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MARK 468 – RETAIL AND CHANNEL MANAGEMENT
Professor: Dr. Kyle B. Murray Office: 2-32K Business Building Phone (University): 780-248-1091 E-mail: [email protected] Web Page: http://www.kylemurray.com
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is designed to provide an intensive introduction to retail marketing management.
Emphasis will be placed on the application of the theoretical concepts to practical marketing situations. This course is intended to accomplish two related objectives:
1. Improve your understanding of the current and evolving nature and role of retail marketing in the overall marketplace.
2. Improve your ability to identify, appraise, and formulate retail marketing strategies that result in profitable performance.
Throughout the course, it is expected that you will make an extra effort to visit stores, retail websites, etc. and to pay close attention to ongoing developments in retailing.
REQUIRED READINGS
Mark 468 Course Pack – Case Studies & Technical Notes.
Optional Textbook:
Levy, M., B. Weitz, and Sheryn Beattie (2008). Retailing Management, 2nd Canadian Edition.
GRADING
The final grades in the course will be based roughly on the following schedule:
Grade Grade Point Value
Percentage (%) Description
A+ 4.0 95%-100% Outstanding
A 4.0 90%-94% Excellent
A- 3.7 85%-89% Very Good Performance
B+ 3.3 80%-84% Good Performance
B 3.0 75%-79% Satisfactory Performance
B- 2.7 70%-74% Less than Satisfactory
C+ 2.3 65%-69% Minimum Pass (Alberta)
All grades below C+ (University of Alberta) are indicative of failure at the graduate level and cannot be counted toward the course requirements.
EVALUATION
***Late assignments will be decreased by 10% for each day late.
Class Participation
In-Class Discussions 10%
Blog Post 20% Deadline will be announced in class Canadian Tire Assortment Brief 20% Due February 12th, 2010 (end of day)
Final Project
Presentation 20%
Written Report 30% Due April 7th, 2010 (in-class) Overall 100%
In-Class Discussions
A valuable classroom experience requires rigorous preparation and high-quality class discussion. There is a difference between contributing and merely participating. Merely participating can be achieved by saying just about anything (e.g. quote a number from a case or reading). A meaningful contribution on the other hand requires that you teach the class something useful that could have gone unnoticed. It requires intellectual curiosity and a willingness to share your ideas. Please note that my emphasis will be more on quality than quantity. Negative contributions such as absence without notice, lack of preparation, negative comments, weak positions and weak defenses will lower your contribution grade.
Blog Post
This is an individual assignment. You are expected to complete one post to the class blog during the course. The post should address an important news item or recent topic of interest to retailing. Your grade for your post will be based on 1) how relevant it is to the class and 2) how well you integrate concepts from the course into the post, as well as 3) how effective you are at expressing your own opinions and point of view in your
postings. Deadlines for this assignment will be announced in class. You are also free to post additional material and comment on the posts of others; however, such posts will not factor into your grade. Posting prior to the deadline is encouraged.
Canadian Tire Assortment Brief
This is an individual assignment that will provide you with an opportunity to apply what we cover in the buying and category management portions of the course. Specifically, you will be asked to make an assortment decision for the bicycle category at Canadian Tire.
Final Project – Retail Observation & Analysis
This group project is designed to provide you with an opportunity to examine retail marketing management in practice. You will be required to spend some time observing a retail operation, analyzing its customers’ behavior, and reverse engineering the store’s retail value proposition. More details on this project will be provided in class.
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EXPECTATIONS
You are expected to be fully engaged in the entire learning process. This means devoting time and energy to preparation before class, listening to others during class discussions and engaging in class discussions.
Prior to any case discussion, engaging in discussions with (or examining notes from) others who may have already experienced the case is a clear violation of our norms.
Using your computer during class for personal activities such as reading/writing email, writing letters, surfing the Web, playing games, etc. is also distracting and counter productive and violates our norms.
Any form of recording during the class (e.g., audio, video, etc.) is permitted only with the prior written consent of the professor.
APPOINTMENTS
I do not have set office hours. However, I do strive to be available to any student who wants to speak with me. I ask that you send me a short e-mail ([email protected]) that outlines your questions/concerns, and allows us to arrange a convenient time to meet.
It helps me be fully prepared to give you appropriate feedback and advice, and it makes for a much more productive interaction.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior (online at which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
All factual information taken from other sources (books, web pages, papers, etcetera) must be referenced in submitted work. Please consult the calendar for information regarding these behaviours. Some of the specific definitions may be found on
Policy about course outlines can be found i
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LECTURE SCHEDULE (Before Reading Week)
DATE TOPIC
Week 1 Course Introduction
Course Requirements & Expectations
Retailing in Canada, Globalization and Competition o READING: Note on the Retail Value Proposition
Current Trends in Retailing
o CASE: The Home Depot: EcoOptions Week 2 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning
Geomatics, Trade Areas, Store Layout and Design o CASE: Liquor Control Board of Ontario (A) o READING: Note on Retail Location
GUEST SPEAKER: Troy Dashney, Oxford Properties
Week 3 Retail Store Formats
Beyond the Store: Multi-Channel Retailing o READING: Note on Retail Formats
o SPREADSHEET: Generic Retail Business Model
GUEST SPEAKER: Warren Sarafinchan, Director of Supply Chain Management for Mars Canada
Week 4 Retail Branding
Private Labels versus National Brands
o READING: The New Appeal of Private Labels
GUEST SPEAKER: Jack Brown, Founder, J. Brown Group
GUEST SPEAKER: Chip Wilson, Founder, lululemon
Week 5 Retail Buying
The Buying Process & Category Management
o CASE: Walmart Canada: Category Management (on ULearn)
Retail Metrics and Measures
Trend Management: Fads, Fashions and Staples Week 6 The Science of Shopping
Mass Customization
Walking the Store: Retail Observation and Analysis
GUEST SPEAKER: Mark Ryski, CEO, HeadCount
READING WEEK
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LECTURE SCHEDULE (After Reading Week)
DATE TOPIC
Week 7 Pricing & Technology
RFID & The Store of the Future
Dynamic Pricing & Customer Lifetime Value o READING: Note on Behavioral Pricing
No class on February 26th, instead watch:
o VIDEO: Free! The Future of a Radical Price (link on ULearn)
Week 8 Relationship Management
Relationship Theory, Customer Satisfaction o READING: Diamonds in the Data Mine
GUEST SPEAKER: Bryan Pearson, CEO, LoyaltyOne
GUEST SPEAKER: Michelle Witkowski, Bank of Canada Week 9 Profitable Customer Management
Loyalty Programs & Dealing with Detractors
o READING: Customer-Centered Brand Management
Customer Value-Based Segmentation : RFM Models o CASE: Indigo Books & Music Inc.
Week 10 Small Independent Retail Management
Refining the Retail Value Proposition for small business
o READING: When Your Name’s on the Store (on ULearn)
Week 11 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Week 12 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Week 13 Course Wrap-Up & Review
GUEST SPEAKERS
Guest speakers are an integral part of learning in this course. Each guest has been chosen for his or her unique ability to contribute to our learning. It is important that you make every effort to attend these lectures and to actively engage our guests in discussion. Please be kind and courteous to our guests. Feedback on these lectures and speakers is appreciated – all such correspondence will be treated confidentially and should be addressed directly to Dr. Murray.
FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Your classmates should be treated as guest speakers when they are presenting their final projects.
Please come prepared to engage in a discussion of others’ projects – your comments and constructive criticisms are encouraged. You will have the opportunity to provide your assessment of the projects to Dr. Murray.
