The Shopkeepers

In the age of online shopping, opening a store and becoming a shopkeeper seems like a bold move. Yet from Vienna to Vancouver, storefronts are emerging once again as worthy opponents to commercial corporations. Customers embrace individual businesses that share the distinctive knowledge, personalities, vision, and humor of their owners.

Whether brand new and based on innovative ideas or passed down for generations and revamped, the stores and their shopkeepers featured in this book stand out for the singular experience they provide to their customers and the personal selection of items they sell. The Shopkeepers: Storefront Businesses and the Future of Retail celebrates the diversity and creativity of brick-and-mortar businesses, telling the stories of the shops and their unique owners.

Good stores still exist. In fact, their number is growing. Well-designed specialty shops that are inspired by the small manufacturers and mom-and-pop operations of the past are now sprouting up. These outlets are defying e-commerce and anonymous online shopping with outstanding products, original interior design, innovative concepts, and, first and foremost, friendly and competent customer service.

The Shopkeepers: Storefront Businesses and the Future of Retail explores this new store culture through examples such as barber shops, fish smokeries, tailors, and milliners, as well as retail spaces specializing in stationery, hardware, buttons, home décor, or coffeemakers. They can be found off the beaten track as well as in the hearts of major cities from Vienna to Vancouver. The book makes it clear that they are all driven by the passion that their founders and operators have for their business ideas and products, whether vintage eyeglasses, textiles from India or China, specialty books, soaps, olive oils, or tropical fish. While some shops are based on innovative ideas, others are reinterpretations of traditional family businesses.

The Shopkeepers: Storefront Businesses and the Future of Retail introduces the personalities behind these exciting retail concepts. Many have been running their shops for years but are only now being recognized by a new generation of consumers for their acumen, integrity, and knowledge—from shoemakers who truly understand their craft to culinary experts who can differentiate between 200 types of chocolate or cheese with their eyes closed. Some are such interesting characters that the chance to interact with them is reason enough to attract potential customers.

A celebration of the diversity and creativity of brick-and-mortar businesses, The Shopkeepers: Storefront Businesses and the Future of Retail tells compelling stories of singular shops and their unique owners.

Architecture & Interior branding English Interior Design Lifestyle

Payment and dispatch

The following terms and conditions apply:

The products are delivered all over the world.

Dispatch costs (inclusive of legally applicable VAT)

Domestic deliveries (Germany): 

Bücherbestellungen werden grundsätzlich kostenfrei versandt.

Andere Produkte, die keine Bücher sind und deren Bruttobestellwert weniger als mind. 20 € beträgt, werden mit einer 4 € Versandkostenpauschale berechnet.

From an order value of 20,00 € onwards, we deliver shipments free of cost.

Deliveries to foreign countries:

Free shipping to European Union and the USA.
Free worldwide shipping from 60 EUR/USD order value.

For orders below 60 EUR/USD the following shipping costs apply:
European Union & USA : € 0,-
All other countries: € 40,-

From an order value of 60,00 €, we deliver shipments to foreign countries free of cost.

Delivery periods

Unless otherwise specified in the quote, domestic delivery of goods shall be made (Germany) within 2 - 4 days, for deliveries abroad within 3 - 15 days from conclusion of contract (if advance payment agreed from the date of the payment instruction).
Please note that deliveries are not made on Sundays and other holidays.
If you have ordered articles with different delivery dates, we send the articles together in one delivery if no other agreement has been made. The delivery date for the complete order will be the same as that of the article with the longest delivery time.
Accepted Payment options

- Payment by SEPA direct debit
-  Payment via credit card
-  Payment via Sofortüberweisung [immediate transfer]
-  Payment via Google Pay
-  Payment via Apple Pay
-  Shopify Payments, ideal, eps-Überweisung, Bancontact



Further details on payment

When paying by SEPA direct debit, you authorize us by issuing a corresponding SEPA mandate to collect the invoice amount from the specified account.
You will receive a pre-notification at least 5 days before the date of direct debit collection. Please note that you are obliged to ensure sufficient funds in the account on the announced date.

If payment is made using a credit card, your credit card account is debited in conjunction with the conclusion of the contract.


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