Fall 2024

Survey of digital retailing methods and practices for marketing products and services in direct-to-consumer business models. The course will cover website and mobile design, digital authoring and publishing tools, e-commerce business models, electronic merchandising theory, terminology, resources, and practices. Students will learn about digital commerce via applied learning activities and development of a fully functional digital store.

Creating a new, innovative retailing venture can be both challenging and rewarding. Explore theories and practices of innovation and entrepreneurship in the retailing industry. Learn about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, how to identify new opportunities, the role of innovation, and how to launch and manage the growth of a new retail venture. Students will create and develop an innovative, new retailing concept.

Understanding customers and delivering optimized, personalized experiences can increase customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty. This course will cover customer experience (CX) design, testing and evaluation, and management for real-world, digital, and omnichannel shopping environments. Students will use CX consumer research tools including ethnography, video analysis, emotion detection, and digital usability testing (UX) incorporating professional UX applications, eye movement tracking and biometrics. Students will also explore CX management processes including service quality evaluation and management, service blueprinting, customer journey mapping, customer lifecycle model analysis, and customer lifetime value. In this hands-on course, students will learn how to use prototype, develop, and test websites, mobile apps, and store experience concepts for testing and build a CX/UX portfolio.

Intermediate retail business analysis using Microsoft Excel and other computer applications. Identify, define, assess, and apply business analysis techniques and practice competencies important to retail business analysis, including forecasting, sensitivity analysis, data management, and data visualization. This lab is designed to support the learning objectives and related activities in RCSC 316 Retail Business Analysis.

Develop competencies essential in retail business analysis. Explore the fundamentals of business analysis and apply analysis techniques in retail situations, including basic financial performance analysis, pro-forma financial projections, business model simulation, sensitivity analysis, and return on investment (ROI) analysis. Particular attention will be given to practical techniques used by business analysts in the retailing industry.

Apply integrated marketing communications (IMC) in the retail environment. Explore the IMC planning process to effectively use advertising, public relations, direct marketing, sales promotion, personal selling, visual merchandising, and digital/social media. Research, create, organize, and present marketing communication campaigns.

Contemporary concepts, principles, and practices of retail operations management. Real-world cases and perspectives for store, digital, and omnichannel retailing. Topics include operations strategy, process design, capacity planning, inventory control, loss prevention, and project management. The topics are integrated using the retail profit model and a systems model of the operations of a retail organization.

Real-world industry practices in retail buying, planning, allocation, and control. Forecast customer needs and determine how to maximize profit by utilizing the industry data, analytics, and intuition. This course also covers pricing, inventory planning, negotiation, merchandise promotions, and vendor management.

Personal and professional development for RCSC students. This course prepares students to apply for internships and to enter the workforce by providing tools and resources for internship and career success. Topics include personal branding, professional dress, resumes, cover letters, and success factors in interviews and internships.

Explore consumer behavior and the decision-making processes involved when individuals or groups, select, purchase, use or dispose of products and services to satisfy needs and desires. Discuss consumer behavior theories and practical applications of the concepts to real-world consumption activities.