MKTG 332: Retailing and E-Commerce Management Master Syllabus
Representative Syllabus
Students are responsible for being familiar with and following the instructions and policies in this document.
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Marketing 332: Retail & E-Commerce Management Overview
Welcome! In this course, subtitled "Global Commerce Strategies in the Modern Age," you will embark on a journey through the rapidly evolving landscape of modern retail. The course begins with a strong foundation in retail's core principles and historical context, recognizing that understanding the past is crucial for navigating the future. You will explore how retail has evolved from its traditional roots, influencing and being influenced by cultural, social, and technological forces over time. This historical perspective will set the stage for understanding the complexities of today’s retail environment.
As we move forward, we’ll delve into customer-centric strategies, emphasizing the importance of building meaningful connections with consumers across both physical and digital platforms. You’ll learn how the concept of 'Connected Commerce'—which integrates all shopping channels into a seamless, unified experience—has become essential in meeting the expectations of modern consumers. By examining how societal shifts and technological advancements shape customer behavior, you’ll develop strategies that resonate with today’s informed and connected shoppers.
We will explore the precision required in retail operations, focusing on how the diverse functions of retail— from logistics and inventory management to data analytics—drive success. You’ll understand how the integration of technology and data enables retailers to operate efficiently and effectively, optimizing every aspect of the business to meet consumer demands and stay competitive in a global market. This section emphasizes the operational backbone that supports customer-centric strategies, ensuring that retail offerings are both timely and relevant.
This course will introduce you to the concept of anticipating and responding to emerging trends and challenges, offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of global retail. You’ll engage with topics such as global market trends, the evolving role of technology, the impact of societal shifts on consumerism, and the increasing importance of sustainable practices. By the end of the course, you’ll have developed a nuanced understanding of how to strategically navigate the ever-evolving world of retail, moving beyond traditional e-commerce toward a more holistic, unified commerce approach.
Throughout this journey, you will gain deep insights into the industry’s transformative journey, equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to lead in modern retail's dynamic and interconnected world.
Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are for you to gain an understanding of:
- Retail Fundamentals and Concepts: Develop a comprehensive understanding of the essential operational components of retail, including the integration of physical and digital channels. This objective will cover key concepts such as merchandising, operational organizations and insights, supply chain management, and the customer experience, providing the building blocks needed to thrive in today’s retail environment.
- Historical Perspective and Impact of Retail: Explore the historical evolution of retail and its impact on society, culture, and technology. By examining how retail practices have developed and influenced various aspects of life, you will gain a foundational understanding that informs the evolution of retail and commerce and how they have influenced modern retail concepts and strategies.
- Strategic Retail Thinking and Foresight: Learn to apply strategic thinking in retail, using research, data, and historical insights to create effective customer-centric strategies. This includes understanding the role of data analytics, operational precision, and emerging trends, preparing you to develop innovative and grounded strategies with a deep understanding of the retail landscape.
Concentration and Program Learning Goals
Students majoring in the Marketing concentration will master the following by graduation:
- Research Competency: Research competency using library databases, secondary and primary sources of market and company information, and marketing data analysis skills.
- Marketing Strategies: Ability to formulate effective marketing strategies derived from an understanding of customer behaviors and application of marketing tools and concepts.
- Writing & Formatting: Communication and information literacy skills in the writing and format of the plan that are consistent with the marketing discipline.
By the end of the BS Business program, students will master:
- The social, global, ethical, and legal contexts of business and will be able to reflect on the role of the individual in business.
- The ability to apply knowledge of professional skills necessary for success in business including effective business writing.
- Technical and analytic skills appropriate for success in business.
- The ability to apply knowledge of core business disciplines including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations management.
- How research in the business disciplines contributes to knowledge and how such research is conducted.
Course Materials
- TEXTBOOK: Retailing Management by Michael Levy, Barton Weitz, and Dhruv Grewal (11th Edition) ISBN 9781264157440. Approximately fifty percent of the course content comes from the textbook and will be mainly covered in the assigned readings and quizzes.
- SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: Instructor-developed PDFs on specific topics are designed to augment the textbook and provide either a historical perspective or a modern-day context to key retail concepts. These will be linked to the assigned readings on Blackboard.
- LECTURES: Each week, I will post a “25-Minute Lecture,” a lecture focused on a specific topic supporting that week’s focus. These lectures will not cover all of the week's material and are not meant to replace the readings or assigned materials but rather to dig deeper into a key topic.
- RETAIL PODCASTS: In a classroom or during an assigned time, I would invite guest speakers - retail experts from a diverse spectrum- to give you a broader industry perspective. In our asynchronous environment, we will use a series of podcast episodes to allow you to learn from those forging new paths in the retail industry today.
Course Communication
All course communication will take place through Canvas or George Mason email addresses. Any emails from me about this course will either be sent through Canvas or from my George Mason email address.
Announcements/Reminders
Announcements regarding this course will be posted on and/or emailed via Canvas. It is your responsibility to check Canvas and your George Mason email regularly to stay updated with this course.
E-mail Correspondence – George Mason Email Addresses Only
E-mail is the preferred method of contact regarding any questions about this course. When you email, You MUST use your George Mason email address. Federal privacy laws state that I cannot provide confidential information to any private non-George Mason email addresses, and I will not respond to course-related emails from any other address.
E-mail Correspondence – MKTG 332 in the Subject Line
To prioritize responding to emails regarding this class, please include “MKTG 332” in the subject line of any emails you send to me.
Estimated E-mail Reply Times
Under normal circumstances, you should receive a reply to your email within 48 hours during the week (Monday through Friday) and up to 72 hours on emails sent on the weekend (Saturday/Sunday). An email sent at 5 PM or later will not be seen until the following day or next weekday. If you do not receive a response within 72 hours, check for any technical issues and follow up with me. Please plan for enough time when emailing to receive a response.
General Expectations
This course is fast-paced and features a diverse group of learners, each with unique learning styles and speeds. Despite being conducted online, there are ample opportunities for us to learn from one another. To fully benefit from these opportunities, I encourage you to engage actively and participate as early as possible in all course activities. This approach will help maximize the value of our interactions and enhance everyone's learning experience.
I have tried presenting the material in various formats - through the textbook, detailed PowerPoint/PDFs, recorded lectures, supplemental materials, podcasts, and discussion boards. As you will learn in this course and in other marketing courses, people - customers or students - consume information differently and often interpret information differently. This is why retailers and marketers typically do not rely on a single channel or a single message. If you are not connecting with the material, please reach out as early as possible.
Introductions & End-of-Course Surveys
At the beginning of the course, there will be a Discussion Board open where I will invite you to introduce yourself to me and to your classmates. We will then use this space for any open questions or discussions not covered in other areas. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF! I do not grade these submissions, you do not lose points for not doing so, but this is a common courtesy that I hope you will honor.
At the end of the course, you will be sent a link for a survey that will give you the opportunity to offer feedback on the course and rate various aspects of the course. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO OFFER YOUR VALUABLE FEEDBACK. I don’t provide “extra credit” for filling out these surveys, but this is also a common courtesy that I hope you will respect.
Course Grading Policy & Assignments
Course Assignments
The graded course assignments in the class will have the following point values:
DISCUSSION BOARDS (35% of your grade)
Our weekly Discussion Boards are more than just an “assignment forum,” they are an opportunity for us to connect throughout the week, discuss ideas, exchange information, and learn from each other. I would highly encourage you to go beyond just simply turning in your required assignments and moving on.
There will be a total of fourteen (14) Discussion Boards that will bring together our course lectures, podcasts from retail experts, your work on your projects, and other topical discussions including current events. You will be expected to submit a substantive post/response to the prompt(s) by Thursday of that week and respond to a minimum of two classmates with a substantive response by Sunday at 11:59pm. This is the “minimum expectation” related to responses, which does not necessarily equal an “A”; to earn a higher grade, I highly encourage you to lean in, offer your ideas, learn from your classmates, and much like retailer should attempt to do, “exceed expectations!”
| Discussion #1: Learning From Retail History | Due Sunday, September 1st | 25 Points |
| Discussion #2: The Value Equation in Retail | Due Sunday, September 8th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #3: The Evolution of Retail Strategies | Due Sunday, September 15th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #4: Global Retail & Culture | Due Sunday, September 22nd | 25 Points |
| Discussion #5: Human vs Tech in Customer Service | Due Sunday, September 29th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #6: Understanding Your Customers | Due Sunday, October 6th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #7: Role of Technology in Retail | Due Sunday, October 13th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #8: The Value of Brands | Due Sunday, October 20th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #9: The Balance Between AI and HI | Due Sunday, October 27th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #10: Customer Engagement Points | Due Sunday, November 3rd | 25 Points |
| Discussion #11: Importance of Community | Due Sunday, November 10th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #12: Consumer Behavior | Due Sunday, November 17th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #13: Responsibility of the Retailer | Due Sunday, November 24th | 25 Points |
| Discussion #14: The Future of Retail | Due Sunday, December 8th | 25 Points |
*Note: Discussion Board Topics are subject to change
QUIZZES/CHECK POINTS (15% of your grade)
There will be a total of five quizzes/check points that will be primarily drawn from the textbook (though questions may be added from the lectures & other materials). Questions will primarily be Multiple Choice or True/False, you are allowed to use your textbook or notes, and the quiz must be completed in ninety minutes and submitted by the deadline. Please note: The chapters mentioned below are subject to change; please ensure that you are staying active will all announcements!
| Quiz #1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, & 6 | Due Sunday, September 15th | 30 Points |
| Quiz #2: Chapters 5, 16, & 18 | Due Sunday, October 6th | 30 Points |
| Quiz #3: Chapters 7, 10, 12, 13, & 14 | Due Sunday, October 27th | 30 Points |
| Quiz #4: Chapters 11, 15, & 17 | Due Sunday, November 17th | 30 Points |
| Quiz #5: TBD | Due Sunday, December 8th | 30 Points |
RETAIL STRATEGY PROJECTS (42.5% of your grade / 425 total points)
Instead of the traditional “Midterm” and “Final”, you will complete a series of projects throughout the course, designed to incorporate the readings, lectures, lessons & discussions that we will be having at that time. Each project is a building block to your final submission, a Retailer Strategic Proposal that you will submit at the end of the course.
There is an overview for each of the projects that you will have access to at the beginning of the course so that you can have a better understanding as to how each will come together. Specific instructions will be released as we cover the appropriate material to ensure that you maximize your potential for success.
| Retailer Selection & Profile | Due Sunday, September 22nd | 25 points |
| Industry Analysis / SWOT Analysis | Due Sunday, September 29th | 50 points |
| Retailer Financial Performance | Due Sunday, October 13th | 50 points |
| Retailer SWOT Analysis | Due Sunday, October 20th | 50 points |
| Retailer Customer Personas | Due Sunday, November 10th | 50 points |
| Retailer Strategic Proposal | Due Sunday, December 1st | 200 points |
REFLECTION (Total of 7.5% of your grade)
At the end of the course, you will submit a single page essay that reflects what you have learned and what impacted you the most, how you believe that Retail will evolve over the next decade, and what suggestions you may have to continually improve the course.
| Retail Forward / Reflection Essay | Due Sunday, December 8th | 75 Points |
| Total | 1000 Points |
Grading
| Points Earned | Grade |
|---|---|
| 970 – 1000 | A+ |
| 94.0 – 96.9 | A |
| 900 – 939 | A- |
| 870 – 899 | B+ |
| 830 – 869 | B |
| 800 – 829 | B- |
| 770 – 799 | C+ |
| 700 – 769 | C |
| 600 – 699 | D |
| 0.0 – 599 | F |
This course requires a minimum grade of a C to satisfy School of Business degree requirements, and students will be permitted to make up to three attempts to achieve a C or higher in this course. If you have questions about this policy, please contact an academic advisor.
Note on Final Course Grades: Final grades are not negotiable. No adjustments will be made to final course grades on an individual basis. Do not ask for your final grade to be “rounded up” - the answer will be no. There is no rounding, and there is no curve.
Extra Credit
Extra credit = extra work. It is highly unlikely that extra credit will be offered in this class; if it is, it will be offered to the entire class, not individually. Focus instead on performing well on the course assignments.
However, there may be “bonus point” opportunities - the reward for paying closer attention to the lectures and instructor-developed PDFs, which may result in you discovering an “easter egg” that could answer a bonus question on a quiz.
Assignments Submission Policies
Blackboard Submissions
All course assignments must be submitted on Blackboard. Only assignments that have been successfully submitted on Canvas will be graded. Attempts that have been started but have yet to be submitted are visible to the instructor and, therefore, cannot be graded. You are responsible for ensuring that all your assignments are correctly submitted.
Deadlines
Students must complete and submit all course assignments by the stated deadline. All deadlines are based on the Eastern Time Zone where George Mason University—Fairfax is located. A timestamp is recorded for each submission on Canvas. The exact time stamp will determine if the assignment is on time or late.
- To illustrate, if an assignment is due by 11:59 PM on Sunday and has a time stamp of 12:00 AM on Monday, it will be considered late. Give yourself ample time to upload the assignment to ensure your submission is on time.
Late Submission Policy
All deadlines are final. This class will move quickly, and deadlines are in place to ensure that everyone is given a fair amount of time to complete the assignment work and that it can be returned to you in a timely manner. Assignments are due at the time specified on the due date. Coursework submitted after the deadline without prior permission will not be graded and will receive zero points.
Note: If you have an unavoidable situation, please contact me before the assignment is due to determine any available options.
| Weeks | Dates | Subject | 25 Minute Lectures | Assigned Text Chapters | Instructor Materials | Discussion Board Topic | Project Due This Week | Quiz This Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK01 | Introduction to Retail & Historical Context | An Introduction to Retail | Chapters 1 & 2 | The Dawn of Retail & The Modern Merchant | Learning from Retail History | None | None | |
| WK02 | Retail Fundamentals and Strategies | The Creation of Value | Chapter 6 | The Marketplace Rules | The Value Equation in Retail | None | None | |
| WK03 | Global Retail Strategies | Retail Strategies | Chapters 3 & 4 | The Impact of Retail on Society | The Evolution of Retail Strategies | None | Quiz 1 | |
| WK04 | Consumer Behavior and Retail Impact | 5 C's Strategic Methodology | Chapter 5 | The Evolution of Store Concepts | Global Trends and Cultural Impacts | Retailer Selection & Profile | None | |
| WK05 | In-Store Experience and Value Creation | Cost, Value, and Profit: The Cost of Added Value | Chapter 16 | The Evolution of Store Concepts | Human vs Tech in Customer Engagement | Industry Analysis & SWOT | None | |
| WK06 | Customer Service & Value Perception | Cost, Value, and Profit: Decisions and Impact | Chapters 5, 16, 18 | The Emergence of Trade Routes | Understanding Your Customer | None | Quiz 2 | |
| WK07 | Financial Strategies & Metrics | SIP Report: Sales, Inventory, and Profit | Chapters 7 & 14 | The Evolution of Currency and Method of Payment | The Role of Technology in Retail | Retailer Financial Performance | None | |
| WK08 | Customer Journey & Brand Value | Brands as part of the Value Equation | Chapters 12 & 13 | None | The Value of Brands | Retailer SWOT | None | |
| WK09 | Supply Chain & Logistics | Retail Orgs: Specialization vs Generalization | Chapter 10 | The Impact of Transportation Innovation | The Value of Brands | None | Quiz 3 | |
| WK10 | Marketing Strategies & Customer Connection | Attention Spans and Biases | Chapter 15 | None | Customer Engagement Points | None | None | |
| WK11 | In-Store Engagement & Online Communities | The Physical & Digital Customer Journey | Chapter 17 | None | Customer Engagement Points | Retailer Customer Personas | None | |
| WK12 | Customer Relationship Management & Metrics | Customer Engagement Metrics | Chapter 11 | None | General View of Consumer Behavior | None | Quiz 4 | |
| WK13 | Sustainability, Ethics & The Future of Retail | Circular Economy | No Reading | None | Retailer's Responsibility in Promoting Sustainability | None | None | |
| WK14 | Thanksgiving Break | No Lecture | No Reading | None | None | FINAL: Retailer Strategic Proposal | None | |
| WK15 | Retail Innovation and the Future | Innovation and the Future of Retail | No Reading | None | Innovation and the Future of Retail | Final Reflection | Quiz 5 |
* Calendar may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. If adjustments need to be made, notice will be given.
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