1. Contemporary Issues in Retailing
Welcome to Contemporary Issues in Retailing. I want to let you a little bit about what the course is and as importantly what the course isn’t. I want to give you some important information about how the course will be run including contact time and assessment.
2016/7
Dr. Griff Round (Unit Leader)
Dr. Amna Khan (Unit Tutor)

2. What CIR isn’t
Simply a “how to” guide for being a retail store manager
Simply a course on retail marketing
Simply a descriptive guide of the current retail landscape
So let us start off by looking at what CIR isn’t.
Simply a “how to” guide for being a retail store manager. We will be looking at some of the contemporary issues that retailers face but we will assume that you will have covered the basics elsewhere. For those of you that haven’t studied retail before I will be providing you with some essential reading.
Simply a course on retail marketing. Again we will be looking at issues that are relevant for retail marketing but this really builds upon this.
Simply a descriptive guide of the current retail landscape. We will be looking at retail at the local, national and international level but we will be concentrating on analysing this rather than simply describing it.

3. What CIR is
LEARNING OUTCOME 1
Analyse the local, national and international context of retailing in the 21st century
So let us look at what CIR is through looking at the learning outcomes of the unit.
In other words we will be looking at the factors that impact retailing at a local, national and international level and we will also be looking at the impact that retailing has at the local, national and international level.
So one example of the first is technological change and how that impacts retailers and an example going the other way is when a supermarket opens at the edge of town and leads to closure of stores on the traditional High Street.
Firstly we will be looking at retailing and the consumer society, why they are as they are and what is good and not so good about them.
Secondly we will be looking at the relationships between marketing, retailing and consumers. In other words to what extent do we as individual consumers buy what we do because we are told to?
We will be sometimes be looking at this from a non-managerial perspective. In other words we will not always be looking at it as if we were a large retail organisation. We will looking at it from alternative perspectives, as individual consumers, local communities, citizens and as a society.

4. What CIR is
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
Critically evaluate the impact of local, national and international environments on retailing
We will particularly be interested in how various environments impact retailing - at local, national and international levels.

5. What CIR is
LEARNING OUTCOME 3
Critically evaluate relevant theoretical concepts in retailing
We will not just be describing the world of retailing but we will be looking at and evaluating various theories that have been developed in an attempt to explain what is going on. So for example we will be looking at various theories that have developed for how and why retailers internationalise as well as how local, independent stores can beat the multinationals!

6. What CIR is
LEARNING OUTCOME 4
Analyse the contemporary retail environment through a sustainability perspective
We will be particularly interested in the environmental challenges faced by society and how retailers respond to them.

7. What CIR is
LEARNING OUTCOME 5
Critically evaluate various information sources (from general press to academic texts) related to contemporary issues
Retailing is an important part of contemporary society and there is no shortage of information about it. However we need to be able to separate opinion from perception from fact in what we read. And this will be very important when you come to work on your assignments for the unit.

8. What CIR is-In Summary Different aspects of… And challenges to…
Retailing in the 21st century
in local, national and international environments

9. How Unit is split Contemporary issues for Retailers
Contemporary issues for Local Communities
Contemporary issues for Consumers and Society
So let us look at this in a little more detail

10. Key CIR Topics

11. Delivery Weekly Lectures Weekly Tutorials Special library session
Computer lab session
Tutor led sessions
Presentations
Debates
Coursework support
Tutorials are aimed at developing your knowledge, helping you with your assessment and are COMPULSORY. You can also learn from other students.

12. Resources Moodle Details of all lectures Unit handbook
Other announcements
Info on assessment
Key points for each week
Key and support reading for each week
Library
Books
Online journals
All readings for this course should be available from All Saints library.

13. For non-retailers
Fernie J., Fernie, S. and Moore, C. (2003) Principles of Retailing, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. (Chapters 1,5-9,11)
This is ESSENTIAL preliminary reading for non-retailers.

14. Assessment
100% individual coursework
Podcast
Report

15. Expectations and Tips Regular and prompt attendance Attendance=Grades!
Regular reading-at least the key reading for each week
Be prepared for discussion