Marketing 310 Fall 2000 Advice

I thought Retailing was a fun and interesting course. When I think of a retail store, I never would have thought that there would be so much thought involved. There are many different areas that a manager has to think about in order to keep their store running and making profit. They have to keep up with having enough inventory, their competitors, how to advertise, their salespeople, and many more things. I liked doing the labs in the course such as looking at prices on products over the internet as compared to store prices. I also liked having a web page to go to if I missed an assignment given. It gave me the practice questions and end of chapter questions I needed for each chapter. We also got to watch many videos in this course. My favorite was the one about West Edmonton Mall. It looked like a great place to shop and a perfect place for retailers to put their stores. Overall, the course was worth taking.

There really isn’t much I wish I had known about this course because I had already taken Dr. Johnston for a previous course. I would advice people to do all of their end of chapter questions and practice questions because they count for a grade that can help you, and they are also excellent studying material for the tests. A student needs to enjoy typing and doing homework because there is something due every class meeting. I liked having the assignments every night because I am a visual learner and do much better on tests when I have something to look at and study from. What I do not advice is taking two of your classes back to back on the same day. It is double the homework and double the tests. It can become a hassle. It is pretty good though when Dr. Johnston cancels both classes because then I have no classes for the rest of the day.

In the Retailing course, I learned a great deal about how retailers think and operate. Each company is different and unique, which sets them apart from each other. The most interesting thing about the class was the video on how Sam Walton created and succeeded in the discount retail industry. This is a very motivational video that makes it seem as though anyone with determination and an idea can be successful.

There is not really much that I can say that I wish I had known because I have had Dr. Johnston twice before for two different classes, so I knew what to expect. Retailing is an industry that I am interested in and taking this class has only increased my interest in it.

From this retailing course, I learned basic principles associated with the changing marketplace. I learned how to use the internet as a shopping source, how to plan in retailing situations (i.e. inventory), and some of the legal aspects involved with the marketing process. I think that the highlights of the course are the example videos of companies actually utilizing the processes and strategies discussed in the class. It just pulls all of the information together, and helps me to make sense of the text material. I think that the two chapters about store layout and site location and evaluation made a bigger impression on me than any of the other chapters, because I never realized that so much planning went into the stores. I really never thought about the differences that store layout and site decision actually make.

My advice to others taking this course would be to try and absorb all of the info provided. Even someone who won't be in retailing, but will be in the business world can benefit from learning different processes and strategies studied in the retailing class. I wish that I had known how important it was to know the material covered in the book. I would have studied the book, and possibly I could have made better test grades. Knowing the text material would also help students not to feel as pressured to read over the chapters for the final exam, and it relieve some of their studying pressure.

During this semester I have learned various things about how the retail business works. Everything from retail strategies to store design and layout to globalization. We learned how retailing benefits the wholesaler the manufacturer and the customer. How strategies can be effective and what factors to consider such as location, price, service, and communications. We also participated in class activities on internet shopping and price comparisons. I believe after taking this course I will have a better understanding as to what is going on when I walk into a retail store.

My advice to any future student is to do the homework, it will help you greatly in understanding the class and testing. Watch all the class videos and take notes and put a lot of effort into the final.

I was able to understand more about retailing, b/c it help me learn more about the skills that I had used in past work experiences. Store locations and design are way more important than I thought they were. I will be able to take this knowledge which I have learned and apply it to my new jobs.

As far as the class goes, I already knew the teachers style. So I knew what he expected in class. Be prepared to do a lot of work outside of class and on the internet. It seems like busy work, but it really helps you on the test. B/c the test are usually straight from the homework and sometimes from the videos in class. So you also have to pay attention in class.

I learned more about the computer and how the Internet works than I have ever known. I learned about how retail store run their business and how they treat and deal with customers. Most of all I learned there are many ways to use the Internet that are very useful to me as a consumer and if I were one day be a store owner.

If you do not like busy outside assignments this is not the class for you. If you have a full load of heavy classes I would not recommend this class. Do not get me wrong this is not a hard class but challenging. This class does require some outside time so if you do not have outside time then this is lot the class for you. However it is a fun and interesting class.

What I learned in retailing, was that there is a lot of things that a retailer has to look at before making big decisions. The retailer needs to look at the customers. The highlights were watching movies and learning about other companies. The information that made a big impact on me was the study of the environment. There were no real topics that changed my ideas or perceptions of retailing. What I wish I had known before taking this class is that it is just like international marketing. I wish I had known that you need to study really hard and really know the internet. The only thing I would have done differently is not been pregnant during this semester.

I learned a lot in this course about how the layout/design of the store affects its image and success. I also learned more about what it takes to expand a retailing business internationally. I realized the importance of maintaining information on customers. Before this class, I didn't know that retailers took such efforts to gather and maintain information on customers.

Someone coming into this class should know, first of all, that he/she will enjoy the class and learn a lot about retailing. However, for those who don't make it a point to keep up with homework assignments, you should know that your grade depends on your turning in assignments on time. The material is not difficult, but you have to KEEP UP! This course is enjoyable -- you get to watch interesting videos and do fun activities on the internet. These videos and assignments really aid in your understanding of the material in the text.

I learned several things while taking this course. First and foremost I learned that retailers have many different things to think about when it comes to knowing how to satisfy customers. Before I took this course I always thought that retailers basically put items on the shelves and waited for them to sell. I think that I was probably a bit naïve. Now I know that retailers have to ask themselves critical questions before deciding what items to stock and what not to stock. Not only that, but a retailer must decide where to place items in the store so that they can sell more of them. The highlights of the course were the movies that you showed. They really drove home what we were talking about in class at that particular time. All in all I think that this was a good class and I think that I am a better person for taking it.

The best advices that I have for anyone taking this course from Johnston is study your practice questions. I have taken two marketing classes from Johnston and what I have figured out is that you will do okay on his test if you study the practice questions. Also I would advise future student to actually do the practice questions themselves. That is, do them yourself and do not get the answers from a friend. I have found that if you do the questions yourself it is a lot easier to remember the questions when it becomes test time. Some other advice that I have for future students is I would recommend that you sit down in front. It is a lot easier to see the overheads that Johnston uses if you are in front.

I learned more about different individual stores. I also learned how important every little aspect of marketing a product is , in a retail store. They purposely set up the merchandise, designing of the store, store layout, colors, music, and the whole atmosphere to sell and market to customers.

I wish I would have done all of the assignments ahead of time and all at once. That would have made this class a lot easier for me.

I learned a lot a bout the retail industry in this course. Some of the most important and interesting things I learned was the importance of store location and how to evaluate a site. I always thought that if you sold a good product, your store would do well. This definitely helps but there are many more factors that will decide whether your store will be successful or not. Another interesting thing I learned in this class was about store design and how retailers lay out their store to keep a good customer flow and make it easier on the customer. Most of these things, I took for granted and did not realize how much strategic planning goes into it.

I wish I had known about the homework we would have in this class. The homework was good and reinforced the principles involved in this course but you have to take time to prepare for each class. If you are not used to doing this before each class, you will get hurt. Always do your homework and don't wait till the last minute

What I learned in Retailing is that there are many more components that deal with retailing than just selling a product. I really enjoyed many of the videos that we watched. I feel that learning about certain companies can help students learn more than just the book. I wish I would had been more prepared for the busy work that was assigned during the semester. It feels like it is a lot of work but it really pays off in the long run. As a whole I really enjoyed this class.

This semester in Marketing 310 (Retail) was very valuable to me. In this course I learned many things about the retail world. Some of the major aspects that were learned include; store design, the benefits of retailing, no store retailing, retail positioning, the purchase decision process, the research process, and assortment planning and buying. The highlights of this course were the internet labs. These labs helped me become more familiar with the internet, and they also introduced me to the future of retailing. These types of projects made a lasting impression on me because they introduced me to a new type of retailing that I was not familiar with and had never seen before. The online retailing and store design parts of the course changed my way of thinking about retailing. They both showed me how retailers use everything at their disposal to reach and effect the customers and their buying decisions. I believe that these two aspects of the course were the most important and beneficial topics. I also believe that they will help us as students more in the "real world" than anything else we learned this year.

The advice that I would give a new student taking this course would be to study hard, stay ahead and do all the homework, and to pay attention to everything and take it in, because this course will help them succeed and will benefit them more than any other business course I have seen so far. The only thing that I wish I had known for about the course, before I took it, is that there is a lot of computer work and typing required. I am not good at either and was not prepared for, or expecting, the amount of each required. If I had known this was going to be such an important part of the class I would have tried to familiarize myself with the internet more. I would have also tried to brush up on my typing skills beforehand. Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated this class and what I learned.

What I learned in the Marketing Retailing class was different outcomes on different cultures. One of the highlights of the course was the video’s that we watched for each different topic in the chapters. The video’s covered important material that would eventually be on the test. Overall the class was fun and I learned a lot from the lectures and the book.

For someone that is about to start the Marketing Retailing class, be prepared to do some work. You have to do 10 practice questions and usually 3 to 5 end of chapter questions for each chapter. The good thing about this is that it will help you study for your test. Most of the material from each test comes from the practice questions, end of chapter questions, and a few videos. If you go to class and do all of your assignments then you will do fine in the class. I now wish that I had known what it was like to take two classes from Dr. Johnston. If you have him for two classes (Marketing 310 Retailing and Marketing 410 International) be prepared to do some work. The class structure is similar but the material is different. If I had known this before hand I would have probably divided up the two classes and taken them in different terms.

What I learned in Marketing 310 Retailing course was the basic concepts of the retailing industry and how the concepts apply to the everyday operations of a retail store. The information that was the most valuable to me was how they determine markups and clearance items within the store.

What I wish I had known before hand was how much work has to be done in the class. IF had known this before I would have not waited until the last minute to complete the assignments. However, I do that there is too much busy work in the class. I felt that some of the internet assignments were not directly related to the class itself. My advice to future students is to be prepared to work because this plenty of it to do.

I learned that retailers want to locate their stores in the best place possible. The best place possible will vary from retailer to retailer depending on the industry, type of product, competition and other market factors. Basically, a retail store should be located where the market opportunities are at high levels. There are a lot of locations to choose from as well. Most potential sites fall into one of these categories: business district, shopping centers, and freestanding locations. There are eight basic shopping centers: neighborhood, community, regional, super regional, fashion, power, factory and theme. There are advantages and disadvantages for each type of location, but the bottom line is to pick a location that will fit today’s and tomorrow’s needs.

I learned that there was a whole lot more to retailing than just selling you items. You have to plan your strategy and you have to have a good store layout. I did not know all of the things that you need to know before you go into your own retail store.

The advice I have for someone is to do the practice questions and the end of chapter questions. They will help you out on the test. It seems like a lot but it will help you out in the end. Also be sure you write down the review questions for the videos. You will see them again on tests. I wish I had know that because I would have taken better notes.

I learned that retail is a complicated world to master. You have to figure in the customer, product and the seller. When using retailing , the customer is a very important factor. They are the ultimate opinion of your product. When a customer buys your product , they test it, and if the product is good they will tell their friends and they will in turn buy the product also. The seller must make the product as appealing as possible. When that happens he can optimize the value of the product. I have also learned that the internet is a very important and future hot spot for shopping. The internet is very quick, but is also impersonal. People like to be able to look at the product and feel it. The internet is growing every day. I feel it will eventually grow into it's own.

I would recommend going out and looking at the retail business to better familiarize their selves with the way it works. I also recommend using the internet and better understanding it's terminology and the way it operates. It will prove useful in the future and for the class. Retail is going to be a big use for people in the business world. Everyone has a part in retiling, it may be word of mouth by telling someone that this store is good or has a better selection than others. Everyone has a part in the grand scheme of business.

I have really enjoyed this class although I am not a marketing major. I think I have learned valuable information that will help me in the future if I ever decide to own my own company. Not only have I learned different marketing techniques, but I have also become more comfortable using the computer and learning new web sites. The only thing that I will warn you about is that you will stay busy doing homework.

I came into this class with a good knowledge about retail on the sales floor. I did not have the managerial experience and I did not know what all had to be done before a product made it to the sales floor. Working in retail for the past three years helped me with some of the questions and let me know a lot of what was happening in some of the chapters. I learned about the planning of how much of a product needs to be made and how much material needs to be purchased to make those products. There is a lot of background information about the “behind the scenes” way a retailing business works that I learned in this course. If any thoughts that I had were changed they were toward my managers because of all the extra paperwork and planning that they have to do to keep the business running smoothly. The computer labs are good and are fun things to do when you do not have to be in class.

I wish that I had known that Dr. Johnston had all of his test in all of his classes on the same day because I had him for International Marketing and Retailing. That made it extremely hard to do well on both of the test since the classes were back to back at 10 and 11. If there is any advice that I have it is that you do all of your practice questions and end of chapter questions, but don’t let him tell you that that will be all that is on the test. He will pick some questions that you have not heard anything about to put on the tests too. Some of the videos also show interesting things about the marketing environment. Keep up on your homework too because you only get the chance to miss turning it in twice. I would also ask Dr. Johnston to make sure and go over the end of chapter questions and see which ones that he is placing emphasis on so that you will know which ones are more important to study that the others.

I've learned how retailers do their business and how to be a retailer. The Lab class and watch the video will the best part of the class. Those materials related to the text and current events. The most impression are catalog retailers and Internet retailers.

It is a very worth class. After I took this class, I've learned more about the retailers in USA. Also, I see the difference between the USA and my country.

What I learned: Basically there is a lot more to the world of retail than I ever really stopped to think about. It is a global arena that continues to grow with the use of the Internet. And so much thought goes into a store before it is built like where it will be located, what the front will look like, the layout, etc. It is a vast field and this class has explored every aspect!

I wish I had known: That I would need a computer!!! The assignments seem like busy work and a huge pain, but in the end they really help with the tests...so do the homework!!!

I learned a lot from this class including the decisions retailers must face in an ever-changing world and business environment. Retailers must adapt quickly to the fads and seasonality of their products. Retailers that successfully adapt to change and can change quickly will be more successful. It was interesting to learn the ends and outs of marketing overseas as well as domestically. Specifically the cultures and customs of an ever-changing world.

I wish I had known there would be a lot of work for this class. Study the end of chapter questions because those are what I missed on the exams, and even the videos we watch in class are important too. This class is not hard but you must take time to prepare well in advance for the scheduled exams.

I learned a great deal in Retailing. This is one of the best classes I have taken at UTM. I thought the course content was very interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned about how to set up a retail store so as to get the most returns. We discussed the growing use of the Internet and how it is affecting retailers. We talked about the importance of customer service. I really enjoyed this class, and would recommend it to everyone.

The only thing I might advise to future Retailing students is that this semester I also took International Marketing with Dr. Johnston, and we had tests on the same day. This did not really pose a problem for me, but it is something that I would like to point out. Even if I had known that tests would be on the same day, I still would have taken both of these courses. I learned a lot from them both, and enjoyed them.

In this course I learned about what many choices and problems a retailer faces. Competition is very fierce in this country and the retailing industry is one of the best examples of that. Determining customers wants and needs and figuring out future trends are also very important to retailers.

I wish I had known-A lot of the information in this course has been covered in marketing 301 but gone into in more detail in this class. I wish I had been more diligent on my end of chapter questions because I usually missed those the most on exams.

One of the things in retailing that I really thought was valuable was the videos. The videos showed us some of the things in our retailing text brought into real life situations. I think that putting these concepts into actual things that we have seen or heard makes them make a lot more sense. One of the things that I didn't really like about the retailing class was some of the busy work we had to do. I didn't think that some of the labs were worth putting so much time into because they didn't seem to have much to do with retailing. Some information that might be important to know before going into retailing is to always do your homework no matter how repetitive it may seem. Always go to class and make sure you take notes on some of the end of chapter question.

I learned that there is much more to retailing than I ever thought. Retailing is an extremely important part of business. The course also made me realize how much e-commerce is increasing and how important it is to a business.

I wish I had known how much homework was required for the course. If I had known that, I would have not waited until the last minute to do it all the time. Definitely read the chapter and turn in the homework--it will help you on the tests, since the tests come from the practice questions.

Question 1. I learned quite a bit in retailing. I have always been interested in going to market sometime for the experience of it and this class made me want to do it even more. I learned that some many things are in your control such as location, store design, customer service and others. But there is also so much that is not in your control. Some good examples of these are the economy, competitiveness, styles, the environment. I still feel retailing would be a good business to try.

2. I don't feel as if there was any particular thing I needed to know before I went into the course. You did a thorough job of going over the details and answering questions people had without putting them down for asking. The outside work you gave was beneficial in understanding the concepts better and I enjoyed reading most of the chapters. I would recommend this class to someone if they asked.

What I learned in Marketing 310 was a lot of things I have already experienced by working in retail. I learned other things I didn't realize like the reasoning behind placing merchandise in the places that we do. I also learned more about what customers want from a business when they are shopping. I have no desire to continue working in retail as a career, however the learning experience was interesting.

What I wish I had known was pretty much everything I already knew. This was my third class under Dr. Johnston and I pretty much knew what to expect. Do your practice questions and end of chapter questions. These are a major part of the exams. Just by doing them and studying them will raise your exam score tremendously. It is a lot of work but I think you will find very beneficial. So go to class and do the work!!