MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
School of Business
Fall 2015
Retailing and E-Commerce (MKT 482 / 5482)
Instructor:
Phone:
Email:
Course Website:
Office Hours:
Instructor’s Office:
Classroom:
Course Description:
– 2:30); Wed. (9:00 – 3:00)
201C Self Hall
Room 307 – Meets T Th (12:00 – 1:15)
Retailing and E-Commerce examines the decisions involved
in setting up and running a retail business and the concepts
and principles for making those decisions. Both store-based
and web-based retailers are examined. The course provides
a good foundation for those interested in owning or running a
retail business; pursuing a retail management career; or
working for companies that interface with retailers. Emphasis
is on application of course concepts through individual and
team projects, cases, assignments and class discussion.
Upon completion of this course students should:
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Course Objectives:
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Demonstrate an understanding of retail management
terminology.
Be familiar with ethical and legal considerations within
the retailing field.
Understand the strategic retail management process
and how to apply it.
Understand the measures retailers use to assess their
financial performance.
Know how to develop a customer focused retail mix
including location selection, merchandise
management, pricing, advertising and promotion, store
design and layout, and customer service.
Be familiar with steps involved in setting up a retail
website and attracting customers to that website.
Know how to write a high quality business report.
Gain project management skills through work on a
team project.
RETAILING MANAGEMENT, 9th Edition, Levy, Weitz, and
Grewal, Irwin, 2014. You do need to purchase a textbook.
Required Text:
Dr. Retha Ann Price
601-925-7744
raprice@mc.edu
moodle.mc.edu
T Th (11:00 – 12:00;
1:30
COURSE ORGANIZATION:
Class will be conducted with an emphasis on class discussion, lecture, and activities. Lectures will relate
to chapter reading assignments, but I will not attempt to cover all material in the text. Discussion of
videos, cases, articles and team projects will support lecture materials.
Moodle will be used in this course. I will post PowerPoint lecture slides, assignments and other course
materials. I will also post weekly announcements (usually on Sundays) that will include information to
help students prepare for class that week.
COURSE EVALUATION:
4 Exams @ 100 points each
1 team project and presentation
2 individual written assignments @ 25 points each
10 quizzes @ 5 points each
TOTAL (undergraduates)
Grading Scale: Undergraduate
A 90 – 100%
540 - 600
B 80 – 89%
480 - 539
C 70 – 79%
420 - 479
D 60 – 69%
360 - 419
F Below 60%
Below 360
400 points (67%)
100 points (17%)
50 points (08%)
50 points (08%)
600 points
Grading Scale: Graduate
A 90% - 100%
585 - 650
B+ 85% - 89%
553 - 584
B 80% - 84%
520 - 552
C+ 75% - 79%
488 - 519
C 70% - 75%
455 - 487
D 60% - 69%
390 - 454
F Below 60%
Below 390
Additional Requirement for Graduate Students. All students earning graduate credit must read and
write typed summaries of ten retail related articles. A list of topics and requirements will be provided.
Summaries are worth a total of 50 points. Graduate students have a total of 650 points possible.
EXAMS:
Three regular exams and one final are given during the semester. The final is merely the fourth exam,
and is not comprehensive. All students must take the final exam. Each exam may contain a
combination of multiple-choice, short answer, problems and/or essay questions. Exam questions will be
based on lectures, assigned readings, videos, cases and other homework.
Students are expected to take exams according to the syllabus schedule. I do not give make up
exams. It is unfair to those students who are prepared to take an exam on time to give others an
advantage by taking an exam later. If you miss an exam, your final exam will be comprehensive.
The score on your final will be doubled and count for two exam grades. If you know in advance that
you will miss an exam due to an unavoidable conflict, you may arrange with me to take the exam early.
Security Measures. Security measures will be taken during exams. Upon entering the room all
student materials (e.g., backpacks, notes, cell phones, etc.) must be placed at the front of the room. A
calculator is the only electronic device allowed. No cell phone calculators or electronic
translators may be used. Print translators are acceptable.
TEAM PROJECT AND PRESENTATION:
An important part of this course is applying what you have learned to real examples. Seven team
projects are scheduled throughout the semester. Each team will select, complete and present 1 of
those 7 projects. Projects revolve around analyzing the strategies and tactics of an existing retail
business. Specific requirements and instructions will be provided in a separate handout. Students will
be given the option to select their own team members. Teams should consist of 3 people.
Projects will be graded on thoroughness of the assignment, quality of the research, quality of writing
and presentation, incorporation of retail strategy terms and concepts, and originality of
recommendations. In addition, team members will evaluate each other’s contributions to the project
through a team member evaluation form. Results will be used to adjust individual grades if needed.
See the following course schedule for project due dates.
INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:
Students will complete 2 individual written assignments worth 25 points each. The individual papers
will require you to visit retail stores and apply retail management concepts to your analysis. The two
assignments will involve (1) evaluating multichannel retailing, and (2) conducting a customer service
assessment. Papers will be graded on the basis of thoroughness of the assignment and research,
incorporation of retail concepts, insight of recommendations and quality of writing. Specific
requirements and instructions will be provided in a separate handout.
QUIZZES:
Every reading assignment has an accompanying quiz. The quiz will be administered at the
beginning of class on the day the reading assignment is due. For example, your first quiz will be
given on Tuesday, September 1st. If you are late or absent the day a quiz is given, you cannot make it
up. Quizzes may consist of multiple choice, true false, or fill in the blank questions. Quizzes are closed
book and closed notes.
READING AND APPLICATION ASSIGNMENTS:
Reading assignments and application exercises will be given each week. Reading assignments will
come from the text and assigned articles. Application exercises may include things such as analyzing a
case, or completing retail math problems. You are expected to have read all assigned material and
completed all application exercises prior to the class meeting. While these assignments will not
be taken up for a grade, they will prepare you for quizzes and exams. All assignments will be posted
on Moodle.
EXTRA CREDIT:
You can earn two extra credit points for each Business School Speaker Series lecture you attend. You
must sign your name on the attendance sheet and put a check under my name for credit. Speakers
and times will be announced in advance. The instructor will not offer any other extra credit
opportunities for this class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Mississippi College students are expected to be scrupulously honest. Dishonesty, such as copying
another student’s work, cheating on tests, or plagiarism, will be regarded as a serious offense subject
to severe penalties including, but not limited to, loss of credit for the course and possible dismissal from
the university. See the 2015-2016 Mississippi College Undergraduate Bulletin or University Policy 2.19
for details.
Instructor’s Policy - If you submit work that was prepared by another person as your own; copy
information from another student during an exam or quiz; use external reference material during an
exam without prior instructor permission; plagiarize or fail to provide sufficient citation of the original
author, I will: (1) assign a “0” as your grade for the assignment or exam, and (2) notify the Mississippi
College School of Business Dean’s Office so that a formal disciplinary procedure will be instituted.
ATTENDANCE:
Class attendance is an essential part of university education. Attendance is required and accurate
records will be kept. Mississippi College policy states that, whether the absences are excused or
unexcused, any student who misses 8 or more class meetings (for a class that meets twice a week) will
receive a grade of F in the course. You do have a right of appeal. Students who have 1 or fewer
absences at the end of the semester and excellent conduct will have 1 point added to their final
class average.
Be on time for class. If you are not present when roll is taken, you will be counted absent. It is then
your responsibility to see me at the end of class in order to receive attendance credit. Three tardies
equal one absence.
ODDS AND ENDS:
 Refrain from side conversations during lecture or student discussion.
 Do not work on homework, study for another class, or sleep during our class time.
 Turn off and put away cell phones when class begins.
 If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes, exercises or other materials from
another student or Moodle. Please do not e-mail me to ask what we covered.
 I do not give out grades by telephone or e-mail. Check Moodle.
DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS:
In order for a student to receive disability accommodations under Section 504 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, he or she must contact Student Counseling Services (SCS). SCS will assist with
information regarding the appropriate policy and procedure for disability accommodations before each
semester or upon immediate recognition of the disability. Student Counseling Services is located in
Alumni Hall Room #4 or you may contact them by phone at 601-925-7790. The Program Coordinator,
Holly Reeves, can be reached via email at hreeves@mc.edu and the Director of Student Counseling
Services, Morgan Bryant at mbryant@mc.edu
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Date
Topic
Assignments Due
------8/27
---------------------------------------------
------9/08
----------------------------------------------------------Course Expectations and Syllabus
Introductions (Students and Instructor)
----------------------------------------------------------Introduction to Retailing
Introduction to Retailing (cont.)
Discussion of Team Projects and
Individual Written Assignments
---------------------------------------------------------Multichannel Retailing
9/10
------9/15
Multichannel Retailing (cont.)
---------------------------------------------------------Retail Market Strategy
9/17
------9/22
9/24
Retail Market Strategy (cont.)
---------------------------------------------------------EXAM 1
Financial Strategy
------9/29
---------------------------------------------------------Financial Strategy (cont.)
10/1
Retail Location and Site Selection
------10/6
10/8
------10/13
10/15
---------------------------------------------------------Retail Location and Site Selection (cont.)
EXAM 2
---------------------------------------------------------FALL BREAK
Merchandise Planning
--------
----------------------------------------------------------
------9/01
9/03
--------------------------------------------Chapter 1 Reading Assignment
McDonald’s and CSR case
--------------------------------------------Chapter 3 Reading Assignment
Forbes article, “Why are Catalogs
Still Around?”
Bring laptop or tablet to class
Individual Written Assignment 1*
--------------------------------------------Chapter 5 Reading Assignment
Complete VALS survey
Gifts to Go Case
Team 1 Paper and Presentation*
--------------------------------------------Chapters 1, 3, and 5
Chapter 6 Reading Assignment
Bring calculator and text to class
Costco Case
New York Times article, Costco
--------------------------------------------Team 2 Paper and Presentation*
Bring calculator and text to class
Chapter 7-8 Reading Assignment
ESRI Assignment
Forbes article, “Millennials:
Double Trouble for Retail”
--------------------------------------------Team 3 Paper and Presentation*
Chapters 6, 7, and 8
-------------------------------------------Chapter 12 Reading Assignment
Trader Joe’s Case
Fortune article, “Inside the Secret
World of Trader Joes”
--------------------------------------------
*Any assignment that is marked with an “*” is a graded assignment that must be turned in by the due
date. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Late graded assignments will lose a
letter grade per day they are late.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (continued)
Date
Topic
Assignments Due
------10/20
10/22
------10/27
---------------------------------------------------------Merchandise Planning (cont.)
Merchandise Buying
----------------------------------------------------------Retail Pricing
10/29
Retail Pricing (cont.)
------11/3
11/5
----------------------------------------------------------EXAM 3
Retail Communication Mix
------11/10
11/12
----------------------------------------------------------Retail Communication Mix (cont.)
Retail Communication Mix (cont.)
------11/17
---------------------------------------------------------Store Layout and Design
11/19
Store Layout and Design (cont.)
-------11/24
------------------------------------------------------Customer Service (online class)
--------------------------------------------Team 4 Paper and Presentation*
Chapter 13 Reading Assignment
--------------------------------------------Chapter 14 Reading Assignment
Bring calculator to class
Retail Pricing Practice Problems
Team 5 Paper and Presentation*
Bring calculator to class
--------------------------------------------Chapters 12, 13, and 14
Chapter 15 Reading Assignment
Various articles including:
Email Marketing Best Practices
What is Mobile Marketing
--------------------------------------------Top 15 Retail Blogs
20 Popular Twitter Feeds
Online Advertising Assignment
-------------------------------------------Chapter 17 Reading Assignment
Background Music & Consumer
Buying Behavior Assignment
Team 6 Paper and Presentation*
Article, “Everything You Need to
Know about the Science of Store
Design”
-------------------------------------------Chapter 18 Reading Assignment
Online Quiz*
11/26
------12/01
12/03
------12/08
12/12
-------
Thanksgiving Break
------------------------------------------------------Store Website Design
Store Website Design (cont.)
------------------------------------------------------Course Wrap up
FINAL EXAM (12:00 – 3:00)
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------Individual Written Assignment 2*
Team 7 Paper and Presentation*
--------------------------------------------Grad. Student Article Summaries*
Chapters 17, 18, and articles
---------------------------------------------
*Any assignment that is marked with an “*” is a graded assignment that must be turned in by the due
date. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Late graded assignments will lose a
letter grade per day they are late.