1. NEWSWATCH ASSIGNMENT 2010

2. Objectives The objectives of this assignment are:  to become acquainted with the most recent developments in the retailing industry by monitoring news with immediate Canadian significance;  to examine one retailer’s recent initiative and its fit with the overall strategy;  to study one retailer in great depth;  to apply course concepts to real situations; and  to further develop communication skills.

3. Perspective Counts  Remember your perspective  you are a retail analyst  You are to complete an analysis of your retailer and its new initiative and report the key findings to the class:  Is this initiative a good fit?  What are the possible implications of implementation?

4. Presentation Criteria  Slides must emailed to bmorriso@stfx.ca by noon on your scheduled presentation day.bmorriso@stfx.ca Penalty of 5% applied for each hour after submission deadline until received.  10 minutes MAX  5 minute Q&A session to follow  Every group member must participate  Presenters must arrive by 2pm on presentation day and load presentation onto classroom desktop in advance of class

5. Presentation Format  Title Slide  Retailer Introduction  Includes History/Sales/Geographic Presence/Retail Strategy Mix Overview  Competitive Industry Insights  Includes Positioning Map / Highlights of Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis  Introduce the Initiative/News Item  Answer the question(s)  good fit?  implications?  References

6. Tips  Draw evidence based conclusions  Slides should be clear and avoid overcrowding  Use Notes Pages to elaborate  Practice, practice, practice  Make it interesting and engaging