MSc Marketing / Course details

Retail strategy: Understanding strategy through the lens of retail change theories: cyclical, environmental and conflict. The positioning for profit framework (merchandise, communications, service, and trading format and store environment). The multichannel dimension.

Retail buying: Supplier selection and management; pricing and markdowns. Merchandising and range planning for both store and on-line formats.

Retail location: the strategic and tactical decisions associated with locational choice and network management.

Retail operations management: the 5Ss of retail operations (systems, standards, stock, space and staff). The definition and role of customer service; store layout principles; store design, flagship stores, visual merchandising; shrinkage and stock loss management.

Retail failure at a corporate (including attempted failed internationalisation strategies) and store level.

BMAN70172 Programme Req: BMAN70172 is only available as an elective to students on MSc Marketing

To provide an understanding of, and be able to apply critically, the principles and practice of strategy and tactics in the planning and management of retail businesses.

By the end of the course students should be able to meet the following learning outcomes.

Knowledge and understanding:

[A] Of the various strategies and tactics used by retail organisations, and the rationale for their use.

Intellectual skills:

[B] Be able to apply and synthesise knowledge of relevant academic theory and professional best practice.

Practical skills:

[C] Develop written solutions to retail scenarios through the assessment regime.

Transferable skills:

[D] Collect and interpret data.

[E] Develop and defend strategic and operational recommendations.

[F] Use and develop oral reasoning skills in lectures and seminars.

Formal Contact Methods

Minimum Contact hours: 20 

Delivery format: Lecture and Workshops 

The course is assessed in two ways:

1. Mid-term multiple-choice exam (20% of final mark)
2. A written group report on a case study (80% of final mark)

 

Written, verbally during class and via Blackboard.

Reading List

Core Textbook:

Levy, M., Weitz, B.A. and Grewal, D. (2019). Retailing Management (10th ed.), McGraw-Hill.

Further Readings:

Babin, B. J., Darden, W. R. and Griffin, M. (1994): “Work and/or Fun: Measuring Hedonic and Utilitarian Shopping Value,” Journal of Consumer Research, 20 (4): 644–56.
Blut, M., Beatty, S., Evanschitzky, H., Brock, C. (2014): “The Impact of Service Characteristics on the Switching Costs-Customer Loyalty Link,” Journal of Retailing, 90 (2), 275-290.
Böttger, T., Rudolph, T., Evanschitzky, H., Pfrang, T. (2017): “Customer Inspiration: Conceptualization, Scale Development, and Validation,” Journal of Marketing, 81 (6), 116-131.
Brock, C., Blut, M., Evanschitzky, H., Kenning, P. (2013): “Satisfaction with Complaint Handling: A Replication Study on its Determinants in a Business-to-Business Context,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 30 (3), 319-322.
Evanschitzky, H., Brock, C., Blut, M. (2011): “Will You Tolerate this? The Impact of Affective Commitment on Complaint Intention and Post-Recovery Behavior,” Journal of Service Re-search, 14 (4), 410-425.
Evanschitzky, H., Emrich, O., Sangtani, V., Ackfeld, A., Reynolds, K., Arnold, M. (2014): “Hedonic Shopping Motivations in Collectivistic and Individualistic Consumer Cultures,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31 (3), 335-338.
Evanschitzky, H., Iyer, G.R., Pillai, K.G., Kenning, P., Schütte, R. (2015): “Consumer Trial, Continuous Use, and Economic Benefits of a Retail Service Innovation: The Case of the Personal Shopping Assistant,” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32 (3), 459-475.
Evanschitzky, H., Ramaseshan, B., Woisetschläger, D., Richelsen, V., Blut, M., Backhaus, C. (2012): “Consequences of Customer Loyalty to the Program and to the Company,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40 (5), 625-638.
Evanschitzky, H., Wangenheim, F., Wünderlich, N. (2012): “Perils of Managing the Service Profit Chain: The Role of Time Lags and Feedback Loops,” Journal of Retailing, 88 (3), 356-366.
Grewal, D., Levy, M., and Kumar, V. (2009): “Customer experience management in retailing: an organizing framework,” Journal of Retailing, 85 (1), 1-14.
Nagengast, L., Evanschitzky, H., Blut, M., Rudolph, T. (2014): “New Insights in the Moderating Effect of Switching Costs on the Satisfaction-Loyalty Link,” Journal of Retailing, 90 (3), 408-427.
Schumann, J., Wünderlich, N., Evanschitzky, H. (2014): “Spillover Effects of Service Failures in Coalition Loyalty Programs: The Buffering Effect of Perceived Program Benefits,” Journal of Retailing, 90 (1), 111-118.
Verhoef, P.C., Lemon, K.N., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A, Tsiros, M, and Schlesinger, L.A. (2009): “Customer experience creation: Determinants, dynamics and management strategies,” Journal of Retailing, 85(1): 31- 41.
Verhoef, P.C., Kannan, P.K., and Inman, J.J., (2015): “From multi-channel retailing to Omni-channel retailing: Introduction to the Special Issue on Multi-Channel Retailing,” Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 174–181
Vogel, V., Evanschitzky, H., Ramaseshan, R. (2008): “Customer Equity Drivers and Future Sales” Journal of Marketing, 72 (6), 98-108.

 

Informal Contact Method

Office Hours

Online Learning Activities (discussions)