Good stores still exist. In fact, their number<br>is growing. Well-designed specialty shops<br>that are inspired by the small manufacturers<br>and mom-and-pop operations of the<br>past are now sprouting up. These outlets are<br>defying e-commerce and anonymous online<br>shopping with outstanding products, original<br>interior design, innovative concepts,<br>and, first and foremost, friendly and competent<br>customer service.<br>The Shopkeepers explores this new store<br>culture through examples such as barber<br>shops, fish smokeries, tailors, and milliners,<br>as well as retail spaces specializing in stationery,<br>hardware, buttons, home décor, or coffeemakers.<br>They can be found off the beaten<br>track as well as in the hearts of major cities<br>from Berlin to Beirut. The book makes it<br>clear that they are all driven by the passion<br>that their founders and operators have for<br>their business ideas and products, whether<br>vintage eyeglasses, textiles from India or<br>China, specialty books, soaps, olive oils, or<br>tropical fish. While some shops are based<br>on innovative ideas, others are reinterpretations<br>of traditional family businesses.<br>The Shopkeepers also introduces some<br>of the personalities behind these exciting<br>retail concepts. Many have been running<br>their shops for years but are only now<br>being recognized by a new generation of<br>consumers for their acumen, integrity, and<br>knowledge --from shoemakers who truly<br>understand their craft to culinary experts<br>who can differentiate between 200 types of<br>chocolate or cheese with their eyes closed.<br>Some are such interesting characters that<br>the chance to interact with them is reason<br>enough to attract potential customers.<br>In the stores featured in The Shopkeepers,<br>the customer is again king and can find a personal,<br>quality retail experience that the internet<br>simply cannot provide. The book reminds<br>us all of the value of exceptional service and<br>of meticulously selected products which are<br>built to last and on which one can depend. If<br>they didn't exist already, they do now.