling behind-the-scenes account of the successes, the failures and the lessons learnt makes it possible for such a transformation to be duplicated by virtually any organization willing to make the commitment.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy / M. Lindstrom, P. Underhill , 2008

Based on extensive research, the book looks into what neuroscience and brain-scan studies can tell marketers about how selling and buying works. It evaluates the effectiveness of neuromarketing and role of subconscious mind, focusing on a number of myths of advertising and branding, i.e. effectiveness of logos, influence on our senses, role of product placement and subliminal advertising, correlation between religion and branding.

Consumer-Centric Category Management: How to Increase Profits by Managing Categories based on Consumer Needs / ACNielsen , 2005

Apart from a comprehensive review of the category management discipline, the book offers case studies from top successful brands like General Mills, Chiquita, Hershey, and Hewlett-Packard to demonstrate how they use category management to succeed and how it is possible to apply their success. The book argues that today's category management practitioners shall put the consumer first and covers every aspect of category management, from initial planning to pricing, promotion, and supply chain management, including guidance on how to implement category plans effectively and keep them on track.

Winning At Retail: Developing a Sustained Model for Retail Success / W. N. Ander, N. Z. Stern , 2004

Two prominent retail consultants offer strategies for faltering retailers with falling sales, covering customer service, retail strategy, demographics, and the latest trends in retailing with the help of recent case studies (e.g. Costco, Target, Walgreens) teaching vital lessons on what works and what doesn’t in today’s retail environment. The book introduces the EST model for retail success, i.e making a company the best in one of five critical areas--assortment (biggest), price (cheapest), fashion (hottest), customer service (easiest), and speed of service (quickest).

Grocery Revolution: The New Focus on the Consumer / B. E. Kahn, L. M. McAlister , 1997

The book provides a comprehensive view of the grocery business and an in-depth analysis of the changes in the retail industry (the move towards discounting, the responses of small grocery retailers to Wal-Mart-style companies, the changes undergoing the supply chain, etc). It thoroughly discussed the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) together with changes in consumer behavior.

How to Succeed at Retail: Winning Case Studies and Strategies for Retailers and Brands / Lincol K., Thomassen L. , 2007

The book presents a winning template for action: twenty-five winning international case studies demonstrate success in action, explaining how the world's most successful brands sell themselves to today's increasingly demanding shoppers. Being a practical management tool, it features the following case studies: Apple, Courvoisier, Easyjet, Gillette, Guiness, Hennes & Mauritz, P&G, Peroni, Red Bull, , Starbucks, Tchibo, Whole Foods Market, Zara, and others.

Supermarket Wars: The Future of Global Food Retailing / A. Seth, G. Randall , 2005

Leading international food retailers have in recent years expanded beyond national boundaries and started to operate on a global scale. The book describes the current state of the industry, looking in detail at the main competitors worldwide and analysing the factors underlying their successes and failures, illustrating theory with case studies from Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco and others.

Category Killers: The Retail Revolution and Its Impact on Consumer Culture / R. Spector , 2005

Robert Spector, a business journalist and retail expert, explores the rise of retailers who seek to dominate a distinct classification of merchandise and wipe out the competition. Based on decades of research and investigative reporting, Spector vividly recounts how "category killers" have rewritten the retail playbook and altered cultural and economic factors.

Trolley Wars: The Battle of the Supermarkets / Judi Bevan, 2006

The story of the ferocious battle for supremacy of the four main supermarket chains in Britain - Sainsbury, Tesco, Safeway and Asda. There are dynasties in decline, upstarts coming of age and those who struggle by the wayside. The story of how Tesco came from brash beginnings to challenge and finally overtake the patrician Sainsbury as the market leader in 1995 stunned the retailing world, and raised the curtain on the dramatic rise of supermarket chains in the second half of the 20th century. Behind the bare statistics of roller coaster profits and changing market shares lies a deeper tale of social change, increasing power and clashes with Government and pressure groups. The huge buying power of the supermarket chains, and the growth of edge of town shopping with vast car parking, has destroyed many small high streets along with traditional butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers. Yet their growth has been fuelled by the increase in the numbers of working women who no longer have the time or inclination to shop by foot at small outlets. The result is a love/hate relationship with their customers. The fever of competition engendered by the heads of these companies cannot be underestimated. This book goes behind the checkout till and into the boardroom to discover the true story and show what will happen next. Click here to visit the author's website.

Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge / Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-benedict E. m. Steenkamp, 2007

As retailers have become more powerful and global, they have increasingly focused on their own brands at the expense of manufacturer brands. Rather than simply selling on price, retailers have transformed private labels into brands. Consequently, manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble now compete with their largest customers: major retail chains like Carrefour, CVS, Tesco, and Wal-Mart. The growth in private labels has huge implications for managers on both sides. Yet, brand manufacturers still cling to their outdated assumptions about private labels. In Private Labels: Competing With and Against Store Brands, Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp describe the new strategies for private labels that retailers are using, and challenge brand manufacturers to develop an effective response. Most important, they lay out actionable strategies for competing against-or collaborating with-private label purveyors. Packed with detailed international case studies, valuable visuals, and hands-on tools, Private Labels enables managers to navigate profitably in this radically altered landscape

Game-Changing Strategies: How to Create New Market Space in Established Industries by Breaking the Rules / Constantinos C. Markides, 2008

Game–Changing Strategies explains the reasons behind this puzzle and presents practical ideas on how established firms could not only discover new radical business models but also grow them next to their existing business models. The challenge for established firms is not the discovery of a new business model the real challenge is how to make two business models coexist. This book offers advice on how established firms can implement structures and processes that make the new business model less conflicting and more palatable to the existing business.