With 32 years of retail experience under their belts, authors, Bill Scott and James Hawkins have chronicled a seven year project to link retail stores to headquarters, suppliers and trading partners, using “cloud computing” and the Internet. In their new book, “Turning Convenience Stores into Cash Generating Monsters,” the duo tell how large retailers like Walmart, Target, Couche-Tard and 7-Eleven link their stores to multimillion dollar mainframe computers carrying out successful programs to provide everyday low prices to their customers, as independent retailers struggle to pick up the scraps. This book is a must read for retailers trying hard to survive.
“Turning Convenience Stores Into Cash Generating Monsters,” concentrates on the convenience store industry, simply because these businesses deprived of high tech options are spread over large territories, but the lessons the book provides are critically important for every person involved in retailing and especially for companies with multiple locations. The authors are experts in their fields. Scott began providing software and computers for the convenience store industry in 1981. Hawkins is a published author with thirty years experience in the customer service industry and holds a Ph.D. in International Business. The pair believes their effort, “Turning Convenience Stores Into Cash Generating Monsters,” provides the tools needed for the survival of small retailers during the coming decade.
According to a release from their publisher, “Every now and then, a new technology comes along that creates an exceptional opportunity for the small businessperson to grab the brass ring. Sometimes this opportunity is so dramatic it allows a motivated and visionary business, regardless of its size, to grab huge chunks of his competitors’ market by creating a temporary level, playing field. The experts call being ready for these opportunities, “Strategic Systems Vision.” Still, whatever you call it, it provides an incredible chance to strike while the iron is hot.” The book is available as a paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and as a paperback and eBook at Lulu.com.