Catalog Description

Formerly known as BUS 123
Hours: 54 lecture
Description: Examines concepts and principles involved in making decisions for retail firms. Types of retailers, sales methods, customer relations, store organization, principles of pricing, visual merchandising, buying and advertising are covered. Current retail strategies, brick and mortar stores, catalogs, home shopping networks, and E-retailing are examined. Activities, design and layout of various stores, window decorations, color choices, music, display styles and other retail needs will be analyzed. This course is recommended for any student ever considering working in the retail field, owning their own business or managing a business in the future. (CSU)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Analyze how the trends of brick and mortar stores are impacted with websites and online shopping.
  • CSLO #2: Analyze the pricing policies and decisions of brick and mortar stores compared with online shopping sites.
  • CSLO #3: Evaluate retail store layouts and design, develop and present a layout for a department or retail store.

Effective Term

Fall 2020

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

Through written and/or oral activities the student will:
1. Compare and contrast typical brick and mortar stores with web-sites, catalog, and specialty stores. Evaluate the success and failures in each category.
2. Analyze the various ways merchants select their pricing policies, how retailers calculate markup and the importance of a retailer's image to pricing decisions.
3. Calculate and compare mark-up, stock turn, stock shortages, and gross margin, inventory control systems and evaluate their role in retail success.
4. Plan, organize, and design the layout of a department. Compare sales and profits per square foot for two departments.
5. Compare and contrast retailing in other countries with retailing in the United States. Evaluate the opportunities of being an international retailer.
6. Compare and contrast the advertising and sales promotion programs of various retailers. Evaluate the types of promotions and identify reasons for various promotional efforts.
7. Evaluate the importance of consumer research and analysis for today's retail organizations. Analyze how the study of demographics helps retailers better understand the needs of the consumer.
8. Develop, evaluate and implement a merchandise plan.
9. Analyze how meeting consumer needs can make a firm more profitable.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
      • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
        • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

          Articulation Information

          • CSU Transferable

          Methods of Evaluation

          • Projects
            • Example: Examine one of the top 10 United States retailers. Analyze their organizational structure, type of retailing, length of time in business, headquarters' location, annual volume, price per share, number of stores (both United States and abroad). What are their keys to success? What are the changes they have experienced in the last 10 years? What, if any, are their expansion plans? Prepare a 2-4 page paper and a 10-15 minute presentation on your findings. Evaluation: Students are evaluated on their ability to summarize the information, their analysis and evaluation of the situation and their ability to communicate those thoughts in their paper and their oral presentation. Students are evaluated on their ability to analyze a particular retailer's situation given the current and future retail environment. Students are encouraged to visit the writing center; spelling and proper sentence structure count as part of the paper evaluation. Organization, body language, expressiveness, and the use of visual aids are part of the oral presentation evaluation.
          • Reports
            • Example: After reading at least two trade publications (or online) evaluate the content as to what's new and exciting for the upcoming season. What items offer the most potential for the season as judged by the forecaster in each trade publication. Prepare a 3-4 page paper and a 10-15 minute presentation on your findings and present the information to the class. Evaluation: Students are evaluated on their ability to summarize the information, their analysis and evaluation of the situation and their ability to communicate those thoughts in their paper and their oral presentation. Students are evaluated on their analysis of the future of the retail environment. Students are encouraged to visit the writing center; spelling and proper sentence structure count as part of the paper evaluation. Organization, body language, expressiveness, and the use of visual aids are part of the oral presentation evaluation.

          Repeatable

          No

          Methods of Instruction

          • Lecture/Discussion
          • Distance Learning

          Lecture:

          1. Instructor lectures using examples from retailing giants that meet consumer needs (Costco). Lecture includes video excerpt about Costco's return policy. Guided discussion follows about how this practice leads to profitability. (Objective 9) Students will work in groups to develop a merchandising plan after viewing examples of existing plans in a class activity. Students compare and contrast elements of existing plans to create their own plan. Instructor helps inform decision making. (Objective 8)

          Distance Learning

          1. After instructor lecture of various retail environments, online and hybrid students visit/research/interview a variety of retail stores and managers. The results of this research are shared with the class. Students have an interactive dialog to identity some of the important elements of success in the retail environment. (Objectives 2 & 5)

          Typical Out of Class Assignments

          Reading Assignments

          1. Read the chapters on types of retailers and other selling environments and be prepared to discuss in class the successes and failures of each and how the various types of retailers impact each other. 2. Read the chapter on retail pricing and be prepared to discuss in class the pros and cons of various pricing strategies, how markups are calculated and final prices are set.

          Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

          1. Examine one of the top 10 United States retailers. Analyze their organizational structure, type of retailing, length of time in business, headquarters' location, annual volume, price per share, number of stores (both United States and abroad). What are their keys to success? What are the changes they have experienced in the last 10 years? What, if any, are their expansion plans? Prepare a 2-4 page paper and a 10-15 minute presentation on your findings. 2. After reading at least two trade publications (hard-copy or online) evaluate the content as to what's new and exciting for the upcoming season. What items offer the most potential for the season as judged by the forecaster in each trade publication. Prepare a 3-4 page paper and a 10-15 minute presentation on your findings and present the information to the class.

          Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

          Working in student teams of 2-3 members, obtain permission from a local retailer to test a survey on the customer service in their respective store. Test the survey with at least 30 people and assess the results of the questionnaire. Review your survey to measure accordingly the service received. With the permission of the store owner or manager ask customers as they enter or leave the store to participate in the revised questionnaire. Compare the results by % of response and graph the results. Make an appointment with the store owner or manager and present your analysis. Present the information in a 10-15 minute presentation to the class.

          Required Materials

          • Retailing Management
            • Author: Levy and Weitz
            • Publisher: McGraw Hill
            • Publication Date: 2014
            • Text Edition: 9th
            • Classic Textbook?: No
            • OER Link:
            • OER:

          Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.