ASSIGNMENT THIS ORDER IS THE SAME AS ORDER NUMBER:81327843
WHICH I GOT A FAIL IN THEREFORE IM RETAKING THIS – PLEASE TAKE ATTACHMENTS FROM THIS ORDER!! IF ANY PROBLEMS CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY!!
Length There is a word limit of 5000 words (main body). Assignments in excess of 5000 words will be penalised.
Format Report
Some guidance
Two retailers
Each student will select the two companies they wish to investigate and analyse. However, no students may select the same two retailers. Therefore you need to register your choice of stores with the module leader on a first come first served basis.
The sector of fast food is not available to students as we will be working on this sector and it’s specialist stores in seminars. The coffee shop segment of the fast food market (Starbucks, Costa, Nero etc) is also not available to students.
UK presence
Each company should be a multi-store retailer (chain) although they do not need to be public companies, UK owned or national chains they should have a presence of five or more sites in London.
Same market sector and segment
Stores to be analysed is subject to module leader’s agreement (if in doubt discuss this with your seminar tutor). .
(based on both desk research and store visits)
Research should be broad and deep. Read retail theory, sector and company information and observe stores.
Evaluates the retailers’ retail strategy in the light of its competitive environment
Some of the material to be covered:
• The overall sector’s position
• The retailers’ strategies for dealing with the environment
• The retailers’ strategies for dealing with the competition they face
• Target market(s), competitive positioning
Evaluates the retailers’ implementation in the light of its competitive environment
The report should address the main operational issues in the light of the target market(s) and competitive positioning identified
• range of merchandise
• pricing
• customer communications
• service offering
• location
• store ambience, layout and communication
Conclusions
The report should make clear your assessment of how successful each of the retailers have been both in the selection of a strategy to follow and in its implementation.
Assessment criteria
Analysis and evaluation of retail strategy and management exhibited by selection of appropriate theory and example. This involves the quality and sources of the information collected during the research and the skill used in selection, analysis and presentation (including your own research deepening and broadening your knowledge and understanding of retail theory).
Ability to analyse retail situation in the competitive environment demonstrated by the application of the theory. This involves the degree of insight shown in the analysis and evaluation of strategy and implementation made on the basis of research findings (secondary research and observation)
Critical evaluation of the relationship between elements of strategy and the retail mix exhibited by explanation and justification of answer. This involves synthesising the different aspects of strategy and implementation to provide your (evidenced) views on the effectiveness of the strategy and implementation of the retailers being examined
Your ability to work to a deadline, to length, producing a systematic, well structured and organised, professional looking report, with full sourcing of all quoted material, including all material drawn from your own observations
PLEASE REFER TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANSWERS AT EACH GRADE DOCUMENT ON THIS BLACKBOARD PAGE
You should also look at the assignment briefing slides in the learning material section of this blackboard site
A cautionary note
You will not be able to find all the information you want. For example, some of the major retail brands are part of larger companies and information about specific brands is not always available. Additionally some of the major retail companies are private companies (eg Indetex which owns Zara and Massimo Dutti and more, Arcadia which owns Top Shop, BHS, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and more) and it is very difficult to find detailed published financial information about some chains. Unfortunately this is the state of the real world. You have to do the best you can and may need to make estimates and reasonable assumptions. This is a fact of business life. Through the library you have access to just about as much published information as a business analyst working on a takeover of one of these businesses. You have to do the best with what you can get.
Plagiarism
All the work you submit for assessment must be your own work. You are reminded that you must not attempt to pass off another’s work as your own, whether it is from other students, academics or academic publications, trade sources, journalists, Wikipedia, websites or whatever. The secret is to give proper sources. The library publishes an excellent resource called ‘Referencing your work’ http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-3687.
MY 2 CHOSEN COMPANIES ARE PRIMARK AND HOLLISTER – PLEASE BE SURE TO USE THESE COMPANIES
