Term Project: Top 100 Retailer Scan

Students are required to complete a project, which involves them “acting in a consulting capacity” for a top 100 U.S. based retailer.  Each student will select one of the Top 100 U.S. based retailers and analyze in depth the overall strategy of this retailer.  At the conclusion of the project students will make recommendations for how the retailer can be improve, grow, and become more competitive in the industry.  Note: This project is submitted in 3 parts and has a presentation. See calendar for submission dates. 

** Please consult your syllabus and/or assignment description in BlackBoard for full details on the project, including due dates!

The six steps to the project are:

Step 1:  Research

History and background of the retailer, sales and profit growth, corporate mission, and key financial data from the retailer’s annual report and balance sheet.  Example of advertising and other promotional vehicles should also be included along with a discussion of important events that have helped shape the organization. Make sure you include online promotional activities.

Step 2:  Conduct a SWOT Analysis

Identify internal strengths and weaknesses of the retailer as well as external threats and opportunities associated with the industry and its competition.

Step 3:  E-Commerce & M-Commerce Analysis

Analyze the effectiveness of the retailer’s website and mobile site.  How do they relate to overall brand experience?  Focus on user interface (navigation, search, product information, etc.), customer service, interactivity with marketing strategies (social media, blogs, SEO, SEM, etc.).  

Step 4: Omni-Channel Analysis

Analyze the effectiveness of the retailers application of omni-channel strategies to achieve a customer-centric experience with a focus on product availability, customer service, store locations, etc.

Step 5:  Choose a Key Competitor and Predict Their Future

Compare the retailer with an important key competitor.  Note important differences and similarities in strategy. How does their omni-channel strategies affect their business?

Step 6:  Recommendations for Making Your Retailer Bigger and Better

Differentiate between short -term, intermediate-term, and long-term strategies.  Develop strategies that are both conservative and aggressive.  Develop some strategies that require significant investments, as well as those that require fewer funds.

Paper Requirements: 

A minimum of five articles should be researched for this project.  The articles may come from the following resources: refereed journals, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, Stores, and Wall Street Journal. There are 6 steps to the project. Each Step should be 2-3 pages in length (no less than 2 pages). All work must be completed in the APA style.  Written work must be double-spaced in Times New Roman, 12-point font.  Information of all kinds, whether directly quoted or used as reference, including books, magazines, images and websites, must be properly cited throughout your work.  All assignments and the term project must include a Reference page at the end.  

This LibGuide includes resources to help you complete all of the above components:

• You may want to review the LibGuide before starting your research to create a research plan.  The How-To Tutorials sections outline what information is included in the databases for your assignment. 
• If you have questions about which sources to use, ask a librarian using the chat box on the left side of the page.
• Visit your campus library to see a librarian for assistance. ​

 

Below is a suggested timeline that can help you to start working on your paper:

• Ensure that your retailer has been approved by your Professor.  Review the syllabus to make sure you meet the deadline for submitting your retailer.  
• Review the assignment to get an idea of the information you will need to compile.  
• Review the resources this guides recommends to research your retailer and industry. 
• Ensure that you are including information from your textbook and lectures. 
• As you write your paper, use the Writing & Citing guide from the Center for Academic Success or visit your campus CAS for any assistance.

You can use the Fortune 500 list to select a publicly held Top 100 Retailer.  The Fortune list explains their methodology for the list which is important to know and allows for filtering by sector and industry. 

Use this to select a retailer to research: Fortune 500 List