(MBA/IBM)

(2018 - 2019)

(Retail Management)

(FALL, 2019)

(Name of the Instructor: Prof. Sunitha Ratnakaram)

Contact Details (sratnakaram@jgu.edu.in)
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Retailing is huge and varied part of every nation’s economy. Retailing links producers to the consumers
and hence it assumes a strategic importance in today’s competitive marketplace. Retail flourishes in the
wealthy and populous regions of the world. While the opportunities are many, competition makes it equally
tough to exploit them. Today’s retailers should be able to clearly understand their customers and value
propositions, which appeal to their target customers. They should be able to develop and manage suitable
retail formats within the limitations of capital, infrastructure, supply chain, paying capacities of the markets.
This course aims to address such issues of importance to the retailers. Participants of this course would be
able to understand and appreciate a wide array of issues, activities, and strategies that constitute the field
of Retail Management.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
What should be your learning at the end of this course? You should be able to achieve the following: The
course helps participants understand
 Basic concepts of retail management
 Different types of Retail Formats
 Omni-Channel or Multi Channel Retailing
 Types of Retailers
 Retail Growth and Expansion strategies

LEARNING GOALS
In addition to the specific course related objectives, this course is designed to achieve the following
learning goals
1. Critical and Integrative thinking: Each student will be able to identify key issues in Retail
Management settings, develop a perspective that is supported with relevant information and
integrative thinking, to draw and assess conclusions. This learning goal will be measured through
assignments and submissions
2. Awareness of Global Issues affecting Retailing concepts in terms of design, formats, growth and
Expansion. Each student will be able to identify key relevant global issues and be able to analyze
the impact of the global environment on Retail environment, as compared with domestic market
related management issues. This learning goal will be assessed through class discussion on the
issues focused as above.
3. Interpersonal Awareness and Working in Teams : Each student shall demonstrate an ability to work
effectively in a team, exhibiting behavior that reflects an understanding of the importance of
individual roles and tasks and the ability to manage conflict and compromise so that team goals are
achieved.
4. Effective Presentation Skill: Each student shall be able to communicate verbally in an organized,
clear, persuasive manner and be a responsive listener.
TEACHING METHOD
The course will have a judicious mix of lectures and cases. Here the onus of learning will be with the
student and the instructor will be a facilitator. Instead of learning ‘what to do’, the cases will also be used as
examples of real world phenomenon where a particular issue or set of issues arises and good and bad
practices are seen. The key to learning this way is to see many examples and many situations and learning
inductively from the different experiences of student managers.

TEAMS AND TEAM WORK

You will be informed about your team members and you should prepare cases for class discussion. You
will have 4 - 5 members in your team. A total of 10 teams only. At the end of the term, each team member
will be asked to grade other member’s participation in the course work (P2P Review). The final grade may
be adjusted downward (25-75) if a person on a team has not pulled his/her weight.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance to all the sessions is as per the university rules (minimum 75% excluding all leaves). The
following instances will also be treated as absence unless prior permission is taken
 Attending only part of the session, either entering or leaving during the break
 Arriving in class after the session is scheduled to begin
 Failing to display the name card

GRADING
The course grade will be determined on the basis of
Evaluation Weightage Nature Explanation
Item
Group Case 15% Individual One case analysis synopsis and presentation. Throughout
Presentation the semester. One group in each allocated session.
Class 10% Individual General conduct in classroom and the amount of
Participation contribution in class proceedings – to be measured by
instructor
Class Quiz 10% Individual Two surprise individual quizzes (written) – Absent
translates only to “0”; first in 1 to 7 sessions, second in 8 to
15 sessions.
Project Work 20% Group Live project
Assignments 5% Individual Data collection task
End Term 40% Individual Written Examination (Take-Home)

PROJECT (TEAM BASED)

Group of 3 – 4 members can choose a topic of their choice from the course. Each team is expected to do
the requisite literature review, data collection and analysis to reach findings. Team is independent to
choose a quantitative or qualitative research, however confines strictly to primary research. Sample can
depend based on method of research. Topic selection should finish by the end of first week and team to
submit a schedule and plan of work. Further clarifications may be sought if needed.

DELIVERABLES
Each team will turn in a maximum 15-page report and a 15 slide presentation (1.5 spaced, 12-point font,
Ariel Narrow; exhibits, references extra; appendices allowed) submit over email to
(sratnakaram@jgu.edu.in) on or before the mutually decided date. These project report submissions are
only in MSWORD format. Students are not permitted to copy from websites and they will be penalized if
found copying/lifting from the website (There will be a plagiarism check). However, they can quote the
source and accession at the end of the text. References must. Maximum permissible words will be 5 words
in a sentence on continuous basis.
All word documents should be in standard report formats with required headings to make for easy reading.
They should be as per the above guidelines and on an A4 paper with 1-inch default margin. In general
appendices and tables do not count towards the page limit. Please use the tables and appendices in the
report; otherwise the reader would get the impression that there just there to add ‘weight’ to the report.
Template for a quantitative study based report:
a) Introduction
i) Title
ii) Objectives of the study
iii) Scope and Limitations
iv) Methodology
b) Review of literature
c) Data analysis
d) Findings and recommendations
e) Conclusion
Appendices (References, Tables and any other material of interest)
Power point presentation too can follow the same template
Template for qualitative study based projects would be discussed with the respective teams.

TEXT BOOK, COURSE PACKAGE AND OTHER READINGS

The required text book for the course is (Barry Berman, Joel R Evans and Mini Mathur, Retail
Management, Pearson). Chapters from this book are assigned as required readings in the class schedule
below- I will assume that you have done those readings when you come to the class. The lectures will take
the book material as a starting point and probe deeper into the issues- it will not regurgitate the book
material. If something in the book is not clear to you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Cases and any other reading material assigned for reading will be provided to you in a course pack and will
be uploaded in the e-learning platform.
Book 1 Barry Berman, Joel R Evans and Mini Mathur, Retail Management, Pearson
Book 2 Michael Levy, Barton Weitz and Ajay Pandit, Retail Management, McGraw-Hill
Other Retail Management books available in Library
CLASS SCHEDULE (Each session is of 90 minutes’ duration) / Please complete the table below for all
sessions
Session No-1, 2 ,3 & 4 Introduction and core concepts
Objective of the To understand marketing strategy, segmentation, product differentiation and
session positioning for retail organizations.
To know the importance of service in Retailing
To know about the Small Independent Retailers Vs. Retail Chains
To understand the concepts of Merchandising
Readings Chapters 1, 4, 5 and 7
Readings To be added later
Case Title and Number Shop fair Super Markets (A)
BigBasket.com
Personal shoppers at Sears
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case discussion

Session No- 5 Online and Multi-Channel Retailing

Objective of the To understand the role of Web in the world of Retailing
session
Readings Chapter 6
Readings Tobe added later
Case Title/ Number Amazon in 2017
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case discussion

Session No- 6, 7, 8 , 9 Retail Supply chain, IT, Store operations, Costing, Pricing and Profitability
and 10
Objective of the To understand site selection
session To know trading area analysis
To understand Financial and operations dimensions
Readings Chapter 9, 10 , 12 and 13
Readings Tobe added later
Case Title and Number J C Penny’s “fair & square” pricing strategy
Zara: IT for Fast Fashion
Liza Davis and the Bargain Hunting Customer
Staples Inc.
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation

Session No- 11, 12 Retail Strategy: Growth and Expansion

and 13
Objective of the To understand the concepts of merchandise management
session To know to establish and maintain a retail image
Readings Chapter 14 and 18
Readings To be added later
Case Title and Number Tesco PLC: Fresh and Easy in the United States
Talbots: A Classic
7-Eleven, Inc.
 Direct Product Profitability at Hannaford Brothers Co.
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation

Session No- 14 &15 Course Overview & Live Project presentations by students
Objective of the At the end of this session you will realize the practical issues in services
session setting.
Readings Not applicable
Readings Not applicable
Case Title and Number Not applicable
Pedagogy Student can choose

DELIVERY DEADLINES FOR PROJECTS/ASSIGNMENTS

Case submissions prior to class discussion in assigned class.
Project submission in session 12 – presentations will be scheduled in session 14 and 15.