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Essay Instructions: Retail Supply Chain

Assignment: The Case of Company X

Company X has been a well-established online retailer in UK, selling a variety of food and non-food products and delivering them at consumer?s doorstep. Its success has attracted interest by competitors and subsequently, new online retailers have emerged in the UK market the past few years. The latter has resulted in a decrease in sales and profits and Company X?s key stakeholders are now concerned about its future strategic direction. Following a meeting with the key stakeholders, the Managing Director announced that Company X will start operating in the traditional ? store retail market too and twenty sites for new stores have been identified in major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The Managing Director expects to expand the company operations across the country in the next few years but these cities will be the priority for expansion for the first few years.
The assignment will focus on the retail logistics and supply chain management issues in relation to this venture. Specifically, students will list three key logistics and supply chain management challenges emanating from Company X?s expansion into traditional ? store retailing. Subsequently, students will provide appropriate solutions for these challenges.
Therefore, students are asked to:

Task 1: Identify three key challenges that Company X will face during its expansion into traditional ? store retailing. These challenges should be related to the retail logistics and supply chain management material covered in the module. (50% of the mark)

Task 2: Suggest possible solutions in order to tackle these three challenges. These solutions should be related to the retail logistics and supply chain management material covered in the module. (50% of the mark)



GUIDANCE NOTES
1) This is an individual assignment that should be 2000 words maximum (excluding references and Appendixes). Longer assignments will be penalized.
2) In task 1, students need to identify three key challenges and justify why they think these are the key ones for the company. They should also discuss how these challenges relate to the retail logistics and supply chain management operations. For task 2, students need to provide one relevant solution minimum per challenge.
3) Your analysis should be a thorough and detailed one and not just a description of facts. For both tasks, students should build their arguments upon the lectures and other relevant academic material such as textbooks and journals such as, inter alia, the following journals: International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Journal of Enterprise Information Management.
4) Students should also consult relevant websites and other secondary data sources (e.g. reports). For both tasks, students must make a critical, thorough and detailed use of that material in the arguments / challenges / solutions stated.
5) The analysis should be well-structured and should contain the following elements: a Section related to Task 1, a Section related to Task 2, a Concluding Section, a Reference List, and Appendices (if appropriate).
6) Where specific ideas, arguments, models, information, etc are drawn on in your discussion, the author and date of the source text should be included in the body of your discussion. All quotations should be clearly acknowledged and sourced including page references. Full details of all source material should also be included in the Reference List.


Criteria for assessing the Assignment
Clarity of argument; correct identification of challenges; evidence of secondary data that support your solutions; clear, interesting and relevant solutions in relation to the challenges identified; justification of chosen solutions; presentation; originality and innovation.

Essay Instructions: "Retailing Lessons from Loyalty Programs Around the Globe"

You are to write a three to four (3-4) page report that answers the following:

1. Discuss the CVS Extra Care loyalty program and whether the program is a source of shopper insights that can be leveraged in multiple ways to be successful.
2. Recommend how Kroger should tailor its retailing strategy to take into account the seven main segmentation groups it has identified.
3. Explain Seven-Eleven Japan's nanaco program.
4. Discuss the reasons that Wal-Mart has chosen not to have a customer loyalty program.

The format of the report is to be as follows:
o Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one inch margins on all sides, APA format.
o Type the question followed by your answer to the question. At least 3 references is required.

Essay Instructions: Retailing Management - Fashion

In commissioning her (Prada) flagship store in New York?s Soho district, Miuccia Prada said that ?We were bored with the notion that all the shops all over the world had to have the same identity. We thought that the idea of logolike shops was wrong?.

This seems to go against conventional accepted wisdom where part of brand identity building necessitates a ?same look? concept which is recognized everywhere the brand has a store.

Evaluate both perspectives.

Essay Instructions: Retailing Management - Fashion Industry

A. "Many retaail analysts have begun to question the long-term viability of the department store. According to one scenario, department stores are now out-priced by off-price chains, out-merchandised by category killer stores, and out-serviced by specialty stores."
DISCUSS THIS STATEMENT.

B. How can a department store effectively compete against these forms of retail institutions?