resources: general

Note: It is possible that some of the links on this page are obsolete.  Please let me know if you encounter a broken link.

National Associations

Reading Resources

Retail Trade Publications and Websites

  • About.com. This website provides information about the retail industry http://retailindustry.about.com/ For example, the listing of the largest retail firms are at http://retailindustry.about.com/od/sales_retailers/Retail_Sales_by_Retailer.htm
  • Advanstar Integrated marketing solutions for the fashion, life sciences and power sports industries. www.advanstar.com
  • Bizstats.com Instant access to useful financial ratios, business statistics and benchmarks. Effective and understandable analysis of businesses & industries. www.bizstats.com
  • Chain Store Age Monthly magazine for retail headquarters executives and shopping center developers. Deals with management, operations, construction, modernization, store equipment, maintenance, real estate, financing, materials handling, and advertising. More oriented to operations than stores. www.chainstoreage.com
  • Colloquy Trade publication and website targeting the loyalty marketing industry. It provides of marketers with consulting, news, editorial, educational and research services across all industries and around the globe on topics including loyalty marketing, reward programs and customer retention. www.colloquy.com
  • Convenience Store News Monthly magazine for convenience store and oil retailing executives, managers, and franchisees. Covers industry trends, news, and merchandising techniques. www.csnews.com
  • DNR Daily newspaper about retail fashion, products, merchandising, and marketing for men’s and boy’s wear. Geared to retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. www.dnrnews.com
  • Dealerscope Monthly publication for retailers of consumer electronics, appliances, and computers. www.dealerscope.com
  • Direct Selling News – a monthly magazine for executives in the direct selling induststry www.directsellingnews.com
  • Drug Store News Biweekly publication covering chain drug and combination store retailing. www.drugstorenews.com
  • ESRI Leading source of geo-demographic data used for store location. The specific web page on the ESRI site allows a person to enter a zip code and get a description of the geo-demographic profile of the zip code. www.esri.com/data/community_data/community-tapestry/index.html
  • E-Tailer’s Digest. Moderated discussions of various issues confronting Internet retailing such as customer service, security issues, effective merchandising, shipping and tax issues, and warehousing and logistics. www.etailersdigest.com
  • European Retail Academy (ERA). Acts as a virtual platform and as an initiator of workshops/seminars/conferences to bring more transparency about retail-research and retail-education to universities. Further, ERA acts as a catalyst for sponsors who would like to contribute to reach a high level of trade (retail/wholesale); in education, ERA promotes the international transfer of know-how between business on the one side and universities at the other side. www.european-retail-academy.org

    Among its goals are:

    • survey about trade-cathedras and their academic degrees
    • the exchange of research-results
    • joint research
    • the exchange of professors and students between universities as well as with business companies
    • to assist the Bologna-process
    • to promote benchmarking in retail education
    • to work in interdisciplinary academic groups as a retail-competence-center
    • to help to establish a cosmopolitan world
    • the transparency about Trade Fairs and Trade Congresses
    • supporting journalists specialized in retail/wholesale
  • Furniture/Today Weekly newspaper for retail executives in furniture and department stores and for executives in manufacturing firms. www.furnituretoday.com
  • GlobeSt.com – The mission of this UK-based website is to provide in-depth and breaking commercial real estate news around the clock in major and secondary markets throughout the country. In doing so, GlobeSt.com has become the premier destination for original and timely real estate related content on the Internet. www.globest.com
  • Hobby Merchandiser Monthly trade publication for suppliers and retailers in the model hobby industry. www.hobbymerchandiser.com
  • Hoovers. A division of D&B that provides financial information about firms. The site for retail firms is premium.hoovers.com. Video clips of analyst reports on retail firms are available on the site.
  • IBM Retail Solutions. Information about applications of IBM technologies in retailing. http://www-03.ibm.com/industries/retail
  • Internet Retailer Monthly magazine devoted to electronic retailing issues. www.internetretailer.com
  • InternetRetailing.Net – InternetRetail.net (IR), based in the UK, provides news and analysis for today’s net retailers. IR combines online information, a print magazine and an annual conference.www.internetretailing.net
  • Mass Market Retailers Biweekly newspaper for executives in supermarket, chain drug, and chain discount headquarters. Reports news and interprets its effects on mass merchandisers. www.massmarketretailers.com
  • Modern Grocer Weekly newspaper covers regional and national news current events relating to food retailing. www.griffcomm.net
  • Modern Jeweler Monthly magazine for jewelry retailers. Looks at trends in jewelry, gems, and watches. www.modernjeweler.com
  • NACS Magazine Monthly publication for convenience stores. www.cstorecentral.com
  • New York Times Website on Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses. www.nytimes.com/business/smallbusiness
  • NRF SmartBrief Daily e-mail newsletter highlighting links to the top retail headlines. This is read by retail executives. www.nrf.com/RetailHeadlines
  • Planet Retail. Planet Retail is the leading provider of global retailing information, from news and analysis to market research and digital media. Covering more than 7,000 retail and foodservice (HoReCa) operations across 140 markets around the world, many of the world’s leading companies turn to Planet Retail as a definitive source of business intelligence. www.planetretail.com
  • Planning Factory Limited. Offers tools for merchandise planning.
  • www.planfact.co.uk/abouttpf.htm A series of 12 articles developed by Retek about merchandise planning is at www.planfact.co.uk/art_retk.htm.
  • Private Label Magazine Bimonthly magazine for buyers, merchandisers, and executives involved in purchasing private, controlled packer, and generic labeled products for chain supermarkets and drug, discount, convenience, and department stores. www.privatelabelmag.com
  • Progressive Grocer Monthly magazine reporting on the supermarket industry. In-depth features offer insights into trends in store development, technology, marketing, logistics, international retailing, human resources, and consumer purchasing patterns. www.progressivegrocer.com
  • Retail Bulletin. The Retail Bulletin is an online information source aimed at meeting retailers’ need for quick, accurate and up-to-date news about the industry. Its free on-line service delivers the latest company news, breaking stories, and summaries of media coverage of the retail sector. Updated through the day, Its regular email news alerts include links which bring you straight to the relevant news story. www.theretailbulletin.com
  • RFID Journal is a trade publication covering the uses and new developments of RFID technology. www.rfidjournal.com/article/verticals/13/
  • RIS (Retail Info Systems) News Monthly magazine addressing system solutions for corporate/financial, operations, MIS, and merchandising management in retail. www.risnews.com
  • Retailing Today. Published biweekly providing news, trends, and research for decision makers in the 150 largst retailers. www.retailingtoday.com
  • Retail Merchandiser Published monthly for retail buyers, CEOs, financial investors, visual merchandisers, and consultants. www.retail-merchandiser.com
  • Retail Solutions Online Newsletter focusing on technology used to improve retail operations. www.retailsolutionsonline.com
  • RetailTraffic Monthly magazine for managers involved in real estate and location decisions. www.retailtrafficmag.com
  • RetailWire is an online discussion forum that goes beyond conventional headline news reporting. Each business morning, RetailWire editors pick news topics worthy of commentary by its “BrainTrust” panel of industry experts, and the general RetailWire membership. The results are virtual round tables of industry opinion and advice covering key dynamics and issues affecting the retailing industry. www.retailwire.com
  • Retail Worker. Retail Worker is labor news and discussion, by, for and about retail workers. Retail Worker is a project of the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. www.retailworker.com
  • Retaildesign Monthly publication describing new trends and techniques in store design and merchandise presentation. www.retailreporting.com
  • RIS. Trade publication focusing on the retail technology industry. Its media portfolio includes a monthly magazine, weekly e-newsletter, website, blogs, podcasts, online web seminars, custom publishing, research studies, custom events, and four major summits and conferences. www.risnews.com
  • Retail Bulletin. U.K. firm is an online information source aimed at meeting retailers’ need for quick, accurate and up-to-date news about the industry. The free on-line service delivers the latest company news, breaking stories, and summaries of media coverage of the retail sector. www.theretailbulletin.com
  • Retail Forward. The mission of this consulting company is to be the premier thought-leaders for retailers and consumer goods companies, with professional services aimed at improving their market and financial performance. The firm provides reports on market change and assesses the impact of these changes on its clients’ operations and performance. www.retailforward.com
  • Retail Systems Alert Group Integrated media & research company run by former retailers and focused exclusively on the extended retail industry. RSAG covers the extended retail industry through its conferences, print, and online channels. Its main focus is on the customer experience and how the players in the extended retail industry can enhance it. www.retailsystems.com/
  • Retail Technology Milestones. Tracks the change and the successes and accomplishments achieved by the many solutions providers in the retail industry. It provides a platform to centralize and distribute all the news that retail solution providers offer. www.rtmilestones.com
  • Shopping Centers Today Monthly publication on the development of new shopping centers and the expansion of existing ones. http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0507/index.php
  • Stores Monthly magazine published by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Aimed at retail executives in department and specialty stores, it emphasizes broad trends in customer behavior, management practices, and technology. www.stores.org
  • StoreFrontBackTalk. The information on the site covers issues involved in store operations such as E-Commerce, RFID, Payment Systems, Security/Fraud, CRM, Contactless/Wireless, IT Strategy, and Biometrics. www.storefrontbacktalk.com/
  • Supply Chain. www.Brain.com Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies offering case studies, executive interviews, and features providing information on the latest technology, services and processes needed to maximize supply chain efficiency. www.glscs.com
  • VM+SD (Visual Merchandising and Store Design) Monthly magazine for people involved in merchandise display, store interior design and planning, and manufacturing of equipment used by display and store designers. www.stmediagroup.com/index.php3?d=pubs&p=vm
  • Wal-Mart information. This site offers a lot of information about Wal-Mart including short videos www.walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=1
  • WWD (formerly Women’s Wear Daily) Daily newspaper reports fashion and industry news on women’s and children’s ready-to-wear, sportswear, innerwear, accessories, and cosmetics. www.wwd.com
  • Workforce Management. Trade publication website focusing on human resource management issues. www.workforce.com
  • Xtreme Retailing. This site, sponsored by IBM, offers reports and videosabout new retail technologies. www.xr23.com/Page.cfm/1
    • American Bookseller Association. The American Booksellers Association is a trade organization promoting the well-being of book retailers. It represents the interests of booksellers on national and international issues and is involved in the education, research and the dissemination of information to the bookselling community worldwide. Members include independents, specialty, franchise, college and university stores, chains and others with a special interest in bookselling Site contains a database of member bookstores, which can be searched or browsed by location, name or specialty; entries include street address, email address, and links to store Websites. Also includes book news, listings of book fairs and festivals, trade shows, and conventions; and bookselling statistics. www.bookweb.org
    • Direct Marketing Association. The Direct Marketing Association is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting direct marketing tools and techniques to generate sales.DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the entire direct marketing process. www.the-dma.org
    • Direct Selling Association. The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. More than 200 companies are members of the association, including many well-known brand names. www.dsa.org
    • Entertainment Merchants Association. (EMA) is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry. EMA represents approximately 600 companies that operate approximately 20,000 retail outlets in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs and computer and console video games and digitally distributed versions of these products. www.entmerch.org
    • Electronic Retailing Association. A trade association for companies who use the power of direct response to sell goods and services to the public on television, online, and on radio. ERA serves as the cohesive voice for multi-channel marketers, while promoting government affairs initiatives and regulations designed to protect our members’ bottom line. www.retailing.org
    • Food Marketing Institute. Membership includes 1,600 grocery retailers and wholesalers. Maintains liaisons with government and consumers and conducts research programs. Publishes Facts About Supermarket Development and Supermarket Industry Financial Review. Formed by the merger of the National Association of Food Chains and Supermarket Institute. www.fmi.org
    • Hobby Industry Association – The HIA provides services including market research, education, certification, and publishes the National Craft Month. It organizes the “world’s largest craft & hobby trade show” each January in the U.S, and in the Netherlands in March, which are open only to industry professionals. www.hobby.org.
    • In-Store Marketing Institute. The institute serves brand marketers, retailers, agencies and manufacturers worldwide with information and educational events focused on improving retail marketing strategy. The website offers marketing profiles of leading retailers, 1,400 articles about promotions and display programs, 200 research studies and 1,000 charts examining such issues as effectiveness measurement and consumer behavior, summaries of 2,900 campaigns conducted at retail since 1988, 15,000 images of displays, signs, and other forms of marketing material, and summaries of historical lawsuits and litigation affecting various aspects of retail marketing activity. www.instoremarketer.org
    • International Council of Shopping Centers. Represents 35,000 owners, developers, retailers, and managers of shopping centers; architects, engineers, contractors, leasing brokers, promotion agencies, and others who provide services and products for shopping center owners, shopping center merchant associations, retailers, and public and academic organizations. Promotes professional standards of performance in the development, construction, financing, leasing, management, and operation of shopping centers throughout the world. Engages in research and data gathering on all aspects of shopping centers; compiles statistics. www.icsc.org
    • Jewelers of America. “Jewelers of America is the largest association of jewelers in the world. JA’s mission is to provide consumers with information and education about fine jewelry. This site provides information about choosing a professional jeweler and buying and caring for fine jewelry. It also includes the Jeweler’s of America standard of contact, recent news releases, member news, and a jewelry IQ test. www.jewelers.org
    • Museum Store Association. Founded in 1955, MSA is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. By encouraging high standards of professional competence and conduct, MSA helps retail professionals at cultural institutions better serve their organizations and the public. www.museumdistrict.com
    • National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Interprets actions by government agencies in such areas as drugs, public health, federal trade, labor, and excise taxes. www.nacds.org
    • National Association of College Stores. The National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the trade association representing stores which sell principally to students. The site contains links to more than 125 college and university stores as well as links to more than 20 firms that supply products to the collegiate retailing market. The site also contains information on educational sessions and cost-saving benefit programs that NACS offers to its members. www.nacs.org
    • National Association of Convenience Stores. Membership includes 4,000 retail stores that sell gasoline, fast foods, soft drinks, dairy products, beer, cigarettes, publications, grocery items, snacks, and nonfood items and are usually open seven days per week. www.cstorecentral.com
    • National Mail Order Association. Trade association provides business resources for small to medium size companies involved in direct marketing. The site offers a free newsletter and statistics associated with direct mail retailing such as response rates. www.nmoa.orgo
    • National Retail Federation (NRF) The ARF was primarily concerned with the effect of legislation and government regulation on retailers. The NRF conducts extensive conferences and educational programs for retailers, provides statistical information and publishes Stores Magazine. www.nrf.com
    • National Shoe Retailers Association. The National Shoe Retailers Association represents independent shoe store owners and operators. This site provides general information about the association and its membership, a list of its publications, upcoming events and conferences, and a link to the association’s newsletter. www.nsra.org
    • POPAI (point-of-Purchase Advertising International) – POPAI is an international trade association for the marketing at-retail industry. Its 1,700 members are brand manufacturers and retailers, as well as, marketing at-retail producer companies and advertising agencies from over 45 countries. POPAI’s five strategic goals (11Research, (2) Education, (3) Advocacy, (4) Application of technology, and (5) Globalization. www.popai.com
    • Private Label Manufacturers Association. Private label is unique. It is sold everywhere in the world, but carries hundreds of different brands. Sales exceed 45 billion euros, yet most manufacturers are unknown to the public. Representing this diverse industry is the Private Label Manufacturers Association, the only international trade association devoted exclusively to the private label industry. www.plmainternational.com
    • Retail Industry Leaders Association. Membership includes 750 mass retailing (discount) chains. Conducts research and educational programs on every phase of self-service general merchandise retailing. www.retail-leaders.org
    • Shop.org. The only trade association to focus exclusively on Internet retailing. Its 300 members represent all segments of online retailing, including virtual retailers, conventional retailers, catalogers, manufacturers, and companies providing products and services for online retailers. Sponsors studies on electronic retailing. A division of the NRF. www.shop.org
    • Society of American Florists. Chartered by an act of Congress in 1884, the Society of American Florists (SAF) is the only national trade association that represents all segments of the U. S. floral industry. SAF’s 16,000 members comprise the industry’s top retailers, growers, wholesalers, importers, manufacturers, suppliers, educators, students and allied organizations. This site includes industry trends and other information, upcoming events, and membership information. www.safnow.org
    • Closing Techniques – That Really Work! Stephan Schiffman, Adams Media Corporation, 1992.
    • Cold Calling Techniques – That Really Work! Stephan Schiffman, Adams Media Corporation, 1990.
    • Creative Selling, Dave Donelson, Entrepreneur Publishing, 2000.
    • Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg, McGraw-Hill, 1994.
    • Enterprise One to One, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, PhD., Doubleday, 1999.
    • Great Customer Connections, Richard Gallagher, Amacom, 2006
    • How to Sell Anything to Anybody, Joe Girard and Stanley H. Brown, Warner Books, 1986.
    • How to Tell Anyone Anything: Breakthrough Techniques for Handling Difficult Conversations at Work (Paperback), Richard Gallagher, AMACOM , 2009
    • Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play, Mahan Khalsa, Franklin Quest Company, 1999.
    • Little Red Book of Selling: The 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness. Gitomer, J., Bard-Press, 2004 (2004).
    • New Sales Speak: The 9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes, Terri Sjodin, John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
    • Power Networking: 55 Secrets to Success and Promotion, Sandy & Donna Vilas, Mt Harbor Pub., 1991.
    • Rainmaking: The Professional’s Guide to Attracting New Clients, Ford Harding, Adams Media Corp, 1994.
    • Sales Closing For Dummies, Tom Hopkins, Hungry Minds, Inc., 1998.
    • Sales Prospecting for Dummies, Tom Hopkins, Hungry Minds, Inc., 1998.
    • Secrets of Closing the Sale, Zig Ziglar, Berkeley Books, 1987.
    • Selling 2.0: Motivating Customers in the New Economy, Josh Gordon, Berkeley Publishing Group, 2000.
    • Selling is a Woman’s Game, Nicki Joy, Avon Books, 1994.
    • Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, Harvey B. McKay, Ivy Books, 1988.
    • The Academy of Master Closing, Tom Hopkins, Harper Audio Cassette, 1994.
    • The Best Seller, Forbes D. Ley, Sales Success Press, 1990.
    • The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino, Bantam, 1988.
    • The One Minute Sales Person, Spencer Johnson, Avon Books, 1991.
    • The Psychology of Selling: The Art of Closing the Sale, Brian Tracy, Simon & Schuster, 1995.
    • The S.P.I.N. Selling Field book, Neil Rackham, McGraw-Hill Publishing, 1996.
    • The Sales Bible, Jeffrey H. Gitomer, William Morrow & Company, 1994.
    • What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Great Customer Service Richard Gallagher, AMACOM 2008
    • Zen of Selling. Stan Adler, Amacon, 1998.
    • Japan As an Export Market
    • Doing Business in Japan
    • Retailing in the Japanese Consumer Market
    • Planning for Distribution in Japan
    • Changing Lifestyles in Japan
    • Operating a Business in Japan
    • Labor-Management Relations in Japan
    • Japanese Corporate Decision Making and others
    • Furniture
    • Leisure and Sporting Goods
    • Baby Products
    • Cosmetics
    • Food Processing Machinery
    • and many, many others
    • Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprise in Japan
    • Foreign Companies in Japan and others
    • Japan’s Tariff and Customs Procedures
    • Japan’s Distribution System
    • Japan’s Import System
    • Japan
    • Marketing and Distribution Strategies of Foreign Products
    • Selling to Japan from A to Z
    • and others
    • Descriptive comments on form of government, population, monetary units, location, and general geographic characteristics.
    • Listings of principal resources and industries.
    • History and government of the countries.
    • Education and religion.
    • Defense.

    • Retail Trade Associations, Sales Professional Reference Books, International Marketing Resource Materials

    Statistical Data

    There are many good sources of statistical data on foreign markets available in most libraries. This short, annotated bibliography on statistical data sources should by no means be considered complete: it is intended to provide general and historical data, the use of which will lead to additional sources.

    (a) United Nations Statistical Yearbook. Published annually by the United Nations, New York, New York. About 700 pages. This yearbook provides detailed historical statistics on virtually every aspect of world business. Chapter headings include:

    1. Population
    2. Manpower
    3. Production Summary
    4. Agriculture
    5. Forestry
    6. Fishing
    7. Mining, Quarrying
    8. Manufacturing
    9. Construction
    10. Energy
    11. Consumption
    12. Transport
    13. Communications
    14. Internal Trade
    15. External Trade
    16. Balance of Payments
    17. Wages and Prices
    18. National Accounts
    19. Finance
    20. Public Finance
    21. Social Statistics
    22. Education, Culture

    Data on all major countries and most minor ones are included under each of the above headings.

    (b) UNESCO Social Statistical Compendium http://www.unesco.org
    Publishing Service
    United Nations
    New York, New York 10017

    (c) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD, a series of economic reports on its member nations. http://www.oecd.org
    For information about OECD publications write:
    OECD Publications and Information Center
    Suite 700
    2001 L Street NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    (202) 785-6323

    (d) European Marketing Data and Statistics, London: Euromonitor Publications. Annual.

    (e) Consumer Europe, London: Euromonitor Publications.

    (f) Statistical Yearbook for Latin America, NY: United Nations. Annual, updated by Statistical Bulletin for Latin America, (Norlin, Govt Pubs).

    (g) Statistical Abstract of Latin America, Los Angeles: UCLA.

    (h) The Markets of Asia/Pacific: Thailand, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, South Korea, The Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, London: The Asia Pacific Center, LTD, printed by NY: Facts on File, 1981﷓84.

    (i) Worldwide Economic Indicators, N.Y.: Business International. Annual.

    (j) International Marketing Data and Statistics, London: Euromonitor Publications. Annual. http://www.euromonitor.com

    (k) Retail International, 3 V. London: Euromonitor, http://www.euromonitor.com.

    (l) Retail Trade International (annual), vol. II (Europe), vol. III (The Americas). (London: Euromonitor Publications Limited,) http://www.euromonitor.com. Includes data on consumer purchase patterns by product and retail store type. Some prices, middleman markups, and retail store operating data.

    (m) International Marketing Data and Statistics, Annual, (London: Euromonitor Publications Limited) and European Market Data and Statistics, (London: Euromonitor Publications Limited). http://www.euromonitor.com. Includes data on living standards for all European countries as well as many other countries in the world. Included are such data as rooms per dwelling, persons per room, electric lighting, etc.

    (n) The Statesman’s Year﷓Book. A statistical and information guide to all countries and many of their provinces and territories. Updated regularly. http://www.palgrave-usa.com search for Statesman’s Yearbook. Available through St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

    (o) World Factbook. An annual statistical publication of the Central Intelligence Agency. Available through National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22162

    (p) World Development Report. An annual statistical publication of the World Bank that discusses salient issues, provides economic analysis, and present data for developing countries. http://www.worldbank.org search for World Bank Publications. Available through World Bank Publications, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433

    (q) World Tables. Statistical data on most countries, focusing on economic indicators and trends for the past 20 yearcs. Available from World Bank Publications (see address in (p) above). The World Bank has a number of other excellent resources available for purchase. World Bank Publications will supply a free catalog. http://www.worldbank.org

    Bibliographies and Indexes

    (a) The Economist Intelligence Unit (formerly Business International, 111 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, (212) 554-0600. http://www.eiu.com The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) publishes weekly newsletters for managers in worldwide operations. It provides an overview of recent development; also focuses on specific problems of each country examined. News as it affects business relating to such topics as taxes, licensing, capital sources, politics, market indicators, and profitability; checklists and occasional statistical tables are all included in the various publications of EIU. Publications include: Crossborder Monitor (formerly Business International) Business Asia, Business China, Business Eastern Europe, Business Europe, and Business Latin America. Available in most large Business libraries.

    (b) Sociological Abstracts
    Sociological Abstracts
    73 Eighth Avenue
    Brooklyn, New York 11215

    (c) Geographical Abstracts.
    Geo. Abstracts, Ltd.
    University of East Anglia
    Norwich, NOR 88C, England

    (d) National Geographic Index
    National Geographic Society
    17th & M Streets, N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20036

    (e) Public Affairs Index Service Bulletin
    Public Affairs Information Service
    11 West 40th Street
    New York, New York 10018

    (f) Business Periodicals Index
    H.W. Wilson Co.
    90 University Ave.
    Bronx, New York 10452

    (g) Information Please Almanac
    Published annually by Simon & Schuster, New York, New York. About 900 pages. This includes brief
    descriptions of the more notable geographic features of the world and maps of most areas of the world. There
    are also sections on world travel, the United Nations, and world history. This section on world statistics lists
    the leading nations in natural resources, agriculture, and industry. Also included are the dollar values of total
    imports and exports of the major countries. Population and education figures are also presented. The statistics
    section derives its summary tables from the U.N. Statistical Yearbook.

    (h) Global Guide to International Business, by David Hoopes, New York. Facts on File, Inc.

    (i) Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Sources, edited by Paul Wasserman, Detroit: Gale Research.

    (j) International Business Reference Sources, by Cynthia C. Ryans, Lexington, Massachusetts: Lexington Books.

    (k) The Henry Holt International Desk Reference: A Guide to Essential Information Resources of the World’s Major Trading Nations, edited by Gary R. McClain, (New York: Holt, 1992)

    (l) JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) is a nonprofit, Japanese government-supported organization dedicated to promoting mutually beneficial trade and economic relationships between Japan and other nations. For links to the following topics, visit: http://www.jetro.org. JETRO has Trade Centers located in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Check for addresses in http://www.jetro.org. These locations will provide most publications free of charge. They have several publications giving information on marketing opportunities in Japan as well as special studies such as China Newsletter dealing in opportunities for trade with China. It is recommended that the teacher of international business contact the source at the address mentioned above for these publications. The Japan Trade Center Publications are extensive. Below are the categories of publications with a sample of titles. There are many more titles than appear here. Interested professors should write their closest JETRO center and request an updated JETRO Publications List.

    JETRO MARKETING SERIES
    Includes reports such as:

    JETRO BUSINESS INFORMATION SERIES

    ACCESS TO JAPAN’S IMPORT MARKET SERIES and YOUR MARKET IN JAPAN SERIES

    Comprehensive market studies for:

    NOW IN JAPAN SERIES

    EXPORTING TO JAPAN SERIES

    SPECIAL ISSUES

    (m) The World Almanac and Book of Facts. Published annually by The New York World Telegram, New York, New York. About 900 pages. This almanac includes capsulated descriptions of all foreign countries. These descriptions include:

    Although all countries are included, there is considerably more detail on the major countries.

    (n) Europa Yearbook. This and other publications and information on the European Union can be searched at http://www.europa.eu.int also available from:
    Europa Publications Limited
    18 Bedford Square
    London, England

    (o) The World Factbook: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

    (p) Background Notes. A publication of the U.S. Department of State that provides historical details, a map, and other valuable information about individual countries. The series is periodically updated. Available through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

    Cultural Information by Country

    (a) Intercultural Press, Inc. http://www.interculturalpress.com
    The Intercultural Press, Inc. publishes books in the intercultural field. Recent texts include Survival Kit for Overseas Living, Multicultural Education, Women in Management Worldwide, China, Inc.: How to Do Business in China, The Asia Business Book, Good Neighbors: Communications With the Mexicans, and other intercultural texts and pamphlets. While these are not free, you may want to write Intercultural Press for a list of their bibliography as many of their publications would be good additions to your library. The address is:
    Intercultural Press, Inc.
    P.O. Box 700
    Yarmouth, Maine 04096
    (207) 846-5168
    Fax (207) 846-5181

    (b) CULTUREGRAMS
    A Culturegram is a four-page briefing designed specifically to introduce readers to the daily customs and lifestyles, as well as the political and economic structure, of a nation. Our goal is to present the people of a culture to the reader, thus encouraging understanding and appreciation between those of different nationalities. Ideal for educators, students, community leaders, businessmen and women, government representatives, and travelers, Culturegrams provide clear, concise information about daily life in a given nation. A glossary is also available containing information to help Culturegram readers use and understand the variety of terms found in the series. Downloadable reports cost $4.00
    Each four-page Culturegram strives to offer readers an accurate view of a culture rather than focusing on statistical data. A number of other fine resources present national statistics, but few inform the reader about people on a personal level. More information about Culturegrams, Infograms, scholarly papers, journals, and books and ordering information can be accessed at: www.culturegrams.com

    Advertising Rates

    (a) International Advertising Rates: Frequently class projects require some knowledge of international advertising rates. INTERNATIONAL MEDIA GUIDE is one of the most comprehensive sources available for rate lists for business publications, newspapers, and consumer magazines. The complete set includes six volumes:
    IMG Business Publications—Europe, Latin America, Middle East/Africa, and Asia/Pacific.
    IMG Newspapers Worldwide
    IMG Consumer Magazines Worldwide.
    Available from: Directories International, Inc., 22 Elizabeth Street, South Norwalk, Conn. 06854, (203) 853-7880. The Internet may also be a source of advertising rates for specific media in specific countries. For example, www.radiointernational.net gives advertising rates for radio in France, Monaco and Italy.

    Other Information

    (a) ABI/INFORM. ABI/INFORM, available in many college and university libraries, provides summaries of over 400,000 journal articles taken form over 800 business periodicals published in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Western Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan. About a thousand new article summaries are added to the database each week.

    (b) 201 Checklist: Decision Making in International Operations Published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, 111 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, (212) 554-0600

    (c) Europe Yearbook, London. Annual.

    (d) Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 6th ed. NY: Harper and Row.

    (e) Exporters’ Encyclopedia: World Marketing Guide. (Export Documentation Handbook.) NY: Dun and Bradstreet.

    The National Trade Data Bank (NTDB)

    (a) Information on the latest opportunities, resources, and contacts is available on the NTDB CD-ROM.

    (b) The NTDB contains a wealth of information. Do you need to know the cost of labor in Mexico? Which state sold Germany the most medical equipment last quarter and exactly how much? What the legal system and export regulations are in the Ukraine? The hottest trade prospects for China? You can get answers to these questions and access to over 18,000 market research reports, and you can get in touch with over 80,000 different trade contacts, through the NTDB.

    (c) The entire contents of NTDB’s vast collection of trade information are available on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is updated monthly and offers two search and retrieval software interfaces that allow you to find just the information you need, by searching the full texts of over 200,000 different documents, including the new Country Commercial Guides from the International Trade Administration, the CIA’s World Factbook, two years of Business America magazine, the Census Bureau’s import and export statistics that are easily “exported” into any spreadsheet software, and 140 other programs from 26 federal agencies.

    (d) The NTDB continues to evolve, and is now offering a new method of access as an alternative to its traditional CD-ROM platform. In June 1994 the NTDB made its debut on the Internet, opening instant access to the NTDB at http://www.statusa.gov.

    (e) Access to the NTDB, and other STAT-USA databases, on the Web is only $75 for three months of unlimited access. You may access the NTDB by connecting to http://www.statusa.gov.

    Notes on using the Internet

    (a) URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is the address of a given Website or homepage. For example, the URL for Wal-Mart is http://www.wal-mart.com. This URL has two parts: http:// is referred to as the prefix, it indicates that this address points to an HTML-encoded document (http stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol).

    (b) The next part of the URL, http://www.wal-mart.com, is the name of the computer, host or server where this document is stored. Another term for this label is the domain name. A domain name generally has three parts, which are separated by a period (.) that is referred to as a “dot”. The three parts include, www [remove link] (World Wide Web); a name (an abbreviation of a company name such as Wal-Mart in this example or some specially created name), and an organizational designation, for example com, which stands for commercial organization. Other organizational designations are:
    COM Commercial organization
    EDU Educational and research institution
    GOV Government agencies
    MIL Military agencies
    NET Major Network support centers
    ORG Other organizations (For example, the URL for the OECD,
    INT International organizations

    (c) A URL will often have additional parts after the domain name. These additional parts direct the computer to specific locations within an address or Web page. For example http://www.wal-mart.com/stores/graduation/college.html will take you to Wal-Mart’s on-line store and within that to the section that offers suggestions for graduation presents and then to selections for college graduates. You can also get to the same location by using only the domain name http://www.wal-mart.com and then, when you are within the homepage, following the guides to the location you are seeking. This last point is especially important to remember since addresses for specific locations within an address are often changed, updated, or eliminated. When that happens you will get a message that the specific site cannot be opened. When this occurs, drop all the parts of the address except the domain name (in our example that would be http://www.wal-mart.com). This will get you into the homepage from which you can search for the information or section you want. You might want to try http://www.wal-mart.com/stores/graduation/college.html and see what happens. Since this is a seasonal promotion within Wal-Mart’s e-store, there is a good chance that this address will not access this specific location.