Graduateschool of Management

GRADUATESCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

ST. PETERSBURGSTATEUNIVERSITY

Course Outline

International Retail Management

Professor: Suvorova Ekaterina Vladimirovna, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Marketing Department,

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:

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

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 / Required reading for class:

Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.1,3
Article: Management in International Retailing

Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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
Class 2.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class3:
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 class4:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.14,15
Article: Retail revenue management and the new paradigm of merchandise optimization. Executive Agenda.
Class4.
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 class5:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch. 12,13,16
Article: The Old Pillars of New Retailing
Class5.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class6:
Reading and preparing:
HBS Case: Wal-Mart Stores in 2003
Class6.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class7:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.11
Article: Quick, Flexible and Smart: Interview with Andre Tordjman, Director of Marketing, Auchan.
Class7.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class8:
Preparing assignment 1:
Group presentation ‘Store Location and Trade Area Analysis’
Class8.
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 class9:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.18
Article:The Role of Store Image in Retail Internationalization.
Class9.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class10:
Reading and preparing:
HBS Case: Zara: Fast Fashion
Class10.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class11:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.19
Article: Overcoming Media Fragmentation and the Erosion of Customer Trust
Class11.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / Key points:

Retail communications strategy
Strategic aspects of retail promotion

Learning outcomes:

Understand scope of retail promotion
Learn about major types of retail promotion
Familiarize with techniques to enhance the effectiveness of retail promotion

Assignments for class12:
Preparing assignment 2:
Group presentation ‘Financial strategy’
Class12.
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 class13:
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

Class13.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / Key points:

Global consumer trends
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 class14:
Reading and preparing:
HBS Case: Howard Schultz and Starbucks Coffee Company
Class14.
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 class15:
Reading:
Article: Emerging Markets. Priorities for Global Retailers
Class15.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class16:
Preparing assignment 3:
Group presentation ‘Store layout, design and visual merchandising’
Class16.
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 class17:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.6
Article: Challenges of the Future. Retail Technology in the Next Century.
Class17.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 class18:
Reading and preparing:
HBS Case: Leadership Online (A): Barnes & Noble vs Amazon.com
Class18.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / 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 non-traditional retailing
Learn about new business models in retailing
Understand ways to compete against new business models

Assignments for class19-21:
Reading:
Berman, Evans Retail Management Ch.20
Preparing:
Group project presentation

Topic 4. Integrated retail strategy

Class19-20.
Date:
Time:
Auditorium: / Field visit to shopping center
Key points:

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

Class21-23.
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:

By preliminary arrangement by email at and

General Course Requirements

Mid-term exam: / Pass/fail upon successful submission of all assignments due to date
Final exam (test/zachot) / Presentation of group project
Final exam results:
Deadlines for submitting assignments (exercises, projects, presentations etc) /

Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Project

Assessment output

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%

Requitedtextbooks

Berman B., Evans J. Retail Management: a Strategic Approach. 10th ed. Prentice Hall. 2007

Distributed materials – case studies and related articles.