MASTER SYLLABUS

Course Number & title:         Retail Merchandising - BUS 315

Department(s):                       Marketing/Hotel Restaurant/Business Law

Credit hours:                          3

Prerequisites:                         BUS 233 – Principles of Marketing

Fees and charges:                  None

Effective catalog date for this master syllabus:   2006 – 2007

1. Catalog description:
A study of the operation and management of retail establishments, including detailed consideration of problems in store policies, organizations, location, services, buying, sales systems, and records.

2. Course content:
            a.   What is retailing?

            b.   Strategic Planning and Operations

            c.   Retail Customers

            d.   Evaluating the competition

            e.   Managing the supply chain

            f.    Market selection and retail location analysis

            g.   Managing a retailer’s finances

            h.   Merchandising buying and handling

            i.    Merchandise pricing

            j.    Advertising and promotion

            k.   Customer services and retail selling

            m.  Store layout and design

            n.   Legal and ethical behavior

3. Student learning objectives:
The overall purpose of this course is to increase understanding of the retail organization and its marketing, managerial, merchandising, and legal aspects.  Major concepts and their importance to overall decision making leading to the most effective actions will be examined.  Specific learning objectives include:

            1.   To familiarize students with the approach used by contemporary retailing management in making retailing strategy decisions (given organizational                            pressure to achieve sales, profit, and growth objectives).

            2.   To understand the key concepts and issues relating to retailing and how retailing interacts with marketing concepts.

            3.   To cover the most current topics in the area of retailing strategy and to relate these topics to realistic business situations.

            4.   To investigate the types of information sources used by today’s retailing managers and to discuss how these information sources are used as                          inputs to decision making.

4. Student assessment criteria:
            Written examinations, assignments, class participation, peer group evaluations for group assignments/presentations.  Specific grades are based on the            following 100 point scale:

                        Class discussion            25%

                        Group projects               25

                        Written assignment        20

                        Mid term exam              15

                        Final exam                    15

                                                           100%

The grading structure is based on the importance of class discussion, group projects and written assignments (which we will discuss in class).  There will be many “reviews” of important concepts as class discussions.

5. Additional information (optional):
            The course is developed to enhance specific student skills and competencies.  The competency framework includes:

                        ●    Professional competence

                                    Conceptual thinking

                                    Task orientation

                                    Proactivity

                                    Self-assessment

                                    Self control

                                    Stamina and adaptability

                        ●    Communication skills

                                    Writing

                                    Presenting

                                    Interpersonal communication

                                    Listening

                        ●    Integrity

                                    Accountability  

                                    High standards

                        ●    Interpersonal Competence

                                    Teamwork

                                    Enthusiasm