E-mail: johnston@utm.edu

Office Address: Business Administration Building Rm. 218

Office Hours: Office hours are posted

Office Phone: (731) 587-7354

Dept. of MMPS office: BA.115 (587-7238)

Course Objectives:

Course Objectives: 

1.  To provide a comprehensive framework for the study of retailing including ownership, strategy mix, trading area analysis, site selection, human resource management, promotion, and customer service.

2.  To explore the effects of consumer decision making on the retail firm's strategy.

3.  To examine consumer rights, ethics, and social responsibility.

4.  To provide students with the opportunity to improve their interpersonal, written, and spoken communications skills and to sharpen their critical thinking.

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Student Outcomes:

1.  A process objective is for students to read assigned chapters in the textbook. Students will demonstrate this activity by answering multiple-choice and open-ended questions as homework.

2.  A second process objective is for students to participate in classroom discussions and activities. Students will demonstrate their participation by completing assessments of case studies, videos, and  guest speakers.

3.  Students will demonstrate the mastery of the subject by their performance on exams, and on a cumulative final exam.

Course Content:

Course Content:  

General Topical Areas:  Industry overview, retail strategy, environmental issues, understanding the consumer, location and site evaluation, store design and layout, human resource management, financial analysis, merchandising decisions, pricing, promotion, virtual store and database marketing, and globalization.  The 16 chapters in the Retail Management text can be summarized into six general areas as follows.

Area 1:  The retailing environment.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 1 through Chapter 3 and presents strategic planning issues associated with owning and managing a retail business.

Area 2:  The retail customers.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 4 through Chapter 5 and considers consumer decision-making and gaining customer information via research.

Area 3:  The retail store.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 6 through Chapter 9 and considers store location and site evaluation, store design and layout, human resource management, and financial analysis.

Area 4:  Retail merchandising and pricing.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 10 through Chapter 12 and considers merchandise budgets, assortment planning and buying, vendor relations, and pricing.

Area 5:  Communicating with retail customers.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 13 through Chapter 14 and presents retail advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and publicity.

Area 6:  Retailing challenges and changes.  Includes all or selected parts of Chapter 15 though Chapter 16 and considers the virtual store and retail database management, globalization, and changing retail formats.

A.  Graded events:

Grading Procedures:

A.  Graded events:

Note:  Assignments and class-work grades are generally worth equal “shares” of the point total.  For example, if 50 assignment and class-work items are possible in the course, then each item is worth 2 points. 

Class Policies:

Class Policies:

A.  Examinations.  Exam question responses will be in the format of short answer and multiple-choice.  The exam questions will sample knowledge of the assigned material in the textbook, of material presented in class, and of material introduced in assignments.  Exams may include material in the textbook that is not covered in homework or class-work.

Exams are generally not graded “on a curve.”  Grades are determined by the percentage of correct answers, and assigned based on the scale shown in the "Grading Procedures" section..

B.  Missed exam.  In the event that a student misses a scheduled exam, the student's score on the final exam will be substituted for the missed exam score.  This substitution is allowed only once, which means that a second missed exam will earn a score of zero.  The final exam must be taken at the time specified by the University.

C.  Grade posting.  Due to privacy concerns, no grades will be posted.

D.  Attendance and active participation.  It is necessary for one to attend class and to participate actively in order to fulfill the requirements of the course.  Arriving late, sleeping, and leaving early does not equal "active participation."  A student must have been present for no less than 75% of the time that the students met together to earn a passing grade.  This rule applies to "excused" absences.

E.  Classroom behavior.  A goal for the classroom is to have a positive, attentive, courteous environment that is conducive to learning.  Being on time, being alert, participating in discussion and activities, staying for the full class time, and generally contributing to the learning experience of one's classmates are desirable behaviors.

F.  Academic dishonesty.  Academic dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism, is not acceptable behavior.  No credit will be awarded for work that results from dishonest behavior.

G.  Assignments.  Students will be asked to complete assignments, some in class and some as homework, during the course.  These assignments can include case studies, World-Wide Web exercises, field research, library research, questions about reading assignments, or quizzes.  The assignments can include written and spoken parts. 

Assignments are due when collected in class, or by the time specified if submitted electronically.  Assignments submitted after the appointed time will be late, and late homework assignments are generally not accepted (but see "give me a break" below.)  Students can submit homework early in the case of a planned absence, on a limited basis.  There is no opportunity to make up missed in-class work, whether or not the absence was “excused” or not. 

"Give me a break."  Each student gets two "breaks."  One can use a "break" to turn in a homework assignment late (up to the third class period from due date).   No homework is accepted after the last class meeting before the final exam.

For additional information on assignments, see "Homework directions and hints."

H.  Writing.  Students should submit written work in typed form, unless told otherwise.  To be acceptable, written work should be largely free of typographical, spelling, and grammar errors.  Students will be asked to submit some written work via electronic mail.  Typically students will receive a handout that gives the requirements of each assignment. 

I.  Speaking.  Students may have the opportunity to practice their speaking skills by making presentations to the class.

J.  Questions regarding the student's final grade in the course must be raised with the instructor within seven weeks after the final exam date.

Disability Statement

Disability Statement:

Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations due to a disability is requested to provide a letter of accommodation from P.A.C.E. or Student Academic Support Center within the first two weeks of the semester.