Retail Management Undergraduate Certificate Outline

An introduction to retailing concepts and processes. The student will explore the basics of retailing, such as setting up a retail business, primary target markets, products, location, etc. In addition, the student will survey personnel and risk management, and examine the basics of writing a business plan and operating a retail business in the global marketplace.

Management of a retail business, with extensive coverage of the types of retailers, marketing and financial strategies, retail locations, human resource management, supply chain management, merchandise management, and store management.

Complete coverage of the role of consumers in the marketplace, including perception, learning and memory, income and social class, subcultures, cultural influences on consumer behavior, and global consumer culture.

Introduces the student to the basics of supply chain management. The student will explore the distribution channel including the types of channels and the relationships among channel members. The student will also examine the supply chain operations of planning, sourcing materials, making products, deliveries, and returns. The use of technology to operate the supply chain will be discussed, and supply chain metrics (ways to measure performance) will be presented. Finally, the student will learn how to define opportunities and develop systems related to the supply chain.

Explores important concepts of retail buying, beginning with a discussion of customer needs, support staff requirements, and the education and training buyers need. The course also explores the roles of buying groups, merchandise assortments, planning and controls, and how technology and Internet commerce relate to retailing. In addition, the student will learn how to choose vendors, both local and international, how to translate plans into purchases, how to negotiate the buy, and how to price and sell merchandise once it has been bought.

Examines the various aspects of hiring, managing, motivating, and retaining retail employees. The course describes hiring techniques and discusses federal employment laws. The student will also explore concepts such as the effective management of employees; employee benefits, retention, and motivation; and customer service and relationship building.

Surveys the management of quality in all aspects of the retail environment. The course begins with a historical overview of quality and presents basic definitions of quality. It then explores quality as an aspect of leadership, effective management, and employee training and loyalty. The course also discusses the relationship between quality and customers, and examines the connection between quality and the retail item, from the design of products and services to the management of processes and suppliers.

Explores the basics of loss prevention in the retail environment, including security issues related to products, personnel and money. The course examines loss prevention technology and techniques, such as hazard controls, theft detection and prevention, surveillance systems, computerized inventory management systems, access controls, etc.