Retail Review
Chapter 1
ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
What is your favorite retailer? Why do you like this retailer? What would a competitive retailer have to do to get your patronage?
Students may choose an example from a wide variety of retailers. Answers will likely range from national chains including but not limited to K-Mart, The Gap, Bloomingdale's, McDonald's, The Sports Authority, Starbucks, JC Penney, to online retailers like Amazon.com and eBay to favorite local shops and hangouts.
Whatever selection is made, ask students to concentrate on the specific aspects of retail strategy, such as: (1) intended target market of the retailer; (2) nature of merchandise and services and the specific consumer needs sought to be satisfied; (3) product variety and assortments carried; (4) store location strategy; (5) pricing strategies; (6) specific service strategies; (7) strategies designed to attract and retain customers; and, (8) strategies specifically designed at gaining a long-term advantage over competitors.
From your perspective, what are the benefits and limitations of purchasing a home entertainment system directly from a number of component manufacturers rather than from a retailer?
Students may indicate benefits typically associated with “removing the middleman” such as reduced price and effort in completing the transaction.
While these benefits will occur in specific cases, it must be noted that the average consumer engages in buying dozens of items on a regular basis. Even if all manufacturers were to offer their products directly to consumers, it can be readily noted that the consumer would now have to spend an extraordinary amount of time each day ordering directly from each manufacturer. This should lead to discussion of the limitations of purchasing directly from the manufacturer rather than a retailer.
Here, the various functions performed by retailers, such as bulk-breaking, holding inventories, and providing information, service and
ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
What is your favorite retailer? Why do you like this retailer? What would a competitive retailer have to do to get your patronage?
Students may choose an example from a wide variety of retailers. Answers will likely range from national chains including but not limited to K-Mart, The Gap, Bloomingdale's, McDonald's, The Sports Authority, Starbucks, JC Penney, to online retailers like Amazon.com and eBay to favorite local shops and hangouts.
Whatever selection is made, ask students to concentrate on the specific aspects of retail strategy, such as: (1) intended target market of the retailer; (2) nature of merchandise and services and the specific consumer needs sought to be satisfied; (3) product variety and assortments carried; (4) store location strategy; (5) pricing strategies; (6) specific service strategies; (7) strategies designed to attract and retain customers; and, (8) strategies specifically designed at gaining a long-term advantage over competitors.
From your perspective, what are the benefits and limitations of purchasing a home entertainment system directly from a number of component manufacturers rather than from a retailer?
Students may indicate benefits typically associated with “removing the middleman” such as reduced price and effort in completing the transaction.
While these benefits will occur in specific cases, it must be noted that the average consumer engages in buying dozens of items on a regular basis. Even if all manufacturers were to offer their products directly to consumers, it can be readily noted that the consumer would now have to spend an extraordinary amount of time each day ordering directly from each manufacturer. This should lead to discussion of the limitations of purchasing directly from the manufacturer rather than a retailer.
Here, the various functions performed by retailers, such as bulk-breaking, holding inventories, and providing information, service and
Links: to other websites, such as tourist bureaus, would also be helpful. A retailer selling outdoor merchandise would be most effective in running the site because they have the strongest incentive to provide customers with a reason to visit their site. There could be some bias in merchandise selection with the retailer. But magazines or a well known expert might introduce bias as well. 9. Outline a strategy for an electronic-only retail business that is involved in selling merchandise or services in your town. Outline your strategy in terms of your target market and the offering available on your Internet site. Who are your competitors in terms of providing the merchandise or service? What advantages and disadvantages do you have over your competitors? One type of electronic business that students may consider would be a quick delivery service for their campus area. Such a service could specialize in products/services that college students frequently buy/rent such as video tape rentals, CDs, fast food, laundry/cleaning, etc. There are currently services like this available in certain areas. Being a first mover, developing a loyal customer base, and making a profit are all considerations when going into a business like this. 10. When you shop online for merchandise, how much time do you spend browsing versus buying? When you shop in a store for merchandise, how much time do you spend browsing versus buying? Explain your responses. Both store and Internet channels provide ample opportunities for browsing behaviors. Students’ answers will likely vary significantly as some will indicate browsing on one of the channels, others may indicate browsing in both channels, and still others may avoid browsing behaviors altogether. Students may point out the seemingly endless opportunities for browsing the Internet in particular merchandise categories as a source of considerable browsing time spent. Students may also consider this amount of information overwhelming, making browsing online cumbersome and less pleasant than in-store browsing. Others may point out the social/entertainment advantages of browsing the local mall or shops with friends. In addition, some store shoppers may be looking for merchandise without a specific type or item in mind, preferring to stroll through a variety of types of retail stores prior to making a purchase.