Formation/Cours

The retail branding and innovation course is designed to equip graduates to interact with and manage branding and innovation roles and functions in retailing and supply chain contexts, and to relate retail branding and innovation to the strategic directions of an organization.
Students will, additionally, learn to demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of sustainable retail branding to the successful performance of an organization, and as graduates to be champions of sustainable retail branding and innovation in a multiplicity of enterprise contexts, including firms, public sector and not-for profit organizations and product and services retailing.

At the end of the coursen the student should be able to :
1 Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the business, political, social, economic, ecological and technological environments in which the contemporary retail manager works. 2 Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of the concepts and practices of retail branding and innovation management from strategic and implementation perspectives.
3 Be aware of and understand strategic and best practice approaches to retailing issues and decisions, with a special emphasis on managing the retailer (corporate) brand and meeting stakeholder needs through excellent and innovative retail management, which includes understanding the retail mix, brand elements and performance management.
4 Apply that learning to individual assignments, retailer focussed projects and to class discussions, workshops and forums
5 Reflect on and incorporate sustainability and ethical issues in a retailing context

The course is structured so that it starts with an analysis of the domain of retailing, with particular emphasis on retail strategy and an investigation of the retail context and profiles of retail customers. Analysis of the specific political, economic, sociocultural and technological contexts for the retailer is considered early in the course because this analysis is critical to retail success. Next, recent research on retail branding, including retailer branding, retail concept and retail personality, is examined. To develop a retail strategy, retailers must determine their brand and then design the elements of the retail mix, which will build that retailer brand. The dimensions of the retail mix are addressed from strategic and innovative viewpoints. To implement the strategic approach, effective and efficient management of retail operations is required and it is here that retail management information systems and performance management systems make a major impact.