Fast Shopper, Slow Store by Gary Schwartz - Book review

Fast Shopper, Slow Store

A Guide to Courting and Capturing the Mobile Consumer

By: Gary Schwartz

Published: September 29, 2012
Format: Trade Paperback, 80 pages
ISBN-10: 1476718709
ISBN-13: 978-1476718705
Publisher: Atria Books











"This book is about building the social tools necessary to reconnect with shoppers",writes global mobile commerce entrepreneur Gary Schwartz, in his clear and concise book Fast Shopper, Slow Store: A Guide to Courting and Capturing the Mobile Consumer. The author describes how the mobile shopper has disrupted the traditional business model, and shares the reasons for that market transformation, and how to rebuild those crucial relationships with customers.

Gary Schwartz understands that the sea change in consumer behavior is not simply about the rapid advancements in technology. Instead, the author points out that retailers have failed to pursue and reestablish long time relationships with customers. That important connection between retailer and shopper has been severed leaving marketers bewildered as to the causes and strategies to recreate those connections. Brick and mortar stores have been slow in adapting to the challenges posed by both technology and changing customer behavior. In a time of porous store walls and the rise of shopper marketing, the previous concept of customer loyalty has been turned completely upside down.

Gary Schwartz (photo left) recognizes how essential it is for retailers to rebuild their connections with customers. With the steady erosion of loyalty that accompanied the transition of business activity to mobile devices, retailers have failed to adapt to the new reality. Digital disruption is taking its toll on traditional retailers, marketers, and companies in every industry sector. Any companies that fail to meet the challenge of the untethered mobile customer will fall by the wayside.

To help companies meet the challenge of the new digital marketplace, Gary Schwartz offers a series of compelling and idea packed chapters. The author presents the social skills and tools to rebuild trusting relationships to reconnect with shoppers. In place of the traditional brick and mortar type of connection, the author shares strategies, techniques, and examples of building connections in an untethered world. The chapters include:

* Barnes and Noble: Cloud meets mall
* Amazon.com: Store as showroom
* Tesco: The paper store
* Google: The battle for George's wallet
* Hot topic: Sell, sell, sell
* Facebook, privacy, and big data

For me, the power of the book is how Gary Schwartz combines practical strategies for reconnecting with customers, with real world examples of how the online and offline markets are changing before our eyes. The author makes very clear the challenge facing brick and mortar, and even online companies, through the new medium of the mobile device. Even established online retailers are open to disruption should they fail to understand and embrace the new reality of the untethered, mobile shopper. Gary Schwartz presents proven strategies and techniques for rebuilding trust and relationships through mobile technology.

The author shares those best practices in an accessible way that emphasizes the importance of the relationship and connection with the consumer. Gary Schwartz demonstrates that the challenge is more than simply understanding the technology and the tools. That technological change is only part of the story. The real story is one as old as time, in the form of establishing connections with shoppers to build long term customer loyalty.

I highly recommend the very accessible and results oriented book Fast Shopper, Slow Store: A Guide to Courting and Capturing the Mobile Consumer by Gary Schwartz, to any business leaders, entrepreneurs, marketers and retailers in any sector who are seeking a straight talking guide to understanding the mobile shopper. This book will reestablish your connections and relationships with your customers, and place your business in the forefront of the mobile marketing frontier.