GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
ST. PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Course Outline
International Retail Management
Professor: Suvorova Ekaterina Vladimirovna, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Marketing Department,
Suvorova@som.pu.ru
Bachelor Program in Management, Fall Semester 2008/2009 Academic Year
Course Summary
This is a 4th year Bachelor Program course
Course Prerequisites: Marketing
Course Layout: lectures, case studies, group presentations, group project
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to provide students with the understanding of the following issues:
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Traditional and contemporary frameworks of global retailing;
Ways for an international retailing company to plan for and adapt to a complex, changing
environment;
Principles of strategic retail management, which the international retailing companies
should implement in building their retail strategy on the global market.
Course content
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Topic 1. Global retail strategy
Topic 2. Retail mix
Topic 3. Contemporary trends in global retailing
Topic 4. Integrated retail strategy
Plan of classes
Topic 1. Global retail strategy
Class 1.
Preliminary
assignment
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 2.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Required reading for class:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.1,3
 Article: Management in International Retailing
Key points:
 Role of retailing
 Retail Strategy
 Wheel of retailing
Learning outcomes:
 Understand the impact of retailing on the economy
 Understand traditional retail frameworks
 Understand the notion of retail strategy
Assignments for class 2:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.4,5
 Article: Enormously Dynamic and Differing Strategies in
Retailing Internationalization
Key points:
 Retail institutions by ownership
 Retail institutions by store-based strategy mix
 Global retailers
Learning outcomes:
 Understand ways to classify retailers
 Learn about major types of retail companies
 Familiarize with key players on the market
Assignments for class 3:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.9,10
 Article: The Impact of Market Orientation on the
Internationalization of Retailing Firms
Topic 2. Retail mix
Class 3.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Key points:
 Trading area analysis
 Site evaluation
 Site selection
Learning outcomes:
 Understand importance of store location for retailer’s
performance
 Learn techniques to evaluate potential site for store location
 Learn techniques to analyze trading area for the store
Assignments for class 4:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.14,15
 Article: Retail revenue management and the new paradigm of
merchandise optimization. Executive Agenda.
Class 4.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 5.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 6.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 7.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Key points:
 Development of merchandising plans
 Implementation of merchandising plans
 Category management
Learning outcomes:
 Understand buying organization formats
 Learn about buying process
 Understand role of logistics and inventory management
Assignments for class 5:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch. 12,13,16
 Article: The Old Pillars of New Retailing
Key points:
 Retail pricing
 Financial aspects of retail operations
 Non–financial aspects of retail operations
Learning outcomes:
 Use framework to develop retail pricing
 Learn about asset management and profit planning in retailing
 Learn about hurdles in operating a retail store
Assignments for class 6:
Reading and preparing:
 HBS Case: Wal-Mart Stores in 2003
HBS Case: Wal-Mart Stores in 2003
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Development of global retail strategy in food and non-food
business
Learning outcomes:
 Understand long term competitive advantages in retailing
 Learn about operations of the world’s most successful retailer
Assignments for class 7:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.11
 Article: Quick, Flexible and Smart: Interview with Andre
Tordjman, Director of Marketing, Auchan.
Key points:
 Retail organization and HR management
 Customer service
 Performance standards
Learning outcomes:
 Understand principles and practices of human resource
management in retailing
 Use framework to evaluate retail service level
 Learn about ways to improve customer service
Assignments for class 8:
Preparing assignment 1:
 Group presentation ‘Store Location and Trade Area Analysis’
Class 8.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 9.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 10.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 11.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Group presentation ‘Store Location and Trade Area Analysis’
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Retail mix: trading area analysis and site evaluation
Learning outcomes:
 Demonstrate understanding of key principles of trading area
analysis and site evaluation
Assignments for class 9:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.18
 Article: The Role of Store Image in Retail Internationalization.
Key points:
 Retail presentation
 Retail store layout, design and visual merchandising
 Store planning
Learning outcomes:
 Understand ways to enhance store image
 Learn about major components of retail atmosphere
 Familiarize with store planning techniques
Assignments for class 10:
Reading and preparing:
 HBS Case: Zara: Fast Fashion
HBS Case: Zara: Fast Fashion
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Retail strategy and operations in fast fashion market
Learning outcomes:
 Understand importance of implementation in retail strategy
 Learn key success factors in fast fashion market
 Familiarize with retailing business model in apparel market
Assignments for class 11:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.19
 Article: Overcoming Media Fragmentation and the Erosion of
Customer Trust
Key points:
 Retail communications strategy
 Strategic aspects of retail promotion
Learning outcomes:
 Understand scope of retail promotion
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Learn about major types of retail promotion
Familiarize with techniques to enhance the effectiveness of
retail promotion
Assignments for class 12:
Preparing assignment 2:
 Group presentation ‘Financial strategy’
Class 12.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Group presentation ‘Financial strategy’
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Evaluation of retailer’s financial strategy
Learning outcomes:
 Demonstrate understanding of key principles of financial
analysis for retailer
Assignments for class 13:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.7
 Article: Talking Shop: Interviews with Sverre Leiro, CEO of
NorgesGruppen and Anders Moberg, CEO of Ahold/ICA
Topic 3. Contemporary trends in global retailing
Class 13.
Date:
Key points:
Time:
 Global consumer trends
Auditorium:
 Consumer behaviour
 Consumer attitudes towards shopping
Learning outcomes:
 Understand importance of customer analysis
 Learn about major trends in consumer behaviour in developed
markets
 Familiarize with ways to enhance consumer shopping behaviour
Assignments for class 14:
Reading and preparing:
 HBS Case: Howard Schultz and Starbucks Coffee Company
Class 14.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 15.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
HBS Case: Howard Schultz and Starbucks Coffee Company Key
points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Service retailing
Learning outcomes:
 Understand ways to manage service retailing
 Learn about key success factors in service retailing
 Familiarize key problems of service retailing
Assignments for class 15:
Reading:
 Article: Emerging Markets. Priorities for Global Retailers
Key points:
 Russian retail market structure and trends
 Major players in the Russian retail market
 Patterns of development of emerging retail markets
Learning outcomes:
 Understand market situation on the Russian retail market
 Learn about major market trends
 Familiarize with key players on the market
Assignments for class 16:
Preparing assignment 3:
 Group presentation ‘Store layout, design and visual
merchandising’
Class 16.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 17.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Class 18.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Group presentation ‘Store layout, design and visual merchandising’
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Retail mix: evaluation of retailer’s store atmosphere
Learning outcomes:
 Demonstrate understanding of key principles of analysis of
store presentation
Assignments for class 17:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.6
 Article: Challenges of the Future. Retail Technology in the Next
Century.
Key points:
 Non-store retailing
 Contemporary retail formats
 Future of retailing
Learning outcomes:
 Understand ways to compete in contemporary retail markets
 Learn about major types of non-store retailers
 Understand future retail trends
Assignments for class 18:
Reading and preparing:
 HBS Case: Leadership Online (A): Barnes & Noble vs
Amazon.com
HBS Case: Leadership Online (A): Barnes & Noble vs Amazon.com
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Electronic commerce
Learning outcomes:
 Understand key success factors in traditional and nontraditional retailing
 Learn about new business models in retailing
 Understand ways to compete against new business models
Assignments for class 19-21:
Reading:
 Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.20
Preparing:
 Group project presentation
Topic 4. Integrated retail strategy
Class 19-20.
Date:
Field visit to shopping center
Time:
Key points:
Auditorium:
 Development of shopping malls
 Integrated strategy for mall-based retailers
 Key success factors for retailers in mall environment
Learning outcomes:
 Develop ability to evaluate integrated retail strategy
 Determine key success factors in mall based environment
Preparing:
 Group project presentation
Class 21-23.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium:
Workshop. Presentation of group projects. Delivery of final report
Key points:
 Retail strategy and execution
 Putting together all components of retail mix
 Development of retail strategy
Learning outcomes:
 Demonstrate ability to analyze each element of retail mix
 Demonstrate ability to evaluate integrated retail strategy
 Use skills to suggest corrections of strategy for selected retailer
Tutorials:
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By preliminary arrangement by email at suvorova@som.pu.ru and evs2107@gmail.com
General Course Requirements
Mid-term exam:
Final exam (test/zachot)
Final exam results:
Deadlines for submitting
assignments (exercises, projects,
presentations etc)
Pass/fail upon successful submission of all assignments due to
date
Presentation of group project
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Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Project
Assessment output
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All types of current assessment procedures: 3 group presentations, 4 case studies
Final assessment: group project
Grading requirements: group presentations – 20%, case studies – 20%, group project – 60%
Requited textbooks
Berman B., Evans J. Retail Management: a Strategic Approach. 10th ed. Prentice Hall. 2007
Distributed materials – case studies and related articles.
Other reading
Levy M., Weitz A. Retailing Management. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 6th ed. 2006
Sternquist B. International Retailing. Fairchild Books & Visuals. 1998.
Underhill P. Why we buy: The science of shopping. Simon & Schuster. 2000
Whalin G. Retail Success! Willoughby Press. 2001