ELE 3734 Retail Management

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2013/2014

ELE 3734 Retail Management


Responsible for the course
Jan Ivar Fredriksen

Department
Department of Marketing

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction
This course is mainly based on theories concerning marketing and economics. Topics will include store establishing, store organisation and store management.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
Students will acquire knowledge of and obtain adequate insight into the following:

  • The world of retailing, development and trends
  • Consumer behaviour and market segmentation
  • The retailer’s vision and mission
  • Strategic analysis
  • The customer’s assortment and price experience
  • Location strategies
  • The retail organisation and human resource management
  • The importance of qualified and motivated employees
  • Customer service and personal selling
  • Store design and visual merchandising
  • Financial key figures and calculation
  • Analysis and actions among inventory shrinkage

Acquired skills
  • Ability to work out a strategic analyse including a real or a virtual retailer
  • Ability to discuss alternative market strategies for the retailer
  • Ability to include strategic and operational considerations in the planning and implementation of relevant store formats concerning:
    • Selection of format and market strategy
    • The assortment experience
    • The price experience
    • The selection and experience of the store’s location
  • Ability to make strategic and operational considerations part of discussions concerning:
    • Organisation and human resource management
    • Relevant qualification and motivation among store employees
    • Programs in customer service and personal selling
  • Manage a holistic strategic and operational approach concerning store design and visual merchandising
  • Ability to implement strategic and operational analysis and actions among inventory shrinkage

Reflection
  • During and after the course the student will realise the importance of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills for practicing retailing.
  • The students will be encouraged to reflection on the importance of analysis before and after implementation of the retailer’s strategies and concepts of management.
  • The students will increase their focus on the importance of the relationships and interactions between human beings, merchandise and technology within the store, and furthermore, the development of harmony, mental balance and financial security for managers, employees and the retailer’s customers.

Prerequisites
Basic courses concerning marketing and business administration.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Fredriksen, Jan Ivar. 2010. Varehandelsledelse. Fagbokforlaget. 280 sider

Collection of articles:
Fredriksen, Jan Ivar. 2010. Noen utvalgte artikler fra bransjetidskrifter. Handelshøyskolen BI. ca. 50 sider. Artikkelsamlingen publiseres under aktuelle temaer i itslearning

Recommended reading

Journals:
Bransjetidskrifter

Course outline
  • The retail industry, type of retailers, market strategies, retail formats, owners and retail chains
  • Consumer behaviour and market segmentation built on customer relationship management
  • Market strategy and strategic analyses
  • The assortment experience
  • The price experience
  • Retail location concerning the customers’ buying behaviour and fact-based management systems
  • The retailer’s organisation and human resource management
  • Qualification and motivation
  • The retailer’s customer service
  • Personal selling
  • Store design and visual merchandising
  • Financial key figures
  • Inventory shrinkage analyses and actions

Computer-based tools
Business Analyst from Geoinsight (demo)

Learning process and workload
The teaching is process based partly with classroom teaching, individual and group training and individual and group guidance.

The course is both practical and theoretical, which means that most of the theoretical issues and tasks are discussed in a practical context. The discussions and training tasks are based on the students’ own selected companies from the retail industry.

During the course, the students may voluntarily accomplish 3 training tasks with exact deadlines. It is recommended to work in groups of 2-4 students. Evaluation will be given to each group. The students will use the electronic tool “it’s learning” for submitting their papers.

Activity
Use of hours
Participation in lectures
36
Preparation before lectures
33
Training tasks and work in groups
65
Colloquia and student based guidance
26
Self study/reading literature/preparing for the examination
40
Recommended use of hours
200


    Examination
    The course is completed by a five-hour individual written examination.

    Examination code(s)
    ELE 37341- Written examination which counts 100% towards the final grade in ELE 3734 Retail Management, 7,5 credits.

    Examination support materials
    No support materials are allowed.

    Re-sit examination
    A re-sit examination will be held at the next schedueld examination.

    Additional information