1. Why do you think that there has been a proliferation of job titles? Is this good or bad? Why? 2. State how the issues raised in this case relate to a retailer conducting a situation analysis. 3. Should retailers have a chief of digital operations position? Explain your answer. 4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “Elevating ‘customer experience’ or ‘security’ responsibility to a ‘chief’ sends a message about where the retailer is making its bets and what it values.” Why?
> 1. As a retail buyer, what criteria would you use in deciding whether your chain should carry the new Samsung Family Hub refrigerator? 2. What kind of support would you require from Samsung with regard to training you (as the buyer) and the on-floor sale
> 1. Present a merchandising philosophy for this sporting goods retailer. 2. Why do you think this retailer would prefer an inside buying organization, rather than an outside one? 3. If this buyer position is responsible for tennis equipment, what decisio
> 1. What is the proper mix of humans and technology in preventing shrinkage losses? 2. How would a small retailer’s theft avoidance strategy differ from that of a large strategy? Why? 3. Develop an operations blueprint (see Figure 13-1 for an example) to
> 1. Based on the information this case, what kind of career path would you expect an SMDO to have? Why? 2. How could an SMDO have an impact on a retailer’s cash flow? 3. How could an SMDO have an impact on a chain retailer’s energy management systems? 4.
> 1. Based on the information this case, what kind of career path would you expect an MTD to have? Why? 2. Using Figure 11-4 as an example, present a similarly formatted job description for an MTD. 3. How could an MTD improve a retailer’s financial operati
> 1. What are the pros and cons of delineating such a long list of specific activities for an ASM to perform? 2. Why is ASM a good starting point for a retail career? 3. What criteria would you use to determine how well an ASM is doing in his/her job? 4. W
> Why is it imperative for a firm to view its strategy as an integrated and ongoing process?
> 1. A new technology allows retailers to be sure the temperature in a delivery trailer is in the proper range for refrigerated or frozen food, and whether products can go on to the store, require more testing, or are rejected. Relate this to store locatio
> 1. What is the most surprising thing that you learned from reading this case? Explain your answer. 2. What are the implications of this case for a U.S. retailer that wants to open in Europe? 3. What are the implications of this case for an online retaile
> 1. Comment on this statement: “AEO established a strategy based on what its road map would look like for the next 5 years.” 2. Explain the concept of “channel-immune” distribution centers. How does this fit with retailers’ store location decisions? 3. Wh
> 1. How is trading-area analysis different for a small store than a large store? Explain your answer. 2. How should a food-delivery service such as AmazonFresh define its trading area? Is it going to bigger or smaller than a traditional supermarket’s trad
> 1. What is the TNS Shopper Universe? Why is it a valuable tool for retailers? 2. Describe the consumer segments included as experience-driven. 3. Describe the consumer segments included as task-driven. 4. Which customer segments noted in this case are mo
> 1. What do hot retailers have in common? Explain your answer. 2. Why do you believe that so many supermarkets and apparel stores seem to be hot retailers? 3. Cite one retailer mentioned in this case that you think is still hot. Do some research to prove
> 1. What is the convenience economy? Give your own examples. 2. Is the convenience economy good or bad for retailers? Why? 3. What would restaurants have to do to be able to use the Ritual app efficiently and effectively? 4. What is your favorite example
> 1. According to the information in the case, how are American demographics changing? 2. As a supermarket retailer, how would you address the rise in U.S. single-person households? 3. As a local gift shop, how would you address the rise of Hispanics in th
> 1. Why is omnichannel retailing a bigger challenge for food retailers than general merchandise retailers? 2. Apply DyShaun Muhammad’s three key steps to your favorite supermarket. 3. Comment on this statement: “It’s easier to do multichannel, but that cr
> 1. Do you agree or disagree with this statement: “It’s no longer bricks-and-mortar versus E-commerce — omnichannel is the path to success.” Explain your answer. 2. How has Walmart evolved over the years to address changing consumer desires, new technolog
> Visit the Web site of PetSmart (www.petsmart.com) and then comment on its storefront, general interior, store layout, displays, and checkout counter.
> 1. What must retailers that are the “favorites of today” do to remain popular? 2. What criteria do you use in deciding on your favorite stores? Why? 3. Take a look at the Jet Web site (https://jet.com). Do you think it will succeed? Why or why not? 4. De
> Why do you think that “virtual shopping” has not taken off faster as a research tool for retailers?
> Why would a retailer use mystery shoppers rather than other forms of observation? Are there any instances when you would not recommend their use? Why or why not?
> Develop a 10-item semantic differential for a local furniture store to judge its image. Who should be surveyed? Why?
> Cite the benefit of each primary data method: survey, observation, experiment, and simulation.
> As a fitness club owner, what kinds of secondary data would you use to learn more about your industry and consumer trends in leisure activities?
> Cite the major advantages and disadvantages of secondary data.
> What are the opportunities and potential problems with electronic data interchange (EDI) for a drugstore chain?
> Explain the relationship among the terms data warehouse, data mining, and micromarketing. How can f.y.e. (for your entertainment, www.fye.com) apply these concepts?
> 1. How can an independent retailer compete with power retailers? 2. What is the greatest opportunity for each of the retail categories described in this case? 3. What is the greatest threat for each of the retail categories described in this case? 4. Wha
> How could a small retailer devise a retail information system?
> Can a retailer ever have too much information? Explain your answer.
> What would you recommend to guard against this comment? “Traditionally, retailers and suppliers just don’t like to share supply-chain information with each other.”
> Relate the information flows in Figure 8-1 to a bakery near your college or university.
> How could a small Web-only retailer engage in relationship retailing?
> Do you believe that customer service in retailing is improving or declining? Why?
> Define the term total retail experience. Then describe a recent retail situation in which your expectations were surpassed and state why.
> Explain the retailing concept. Apply it to your school’s bookstore.
> On the basis of the chapter description of the Home Depot, present five suggestions that a new retailer should consider.
> What is the purpose of developing a formal retail strategy? How could a strategic plan be used by a restaurant chain?
> 1. How should the organizational missions of convenience stores and QSRs differ? Why? 2. What are the competitive advantages of convenience stores versus QSRs? Explain your answer. 3. Comment on the information in Figures 1 and 2. What are the strategic
> Describe how the special characteristics of retailing offer unique opportunities and problems for local gift shops.
> Why would one retailer seek to be part of an exclusive distribution channel while another seeks to be part of an intensive distribution channel?
> What are the pros and cons of a firm such as Apple having its own retail stores and E-commerce Web site as well as selling through traditional retailers?
> What kinds of information do retailers communicate to customers? To suppliers?
> What is your favorite consumer electronics retailer? Discuss the criteria you have used in making your selection. What can a competing firm do to lure you away from your favorite firm?
> How would you deal with consumer concerns about privacy in their relationships with retailers?
> Differentiate between social responsibility and consumerism from the perspective of a retailer.
> Describe three unethical, but legal, acts on the part of retailers that you have encountered. How have you reacted in each case?
> Will the time come when most consumer purchases are made with self-scanners? Explain your answer.
> What are the pros and cons of ATMs? As a retailer, would you want an ATM in your store? Why or why not?
> What are the unique aspects of service retailing? Give an example of each.
> Devise a consumer loyalty program for Barnes & Noble.
> How would you measure the level of customer satisfaction with your favorite restaurant?
> What is the connection between customer service and employee empowerment? Is employee empowerment always a good idea? Why or why not?
> Why should a retailer devote special attention to its core customers? How should it do so?
> What are the expected and augmented value chain elements for each of these retailers? a. Home Depot. b. Ikea. c. Local fruit-and-vegetable store.
> When a consumer shops at an upscale apparel store, what factors determine whether the consumer feels that he or she got a fair value? How does the perception of value differ when that same consumer shops at a low-end apparel store?
> What checklist item(s) in Figure 1-11 do you think would be most difficult for Home Depot, the global home improvement retailer, to address? Why?
> Should a catalog-based men’s wear retailer use the strategic planning process differently from an Internet retailer? Why or why not?
> How are the control and feedback phases of retail strategy planning interrelated? Give an example.
> 1. Relate the material in this case to the value chain and the value delivery system. 2. Are services related to physical accommodations typically considered as expected customer services or augmented customer services? Why does this distinction matter?
> Describe how a retailer can use fine-tuning in strategic planning.
> A competing bicycle store has a better location than yours. It is in a modern shopping center with a lot of customer traffic. Your store is in an older neighborhood and requires customers to travel further to reach you. How could you use a merchandising,
> Marsha Hill is the store manager at an apparel store located three miles from a large university. She has saved $100,000 and wants to open her own store. Devise an overall strategy for Marsha, including each of the controllable factors listed in Figure 3
> Discuss local examples of a retailer applying mass marketing, concentrated marketing, and differentiated marketing.
> Draw and explain a positioning map showing the kinds of retailers selling tablets such as the iPad and Kindle Fire.
> Why do retailers frequently underestimate the financial and time requirements of a business?
> Develop a checklist to help a prospective service retailer choose the proper service category in which to operate. Include personal abilities, financial resources, and time demands.
> What are the pros and cons of starting a new hair salon versus buying an existing one?
> How would situation analysis differ for a shoe store chain and an online shoe retailer?
> Why is it necessary for a small retailer to develop a thorough, well-integrated retail strategy? What could happen if a firm does not develop such a strategy?
> 1. What do you think are the best uses of VR for retailers today? What are the limitations? 2. Is the typical retailer ready for VR? Why or why not? 3. How can VR enhance a firm’s ability to generate a great total retail experience and relationship retai
> Would REI be as successful if it operates as a traditional chain? Explain your answer.
> How could a small independent restaurant increase its channel power?
> What are the pros and cons of Sherwin-Williams using dual marketing?
> Why would a supermarket want to lease space to an outside operator rather than run a business, such as dry cleaning, itself? What would be its risks in this approach?
> From the franchisee’s perspective, under what circumstances would product/trademark franchising be advantageous? When would business format franchising be better?
> What are the similarities and differences between chains and franchising?
> What competitive advantages and disadvantages do regional chains have in comparison with national chains?
> What difficulties might an independent encounter if it tries to expand into a chain?
> How can an independent retailer overcome the problem of little computerization?
> Why does the concept of ease of entry usually have less impact on chain retailers than on independent retailers?
> 1. What overall conclusions do you draw from this case? Explain your answer. 2. What is the biggest “disconnect” between retailers and their customers today? How could this be fixed? 3. What could other retailers learn from John Lewis and Warby Parker? 4
> Do you believe that independent retailers will soon disappear from the retail landscape? Explain your answer.
> What are the characteristics of each of the ownership forms discussed in this chapter?
> Comment on the decision of many membership clubs to begin selling gasoline.
> Do you expect factory outlet stores to keep growing? Explain your answer.
> What must the off-price chain do to succeed in the future?
> Contrast the strategy mixes of specialty stores, traditional department stores, and full-line discount stores.
> What are the pros and cons of Sephora carrying more than 200 brands of personal care products?
> Do you think U.S. combination stores (supercenters) will dominate grocery retailing? Why or why not?
> Contrast the strategy mixes of convenience stores, conventional supermarkets, food-based superstores, and warehouse stores. Is there room for each? Explain your answer.
> What strategic emphasis should be used by institutions in the growth stage of the retail life cycle compared with the emphasis by institutions in the maturity stage?
> 1. Based on the information presented in this case, how would you describe Shake Shack’s retail image? 2. How would you describe the store atmosphere that Shake Shack seeks to maintain? 3. The Gramercy Tavern is more upscale than Shake Shack. Explain how
> How could these retailers best apply scrambled merchandising? Explain your answers. a. Kay Jewelers b. 1-800 Flowers c. A local delicatessen d. Dunkin' Donuts
> Develop a high-end retail strategy mix for a toy store. Include location, operating procedures, goods/services offered, pricing tactics, and promotion methods.
> Explain the wheel of retailing. Is this theory applicable today? Why or why not?
> What future role do you see for video kiosks? Why?
> What must retailers do to improve customer service on their online stores?
> From a retailer’s perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having the World Wide Web?
> From a consumer’s perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the Web?
