RCSC 400 Retail Strategy – Spring 2011
Tu 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Haury Anthro Bldg, Rm 129
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hour:
Dr. Ying Huang
MCPRK 425C
621-3403
huang2@email.arizona.edu
Tuesday 2:15p.m. – 3:15p.m. or by appointment
TA:
Office:
Email:
Laee Choi, doctoral student
MCPRK 425
lechoi@email.arizona.edu
Description:
Development, organization, implementation, and control of retail strategies in
the context of the retail mix of product, price, promotion, and distribution. Case
studies are used to apply the concepts.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide an overview of strategic planning as a framework for analyzing a retail firm.
2. To develop the ability of analyzing the performance of a retail firm and to develop
innovative strategies and tactics accordingly.
3. To develop and apply analytical thinking, critical thinking, team working, problem
solving and decision making skills using the case-study method.
4. To develop the ability to coordinate and develop professional business presentations.
Required Text:
Retailing Management (7th edition) by Levy and Weitz, Irwin/McGraw Hill, 2009.
*Additional reading assignments not given in the syllabus are available on the D2L.
Remember:
Please do READ THIS SYLLABUS CAREFULLY and refer to it throughout
the semester. It represents a contract between you and the instructor.
Course Format: The format of this course comprises class discussions, case programs, in-class
activities, and guest speakers when appropriate. Class discussion is important. Please be prepared
to discuss the reading material assigned for the day.
Classroom Behavior: You are required to act in a professional manner showing respect for
company buddies, guest speakers, instructor, your team members, and classmates. If you engage
in any disrespectful, disruptive, or threatening behavior, you will be asked to leave the classroom
immediately. A persistent behavioral problem will result in penalties including administrative
course withdrawal or course failure.
Schedule Change: It is possible that the class schedule may need to be adjusted due to
circumstances beyond the control of the instructor, such as guest speaker opportunities, instructor
illness, or conferences. In such instances an email will be sent out to your U of A email addresses
notifying you of the change. It is your responsibility to stay abreast of any changes.
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Class Attendance: Class attendance is required unless otherwise notified. Attendance will be
taken daily either on a signup sheet or completion of an in-class activity. A student who has more
than three unexcused absences may result in an administrative withdrawal. Attendance means
actual attendance for the entire class period. Asking someone to sign up for you on the sheet or
signing and then leaving without prior approval from the instructor is equivalent to an absence.
The TA of the class will post the attendance on your D2L within two days after the class. It is
your responsibility to check the correctness and accuracy within the two-week window. Please
notify the TA of any discrepancy within two weeks, any notification beyond the time frame will
not be honored.
Excused Absence: All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be
honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion. Absences preapproved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean's designee) will also be honored. However, you
must notify the instructor your absence in advance.
Students with Disabilities: If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodation to meet the
requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request
that the DRC send the instructor an official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as
possible. Please plan to meet with the instructor by appointments to discuss your
accommodations and how the course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully
participate.
Derivation of Grade
Two Exams (100 points each)
200 points
Class Participation
100 points
Team Paper Draft
50 points
Final Team Paper
200 points
Presentation
50 points
Total
Final Grade
A
B
C
D
F
600 points
Percentage
90.00%+
80.00%--below 90.00%
70.00%--below 80.00%
60.00%--below 70.00%
below 60.00%
Total Points
540 ~ 600
480 ~ 539
420 ~ 479
360 ~ 419
0 ~ 359
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Exams:
Students are expected to take all exams during the scheduled class time. Any exception because
of illness or emergency situations must be approved by the instructor prior to the exam. Makeup
exams, if approved by the instructor, will be ESSAY questions only.
Class Participation:
Class participation consists of participation in class discussion and class attendance. The
instructor will make a judgment on each student’s class participation.
Case Project:
The focus of this course is to develop a strategic plan for a retailer on a topic you choose through
a case project. This project will give you a great opportunity to apply to a “real-world” situation
some of the theories, concepts, and techniques you have learned through the RCSC program.
This semester, Target will be working with us on Target case projects. On the course D2L site,
you will find a list of Target topics, the illustration of each topic, as well as some examples from
prior semesters.
Each of you will be part of a group working on a Target case topic of your choice. After your
group chooses a topic, your group needs to prepare for a team proposal. During Target’s first
visit, your group will be introduced to and assigned with a Target team leader. This Target team
leader will be your group’s “Target buddy” for the semester. Within one week after Target’s first
visit, your group needs to finish a store tour with your Target buddy. Please keep the instructor
informed of your scheduled store tour in advance so that she can choose to go with your group if
her time and schedule permits. Throughout the semester, you will interact with your assigned
Target buddy, collect information, and finally prepare reports for the class.
Your team will be reporting your case draft (i.e. the first case presentation) to Target team
leaders in the middle of the semester (check the class schedule), and based on feedbacks, your
group needs to revise and submit the final paper. It is essential that your team REVISE many
times and improve upon receiving feedbacks from your team buddy and instructor. At the end
of the semester, all teams will be presenting their cases in class and in front of Target executive
team leaders.
This course requires that each student spends a great deal of time and effort in preparation, as
well as group meetings and meetings with the Target buddy outside the classroom. Schedule
your activities based on the dates listed in the schedule and anticipate potential conflicts before
they occur. This includes responsibilities with other courses during the semester. You will find
that the weeks of the semester pass very quickly, so your success depends in large on your ability
to schedule your workload in advance so that you have the information and the time needed
before making decisions and recommendations. For that purpose, each team is required to elect a
group leader after the team formation. The role of group leaders is to facilitate communication
and to help manage the project.
This case project will also require close cooperation and extensive dedication among group
members. Students who do not pull their weights on their groups can be fired. Peer review
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form and criteria is posted on the D2L. Groups can use these peer reviews to decide whether a
team member should be fired. Please keep the instructor informed when a group member is fired.
The deadline of firing a group member is listed on the class schedule. This member will then be
given an individual project by the instructor and will be expected to meet the same standards.
The following are tasks of this case project:
1. Team proposal
2. Team paper draft
3. The 1st presentation
4. Team revising plan
5. Final team paper
6. The 2nd presentation
General guidelines for assignments:
All assignments need to be typed in 12-point font and double-spaced. On due days, each team
needs to submit a hard copy in class (if they are due in class) and post an electronic copy in the
drop box on the D2L. Failing to do so will result in a 10-point deduction for each member. At the
end of the semester, each member is also required to fill out the individual peer evaluation
(downloadable from D2L) and submit it in an envelope together with the final paper on the due
day. Failing to do so will result in a 20-point deduction.
Adequate writing skills are essential to business writing. Below are some tips:
1. Organize your paper using headings, sub-headings, charts, diagrams, etc. But, don’t
overdo it.
2. Start your paper with main points. Don’t make readers search for the important
information, make it obvious.
3. Develop the logic and support your arguments with evidence.
4. Make sure your papers are concise yet include all relevant information. Be sure every
sentence is important and to the point. Don’t copy meaningless information from online
sources.
5. Avoid grammar errors and typos.
6. Use formal language.
7. Avoid plagiarism. See
http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/plagiarism/index.html
8. Include citations in the main text and a bibliography in the end. See the following link for
citation and reference guide:
http://www.library.arizona.edu/search/reference/citation.html
9. Revise! Revise! Revise!
10. If you need help with writing, go to the university writing center.
The following guidelines are provided to help you visualize and prioritize the elements of the
project.
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Team Proposal Guidelines
Approximate length - 3 pages of text
12-point font
Double-spaced
This paper is due after your store tour. Of course you will not know the full details of your
project but you need to get it started. You are not bound to anything in this paper. It is simply a
step forward. Be sure to include in your paper which topic you choose, why you choose it, and
how you plan to tackle it.
Below is an outline of headings recommended for the proposal:
Project/Topic Background
Which topic do you choose? Include what you know about the topic and why this topic interests
you. For instance, if you choose apparel, what do you know about the apparel industry? Who are
the competitors? What are their offerings and market positions?
Team Plan and Individual Role
As a team what do you intent to investigate? What is the role for each member? What is the
exact plan for your investigation? What will be done? When? By whom? Why? Be as exact as
possible. It is a good idea to develop a time table to keep you on schedule.
Data Collection Methodology
How will information/data be gathered? What methods or tools will you be using (e.g. interview;
observation; survey; focus group; etc.) to collect information/data?
Again, this is a proposal so you can revise and even change the topic, but you need to act quickly
otherwise you will find your team left with little time for information/data collection and
strategic plan development.
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Team Paper Draft Guidelines
Approximate length – 8-10 Page of text
12-point font
Double-spaced
This draft paper should serve as a foundation for your final paper.
Introduction
This section pertains to company and other information that is relevant to and focused on your topic.
Be sure all information is relevant to the project. Don’t just copy the meaningless writings on
their website. For example, you may include the target market, describe the retail mix, and
identify the market position of the company.
Situation Audit
This section needs to focus on the topic you choose and include a SWOT analysis on the issue. From
the SWOT analysis, you need to draw a conclusion. This conclusion is usually in the form of a
problem statement which should be logically derived from your SWOT analysis.
Objectives
Based on the problem you have identified in the situation audit, list 2 or 3 objectives your team
needs to achieve.
Data Collection Methodology
The section presents what you have actually done in collecting your data. You may find it helpful to
record your activities so that you don’t forget.
Information/Data
This section should provide the reader with a comprehensive but easy to understand display of the
most important and relevant data collected through your research and from the Target buddy. It
should be presented in a manner that allows the reader to quickly understand what the facts are. You
are not allowed to offer an opinion based on fact. Opinions and personal interpretations of the data
should be saved for the ANALYSIS section.
Analysis
This is perhaps the most important section of your paper. This section allows you to state your
opinions and interpretations of the data. This section also allows you to provide logic to the solution
you recommend in the following section. You are encouraged to be creative but you need to provide
your reasoning. In other words, after reading your analysis and arguments, the reader would agree on
your recommendation.
Recommendation
Brain storm ideas and think out of the box! Pick the very best solution! Your recommendation
should be original! Please make sure your recommendation solves the issue/problem at hand.
Implementation
Be very detailed. What exactly should be accomplished in order for this company to turn your
recommendations into successful outcomes? What are costs associated with your recommendation
and what is the time frame for the implementation? Add a table of a cost analysis and a table of the
time frame. What are the performance metrics you will use to evaluate the performance of your
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recommendations?
Appendices
Anything that doesn’t relate directly to your paper but may be of use to the client can go in an
appendix. Any extended data set, which the client may find important to scrutinize.
Team Revising Plan Guidelines
Approximate length – 1-2 Page of text
12-point font
Double-spaced
List the comments you have received during your first presentation and your team plan of addressing
those comments. It is a good idea to use a table for the comments and your proposed course of action.
Be sure to get together with your Target buddy for comments received before you propose your
course of action!
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Final Team Paper Guidelines
Approximate length –15-20 Page of Text
12-point font
Double-spaced
This should be your final paper after many REVISIONS!!! You need to revise the paper and
improve upon it based on feedbacks you receive from the instructor and your client. Make sure
the paper is free of grammar errors or typos. Below is an outline of headings recommended for
this paper:
Cover Page
Executive Summary
The executive summary should be a summation of your findings and recommendations. The
executive summary needs to be concise and usually one-page long.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Situation Audit
Objectives
Data Collection Methodology
Information/Data
Analysis
Recommendation
Implementation
Appendices
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CLASS SCHEDULE*
Date
Topic
Readings
Introduction & Course Overview
* Picture Day
Target Case Project
* Sign up for a group
* Group leader elected
Tu 1/18
Guest Speaker (3:30 – 4:30)
Macy’s – My Macy’s
Tu 1/25
Tu 2/1
Introduction to Retailing
Type of Retailers
Multichannel Retailing
L & W (Ch. 1,2 & 3)
* Finalize groups
Consumer Buying Behavior
Developing a Retail Strategy
How to Do a Case Analysis - Case Practice
L & W (Ch. 4 & 5)
Also read ‘What is Strategy?’ by
Porter (1996). Available Online
Peter & Donnelly (1998). Available
Online
* Finalize your topic
Tu 2/8
Presentations by Target
Introducing the Target Case
Program
Complete the store tour
Tu 2/15
Store Tour
Tu 2/22
Financial Strategy
Retail Information System and
Supply Chain Management
Customer Relation Management
* Target Project Proposal due on
Friday in Drop Box on D2L
L & W (Ch. 6,10 &11)
Team Meetings with Professor in class
Progress Report
Exam 1 (3:30 – 5:30)
Ch. 1 ~ 11 + online readings (except
Ch. 7, 8 & 9)
Tu 3/1
Team Project Session
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Date
Topic
Merchandising Strategy
Readings
L & W (Ch. 12 & 13 & 14)
Tu 3/8
Team Meetings with Professor in class
3/12 – 3/20
* Team Paper Draft Due in class
and in Drop Box on D2L
Spring Break
Pricing Strategy
Retail Advertising and Promotion Strategy
L & W (Ch. 15 & 16)
Team Meetings with Professor in Class
Progress Report
Tu 3/29
First Team Presentations to Target
Reporting the case and receiving
feedback
Tu 4/5
Team Meetings with Professor in Class
Tu 3/22
Tu 4/12
Tu 4/19
Tu 4/26
Tu 5/3
Customer Service
Social Responsibility and Ethical Issues
Team Revising Plan Report
Team Revising Plan Due in class
Last day of firing a member
L & W (Ch. 19)
Articles available online
How to Do a Successful Case Presentation?
Class Discussion
Team Meetings with Professor in Class
PPT Slides
Exam 2 (3:30 – 5:30)
Ch. 12 ~ 16, 19 + online readings
* All Final Team Papers, Peer
Evaluations, and Presentation PPTs
Due in class and Drop Box on D2L.
Final Presentations to Target
All 10 Teams Presenting to Target
* This schedule is subject to change.
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