Wilbur Fix, the former chairman and CEO of the Bon Marché department stores and retail icon, calls customer service "the central issue in retail prosperity" in his new autobiography and retail how-to manual, “Go to the Edge of Disaster.”

In the midst of the worst economic morass since the 1930s Depression, Fix offers some of the industry’s best innovations in how to run a profitable retail operation — some ideas that appear to have lasting influence, others that could prove to be real game changers for customers, retail store marketers, the retail networks, and even architects of economic change.

Fix harnessed the power of his employees, changed how retail stores are run, and achieved big sales and bigger profits in his landmark department stores in the Pacific Northwest.

Juicing up the retail experience in the moderate-price segment with spectacular success, Fix also handled unions with a deft hand. From offering sales commissions to involving managers on the sales floor,  Fix lays out the standard for how retailers can set the stage for further innovations.

Even slow-to-change, easy-to-write-off old-line stores are offered some bright ideas. The “Oracle of Fourth Ave.” finally reveals how customer focus can help, rather than kill, retail businesses. In a year as scary looking as this, it's clear more innovation will be required.