1001 Ideas to Create Retail Excitement

FM Staff

by Edgar A. Falk
Prentice Hall Press 2003, $20 (paperback), 302 pp.

This is the revised edition of the 1994 classic guide to making the most of retail opportunities in any environment. It adds seven new chapters to the original, including one on restaurant marketing.

Falk is a nationally known marketing and public relations expert who has worked with major clients like General Electric and American Motors. His suggestions run the gamut from how to attract new customers and keep them coming back, to how to design eye-catching merchandising displays, effective promotions and special events that truly are special.

Obviously, this is a generalist book, so not every chapter or suggestion will apply to onsite foodservice operators. Nevertheless, given the increasingly retail nature of the industry, Falk's chapters on topics like data gathering, promotions, sales strategies, marketing and, of course, encouraging repeat business, are eminently applicable to most onsite environments.

The style of the book is fluid and easy to read. Chapters are divided into many small sections, often supported by bullet points. There are also many real-life examples and models and templates that readers can lift and adapt to their particular circumstances. All in all a valuable read.