Category Killers ─ The Retail Revolution and Its Impact on Consumer Culture

Retail is a dynamic and often ruthless world that equally influences, and is influenced by, the consumers it exists to serve. New players constantly emerge to satisfy consumer demand better; consumer demands and desires shift with new offerings; and existing firms disappear when they can't adapt. In Category Killers, veteran journalist Robert Spector explores the rise of retail's reigning disruptor: retailers that 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,"" from Toys R Us and Home Depot to Wal-Mart and Costco, have ingeniously rewritten the retail playbook and, in the process, profoundly altered cultural and economic factors--from migration and traffic patterns to legislation and taxation to wages and jobs. Spector explores the brilliant strategies that have enabled category killers to overpower department stores, regional chains, and mom-and-pop stores and to reshape the concept of shopping malls. He also identifies emerging trends and inevitable roadblocks that could dethrone today's powerhouses. Absorbing and insightful, Category Killers is at once a vivid journey down the aisles of retailing history and an incisive analysis of modern retail's most influential players. Robert Spector is a seasoned business journalist, retail expert, and international speaker on customer service and corporate culture. He is the author of four previous books, including The Nordstrom Way and Amazon.com.