APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016 Norwegian version

VHL 3403 Introduction to Norwegian and international retail

Responsible for the course
Odd Gisholt

Department
Department of Accounting - Auditing and Business Analytics

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction
The retail trade is one of Norway’s largest business sectors. It consists of a number of industries with a total of several hundred thousand employees. It is the largest employer in almost all the counties in the country. The industry is undergoing a rapid development both nationally and internationally. Today the retail trade is characterized by large entities exposed to fierce competition. In order to be profitable, therefore, it is dependent on efficient and lean operation.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
On completion of the course the students are supposed to have acquired basic competence related to the retail trade markets and the framework conditions for trade in Norway and abroad. They will have acquired in-depth knowledge on the most important industries of the trade and they must also understand the relationship between industry (the suppliers) and trade.

Acquired skills
On completion of the course the students are supposed to be able to apply the acquired knowledge in their work related to Norwegian and international retail trades. They are supposed to understand the difference between strategic and practical operations in the retail enterprises.

Reflection
On completion of the course the students are supposed to have developed an understanding of the importance of the trade for value-creation in society. They are supposed to be able to ask critical questions and reflect on the responsibility of the trade for sustainable development, particularly as regards environmental issues and service.

Prerequisites
None

Compulsory reading
Books:
Institutt for bransjeanalyser AS. 2014. Detaljhandelsboken 2014. Andhøy

Collection of articles:
Odd Gisholt. 2014. Artikkelsamling for Innføring i norsk og internasjonal varehandel. Artiklene vil bli gjort tilgjengelig via Itslearning.
Innhold:
Franchising som organisasjonsform; hva er konsekvensen for arbeidstakerne? av Torstein Nesheim i Magma 2/2010
Medarbeiderkompetanse og motivasjon er detaljhandelens viktigste konkurransemiddel, av Jan Ivar Fredriksen i Magma 5/2010
Venner og kjente – hvordan hjelper de deg til å bedre lønnsomheten i næringsklynger, av Robert Dahlstrøm m.f. i Magma 5/2010
Markedsføring av kjøpesentre i Norge, av Odd Gisholt i Magma 6/2010
Alle må føle bunnlinjeansvar, av Charlotte H. Lem i Magma 5/2011
Å estimere handelsområder uten å følge kundene hjem, av Auke Hunneman og Rutger van Oest i Magma 3/2012
Favaro, Ken, 2009. Five Rules for Retailing in a Recession. Harvard business review, 87(4).
Ton, Zeynep, 2012. Why good jobs are good for retailers: some companies are investing in their workers and reaping healthy profits. Harvard business review, 90(1 2).
Thaler, Richard H, 2013. Smarter information, smarter consumers: changes in technology and disclosure rules will help shoppers make better decisions. Get ready for the rise of the “choice engine”.(The Big Idea). Harvard business review, 91(1-2).

Recommended reading
Books:
Hillesland, Jan. 2011. The fundamentals of retail and shopper marketing. BigBlue & Company AS
Nordfält, Jens. 2011. In-store marketing : on sector knowledge and research in retailing. Market

Course outline

• Retail trade in Norway
• Wholesale trade in Norway
• The import of merchandise
• The export of merchandise
• International retail trade
• The relationship between industry and trade
• Trading trends, shopping centres, downtown retail
• E-trade
• The social responsibility of the retail trade