Teacher(s)
Language
French
> English-friendly
> English-friendly
Prerequisites
/
Main themes
The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of the realities of traditional retailing and the changes that are taking place, particularly as a result of new distribution and communication formats.
It should enable students to understand the different forms of strategic interdependence, both horizontal and vertical, that link producers and intermediaries, as well as their strategic implications. It also emphasizes the complexity of decisions linked to the retailer's retailing mix.
The main themes covered in this course include :
It should enable students to understand the different forms of strategic interdependence, both horizontal and vertical, that link producers and intermediaries, as well as their strategic implications. It also emphasizes the complexity of decisions linked to the retailer's retailing mix.
The main themes covered in this course include :
- Retail strategy development
- Retailer types and distribution channels
- Omnichannel retailing & e-commerce
- Retailing mix decisions (e.g., store location, customer service)
- Merchandise management (e.g., assortment size, shelf layout)
- Supplier-distributor relationship management (e.g., negotiation, conflict resolution)
- Customer relationship and experience management (e.g., customer journey mapping)
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | Competencies
Given the « competencies referential » linked to the LSM Master 120 in Management and in Business Engineering, this course mainly develops the following competencies:
Learning outcomes
At the end of this teaching unit, students will be able to :
|
Content
Retailers play an extremely important role in the distribution chain; they represent the final link between producers and end consumers. Retailing is therefore the point where supply literally meets demand. The objective of this course is to understand the realities of traditional retailing and its evolutions, particularly those related to new distribution channels (digital & omnichannel retailing). Omnichannel retailing is becoming increasingly important and is fundamentally changing the way businesses distribute their products and interact with consumers. Effective omnichannel retail management is now a key source of value and can provide a significant competitive advantage in the modern market.
In this context, this course focuses on the strategic and operational challenges that retailers face on a daily basis:
- Developing effective omnichannel distribution strategies,
- Implementing these strategies through a coherent retailing mix (e.g., merchandise management, store location and physical environment, customer service, return policy),
- Negotiating and building sustainable relationships with the various stakeholders in the retailer’s ecosystem, including suppliers and customers,
- Ensuring that the customer experience is as high-quality and seamless as possible, regardless of the distribution channels used.
Teaching methods
The course alternates between theoretical lectures (delivered by the instructor and students), practical exercises, case studies, simulations (role-playing games), field observations, and guest lectures from industry professionals.
Students are required to complete preparatory work ahead of certain sessions.
The instructor reserves the right to adapt teaching methods based on the evolving health situation and may opt for a "hybrid" format. In this case, in-person sessions would be prioritized for practical exercises, case studies, role-playing, and guest lectures, while online sessions could be favored for more theoretical lectures.
Students are required to complete preparatory work ahead of certain sessions.
The instructor reserves the right to adapt teaching methods based on the evolving health situation and may opt for a "hybrid" format. In this case, in-person sessions would be prioritized for practical exercises, case studies, role-playing, and guest lectures, while online sessions could be favored for more theoretical lectures.
Evaluation methods
As part of this course, students are assessed in two ways:
- Ongoing partial assessment, which may include group activities such as reading, analyzing, and discussing scientific articles related to retailing; case studies; practical exercises (e.g., retail location analytics); and role-playing simulations (e.g., negotiation simulations).
- Individual written exam during the exam session (January), consisting of open-ended questions in French.
- Continuous assessment scores (a) are final. Student cannot resit or retake the activities subject to continuous assessment.
- Scores attained through the team assignments and group project can be individualized according to each member's investment.
- Grade weighting: In the event of successful completion of both (a) and (b), the scores obtained for (a) and (b) respectively account for 65% and 35% of the final grade. In the event of a serious failure (score equal to or less than 7/20) in (a) or (b), the student will receive a failing final grade.
- Modalities of the resit exam are identical to those of the 1st session exam.
- The final evaluation of the course unit is based on various pedagogical activities that are subject to ongoing partial assessment. In accordance with Article 72 of the RGEE, the course instructor may propose to the jury to deny a student access to the exam if they have not participated in at least 80% of these activities and have not submitted the corresponding assignments within the required deadlines.
- By submitting an assignment for evaluation, students assert that (i) it accurately reflects the facts and to do so students need to have verified them, especially if they originate from generative AI resources (which students must explicitly mention as a support tool for their work); and (ii) students have respected all specific requirements of their assigned work, in particular requirements for transparency and documentation of process. If any of these assertions are not true, whether by intent or negligence, students have violated their commitment to truth, and possibly other aspects of academic integrity. This constitutes academic misconduct.
Online resources
Moodle (Student Corner)
Bibliography
Support de cours
Le matériel pédagogique, mis à disposition des étudiants sur Moodle (Student Corner), inclut :
Livres (lecture conseillée mais non obligatoire, par ordre d'importance)
Le matériel pédagogique, mis à disposition des étudiants sur Moodle (Student Corner), inclut :
- Slides PowerPoint et/ou screencasts
- Articles scientifiques et de presse managériale
- Cas d’entreprise
Livres (lecture conseillée mais non obligatoire, par ordre d'importance)
- Levy, M., Weitz, B., and Grewal, D. (2018), “Retailing Management”, 10th ed., McGraw-Hill Education.
- Badot, O., Lemoine, J-F., and Ochs, A. (2018), “Distribution 4.0”, Pearson Education (France).
- Palmatier, R., Stern, L., and El-Ansary, A. (2019), “Marketing Channel Strategy: An Omni-Channel Approach”, 9th ed., Routledge.
- Rapp, A., et al. (2015), “Perceived customer showrooming behavior and the effect on retail salesperson self-efficacy and performance”, Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 358–369.
- Bleier, A., Harmeling, C., and Palmatier, R. (2019), “Creating effective online customer experiences”, Journal of Marketing, 83(2), 98-119.
- Fisher, M. L., Gallino, S., & Xu, J. J. (2019), “The value of rapid delivery in omnichannel retailing”, Journal of Marketing Research, 56(5), 732–748.
- Gensler, S., et al. (2012), “Understanding consumers’ multichannel choices across the different stages of the buying process”, Marketing Letters, 23(4), 987-1003.
- Herhausen, D., Binder, J., Schoegel, M., and Herrmann, A. (2015), “Integrating Bricks with Clicks: Retailer-Level and Channel-Level Outcomes of Online–Offline Channel Integration”, Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 309–325.
- Ghose, A., Lee, H., Nam, K., and Oh, W. (2023), "The Effects of Pressure and Self-Assurance Nudges on Product Purchases and Returns in Online Retailing: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment", Journal of Marketing Research, forthcoming.
- Lemon, K. and Verhoef, P. (2016), “Understanding Customer Experience Throughout the Customer Journey”, Journal of Marketing, 86 (November), 69-96.
- Sa Vinhas, A., et al. (2010), “Channel design, coordination, and performance: Future research directions”, Marketing Letters, 21(3), 223-237.
- Zhang, J., Farris, P. W., Irvin, J. W., Kushwaha, T., Steenburgh, T. J., & Weitz, B. A. (2010), “Crafting integrated multichannel retailing strategies”, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 24(2), 168-180
Faculty or entity
Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)
Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Management
Master [60] in Management
Master [120] in Business Management
Master [120] : Business Engineering
Master [120] in Management
Master [120] : Business Engineering
Master [120] in Management (with work-linked-training)