APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2013/2014

VHL 3556 Retail II: Store Management, Expansion Strategies and Retail Chain 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
Factors such as the store, customers, employees, goods and technological facilities are crucial for success. Single stores with success are the basic platform for growth and expansion. This course will actualize store and retail chain management with a focus on success in employee and leadership relations.

Retail 2 is the second of two courses in retailing. The focus is on store management, expansion strategies and retail chain management. Retail 1 considers competitive advantages, the experience of location and merchandise assortments.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
The student will acquire knowledge and obtain adequate insight concerning the following:

• Relations between tasks and empowerment, acquired competence and challenges in work environment concerning the retailer’s organization structure and human resource management
• Analyses and processes concerning recruiting, hiring, compensation and reward of store employees
• Controlling costs and shrinkage, including relevant tools
• General approaches to service as a concept and service delivery processes with a focus on the customer’s sale and service experience
• Relevant approaches to gap analysis within customer service and service quality
• The roles of the leaders and employees concerning the service climate and the service delivery, including the employee’s role, empowerment and competence
• The dynamics of alternative service delivery, when technology replace human beings including self service systems and interactive technology
• Store layout, design and visual merchandising including category and space management
• Applying digital signage within sale, service delivery and visual merchandising
• Types of organizations and ownership in retail chains
• Important forces concerning a retailer’s expansion
• Important preparations and analysis in selection of organization and ownership structures when a retailer expands
• How a franchise concept, package and agreement are developed and designed

• Make plans and efforts for recruiting employees in a retail company
• Make plans for and be able to manage systems including rewarding and career development in a retail company
• Apply analysis and efforts within cost and shrinkage controls
• Based on the retailers intended service level, develop and apply programmes for increasing customer and employee satisfaction, including training of employees
• Contribute to store design, category management, visual merchandising and store atmosphere
• Contribute to solutions based on combinations of multichannel retailing and traditional store designs
• Consider selection of organization structure and ownership within a retail chain
• Develop and apply a franchise concept, package and agreement

• The candidate will during and after the course realise the importance of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills for practicing retailing
• The students will be encouraged to reflect on the importance of analysis before and after implementations 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.