VCU School of Business Mission The mission of the VCU School of Business is to prepare students for successful careers

and lifelong learning by providing management education firmly grounded in technolog y, interdisciplinary teamwork and global perspectives. Essential to achieving t his mission is striving to excel in teaching and scholarly research, and to buil d effective, value-based relationships with the external community. Dr. Michael Little, Marketing Chair Email: mwlittle@vcu.edu READING MATERIALS - Retailing Management by Levy Weitz 9th Edition (2010). McGraw-Hill Irw in. - Cases on Blackboard Course Documents. COURSE OBJECTIVES The course objectives or approaches used to teach MKTG 691-C90 are: 1. To provide a working knowledge of the modern marketing concept in retail organizations. 2. To gain experience in developing retail marketing strategies (e.g. actio n plans) and evaluating retail programs through cases. 3. To develop skills in the communication of analysis, recommendations, and conclusions through Case Studies. The student is encouraged to use power-point . METHODOLOGY The focus of the course will be on decision making within the context of retail marketing. Emphasis will be placed on the functions of decision-making analysis as they per tain to the role of the Retailer. The class meets five weeks including video conference from Rich mond and 15 day classes taught on the Christ University campus. The teaching met hodology will be organized mainly around the analysis and discussion of retail c ases. All of the cases assigned are comprehensive accounts of problems and/or s ituations that have faced real retail firms and institutions. Please turn off a ll electronic devices such as cell phones, beepers and notebooks etc. during cla ss. ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING Participation Class participation is an important element of case discussions. The quality of participation is reflected in careful reading of assigned material, and class discussion. Spec ifically, you are expected to ask a question for a case presented. Group members are expected to evaluate each others performance. Those missing meetings or not completing tasks are subject to a 10% reduction in your grade. EVALUATION: Team Case (25%) All cases will be discussed on the dates indicated on the class schedule and wil l not be accepted

at a later date. The primary case assignment is one team case (25%). The team c ases are to be presented in class, for 20 minutes, and are to be followed by class questions (1 5 minutes) about the feasibility of the action plan. The team will submit a written report using the Team Case Analysis Outline (p. 5 of syllabus) approximately 4 pages. One paper may be hand ed in for the team case. Finally, I will conclude the case discussion with a summary of theme s and their linkage, contrasting and comparing previous cases, and providing a conclusion an d lessons learned. Case Assignment & Financial Analysis (20%) Cases are discussed on the dates indicated on the class schedule. For each case assigned, each student team will prepare and submit a two-page Problem Formulat ion (PF) deliverable that captures your understanding of the situation the organ ization faces. You will submit your PF prior to the problem discussion in class . You should bring an additional copy to reference during the discussion. A fo rmat for the problem formulation is on page 8 of this syllabus and the Strategic Profit Model of financial analysis is available on Blackboard see Starbucks case. Exams (55%) The mid-term exam will include chapters 1-6, with a multiple choice, problem and essay format. The final exam will be a case based with an essay format. You a re expected to take the examinations on the dates scheduled in the syllabus. COURSE GRADING SCALE Team Case (oral pres.& written) x 15% Case Assignment & Financial Analysis .75 points) Mid Term Exam ed grade.) Final Exam 100% 25% 20% 25% 30% (Multiply your grade 85 for Individual Case = 12 to determine your weight

Course Website: A Website for this course has been created using VCU s Blackboard course managem ent tools. To access this site, go to http://www.blackboard.vcu.edu click on Lo gin, enter your first initial, last name, and last 4 digits of your social secur ity number (no spaces, e.g. mlittle1234) as your user name and your entire SS # (no dashes) as your password. This will get you to your My Blackboard (mybb) pa ge, where you can click on the Marketing Management link to get to the course we bsite. (Note: by going to Tools you may retrieve course documents, announcement s for assignments and review your course grade throughout the semester. Your fi nal grade will be posted here.) Attendance Policy: Everyone is expected to attend every class and to contribute to our discussions and to be responsible group members. If you have to miss a class due to a situa tion beyond your control, please inform me at your earliest convenience. Anyone missing three or more classes is in danger of a reduced course grade of 10%. Y ou are expected to arrive on time for the beginning of each class and not leave during class. In the case of inclement weather, our class will follow universit y procedures, and the assignment due will carry over to our next scheduled class

. Regarding missed assignments, they will not be accepted later unless there are extenuating circumstances such as illness or accident. If you cannot be presen t for an exam, you will need to make arrangements ahead of time in order to take the exam. Honor Policy: The VCU Honor System is based on the foundation that Virginia Commonwealth Unive rsity recognizes that honesty, truth and integrity are values central to its mis sion as an institution of higher education. In a community devoted to learning, a foundation of honor must exist if that community is to thrive with respect an d harmony. Therefore, members of the academic community are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Categories of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, any deliberat e and dishonest act that results, or could result in, a student receiving an unf air advantage in an academic matter: Plagiarism Cheating Lying Stealing Academic Materials Facilitation for Academic Dishonesty

The VCU HONOR PLEDGE applies to ALL work for credit, unless otherwise stipulated by the instructor. "On my honor, I have neither given not received aid on this assignment, and I pledge that I am in compliance with the VCU Honor System. All VCU Students are presumed upon enrollment to have acquainted themselves with and have an understanding of the Honor System. Also, it is a student s responsibil ity to ask course instructors to clarify expectations for each assignment in ord er to be in compliance with the Honor System. Students are responsible for unde rstanding the types of conduct deemed unacceptable and therefore prohibited by t he Honor System and to refrain from committing any of these acts. More informat ion about the VCU Honor System is available at: http://www.students.vcu.edu/judi cialaffairs/students/student_honor_system.html

Suspected violations of the VCU Honor System should be reported to: Academic Integrity Officer Office of Judicial Affairs and Academic Integrity Suite 106, University Student Commons Box 843071 Phone: (804)828-1963 Fax: (804)827-1579 email: honorsystem@vcu.edu Reasonable Accommodations: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilitie s Act of 1990 require Virginia Commonwealth University to provide an academic a djustment and/or a reasonable accommodation to any individual who advises us of a physical or mental disability. If you have a physical or mental limitation that requires an academic adjustment or an accommodation, please arrange a meeti ng with me at your earliest convenience.

TEAM CASE ANALYSIS OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT (4 written pages) 1. s.) irm? Problem Statement and Objectives (Note: keep to two to three sentence

Identify and explain problems in order of importance. What is the significance of the problem in terms of strategic marketing to the f

2. Situation Analysis (Note: keep to about two and half pages.) Identify and explain core competence of firm. Identify and discuss current products, price, promotion/positioning, distributio n (store formats) strategy and target markets/segments in detail. Analyze financial information including: Net Profit, ROA, ROE, Leverage, Asset T urn, Gross Margin and Operating Expenses with at least a 5 year trend etc. in ta ble format using percent or ratio comparisons and discuss in detail. 3. Alternatives/Recommendation (Note: keep to one page.) Evaluate no more than 2 alternatives that would possibly solve the problem expla ining your reasons for these options with the advantages and disadvantages. Include marketing growth strategies to 1) promote/communicate, price and/or offer 2) new products or identify a 3) new target market in terms of profit outlook (e .g. high) and competitive threat (e.g. low). Provide financial and current update since time of case in both written paper an d oral presentation. CASE GRADING SCALE Summary: of case problem(s), identified objectives and section titles Situation analysis: market (mix) strategy, target market, 30% and core competence Financials at time of case 4-5 year trend in EXCEL table form 25% 10%

Alternatives (list 3 decisions with strengths/weaknesses) 20% Recommendation (summary of advantages over alternatives identified above and elaborate on implementation of a detailed market strategy action plan in both written paper and oral presentation) Update of current strategy & most recent financials (e.g. 2011) Total 100% SCHEDULE DATE 7-9 7-16 7-17 TOPIC ASSIGNMENT Introduction Retailers Create Value Read Text Chapter 1 5% 10%

Supply Chain 7-18 ailing 7-19 7-20 (Group Assignment Due)

Case Read Text Chapter 2 & 3 Multichannel Ret

Types of Retailers &

Customer Buyer Behavior Read Text Chapter 4 Retail Market Strategy Read Text Chapter 5 Read & Discuss Amazon.com;

7-23

Retail Market Strategy Read Chapter 6 Read & Discuss Shiny Provision Store Case (Team Presentation & Assignment Due)

7-24 7-25 7-26 & Assignment Due) 7-27 & Assignment Due)

Financial/Operations Mid Term Exam Store Location

Read Text Chapters 7 & 8

Read Text Chapters 9 & 16 Wal-Mart (Team Presentation

Human Resource Mgmt. CRM & Supply Chain

Read Text Chapters 12 & 13 Best Buy (Team Presentation

Retailer Role in the

Read & Discuss Starbuck s

7-30

Merchandise Mgmt. Home Depot (Team Presentation & Assignment Due)

SCHEDULE cont. DATE 7-31 TOPIC ASSIGNMENT

Pricing Read Text Chapter 15 & 17 Ikea Invades America (Team Presentation & Assignment Due)

8-1

Promotion/Communication Read Text Chapter 18 Apple (Team Presentation & Assignment Due)

8-2

Customer Service & Review (Team Presentation & Assignment Due)

Burberry

8-3

Final Exam

Problem Formulation for Case Write-up

1) What was the problem? situation? (10 pts.) 2)

Identify the strategic aspects of the marketing

Why was the problem significant? (10 pts.)

3) What information (i.e. qualitative or quantitative) does management need to know before addressing this problem? Be detailed as possible. (20 pts.) 4) Evaluation Criteria used for cases is to compare Revenues, Gross Margin, Net Profit, Sales General and Administrative (SGA) or Operating Expense, Levera ge, Return on Assets, ROE in per cent form in last 5 or 6 years. (Note: briefly discuss trends or grade will be reduced e.g. revenues and ROE have decreased rec ently and expenses have increased significantly). (30 pts.) 5) What are the growth strategic alternatives or options that might be eval uated? (i.e. new merchandise, new target market, new promotion strategy etc. Be detailed as possible. (30 pts.)