BUS 389 Retail Management is a demanding and complex business, which is facing extensive changes and challenges due to factors like: e-commerce, globalization, changing consumer preferences, and more. Skilled retail managers are required to help companies navigate their new environment.
This course provides an introduction to retail management and will provide a foundation for those students who plan to work in retailing or related disciplines. Topics will focus on key functional areas in the retail business, including merchandising, HR, financial strategy, sales, customer service, marketing and more.
Prerequisites: BUS 350 and BUS 381 or equivalent with a minimum of 60%
Accessibility Services Notice
Students who would like an academic accommodation and who have a documented disability should contact Accessibility Services, if they have not already done so.Course Details| Total number of weeks | 15 |
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| Total Credits | |
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| Total Hours | 45 |
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Typical hours per week breakdown| Lecture | 3 |
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Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
- Identify and describe the components of the Canadian retail environment
- Calculate retail margins and perform other basic retail math
- Identify various organizational factors that influence performance objectives
- Identify and describe management practices in the operation of a successful retail business
- Identify and describe appropriate sales and customer service strategies for a variety of retail situations
Teaching and Learning Approach
This course depends on active attendance and participation, as it is based on both lectures as well as in-class
activities, self-reflection, self-assessment, and other approaches. The course requires student participation in
activities, as well as regular postings on the class Moodle site. It will be largely a 'flipped classroom' model, with
the expectation that students arrive to class having read the summary notes so that class time can be devoted to
group discussion and project work. Class time is provided for completion of projects.Learning Resources
Required: Levy, M., Weitz, B. Grewal, D. Madore, M., & Kauffman, S. (2023). Retailing Management: 7th
Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.Detailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered
1. Week 1 – The Canadian Retail Environment (Concept 1) Focus: Industry structure in Canada; BC/Kootenay context; retail formats; economic role; Indigenous-owned retail; regulatory touchpoints (consumer protection, privacy, employment standards at a glance). In-class: Mini-case on two local retailers with different formats; map local retail ecosystem. Do/Submit: Quiz 1 (Canadian retail landscape). Assessment underway: A2 brief explained (Store Walkthrough). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
2. Week 2 – Retail Strategy & Positioning (Concept 2) + Organization & Objectives (Concept 3) Focus A: Target market, value proposition, differentiation, positioning statements. Focus B: Org structures in retail; roles; setting performance objectives (sales, margin, shrink, service, safety). In-class: Build a one-page positioning canvas for a local retailer; role mapping for a small store. Do/Submit: Quiz 2 (strategy/positioning) + Quiz 3 (org & objectives). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
3. Week 3 – Retail Math I: Markup, Margin, Break- Even (Concept 4) Focus: Markup vs. margin; break-even units; contribution; simple price changes. Formulas to master: Markup % = (Selling Price − Cost) / Cost Margin % = (Selling Price − Cost) / Selling Price Break-even units = Fixed Costs / (Selling Price − Variable Cost per unit) In-class: Problem sets using realistic numbers; quick "what if" scenarios. Do/Submit: Quiz 4 (retail math basics). Deliverable: A1 Retail Math Lab assigned (due Week 4). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
4. Week 4 – Retail Math II: Inventory Turns, GMROI, Markdown Plans (Concept 5) Focus: Inventory turnover, average inventory, GMROI, sell-through, planned markdowns. Formulas to master: Turnover = COGS / Average Inventory (at cost) GMROI = Gross Margin (in $) / Average Inventory (at cost) Sell-through % = Units sold / Units received In-class: Build a simple scenario to improve GMROI (turns vs margins). Do/Submit: Quiz 5 (turns, GMROI, markdowns). Due: A1 Retail Math Lab (10%). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
5. Week 5 – Buying, Vendors & Category Management (Concept 6) + Assortment Planning (Concept 7) Focus A: Vendor selection, PO basics, payment terms, local vs national suppliers, ethical sourcing. Focus B: Category role, assortment breadth/depth, space-to-sales, intro to planograms. In-class: Category role exercise for a convenience or outdoor category; terms negotiation scenarios. Do/Submit: Quiz 6 (vendors/category) + Quiz 7 (assortment). Assessment underway: A3 Visual Merch Micro-Project assigned. DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
6. Week 6 – Pricing & Promotions (Concept 8) Focus: Everyday low vs high-low, price lining, psychological pricing, promo calendar, flyer math, MAP policies. In-class: Design a 4-week promo mini-calendar with margin guardrails. Do/Submit: Quiz 8 (pricing & promos). Assessment underway: A2 Store Walkthrough due next week. DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
7. Reading Week - No classes DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
8. Midterm Exam Week - No classes DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
9. Week 9 – Visual Merchandising & Store Layout (Concept 9) + Service & CX Fundamentals (Concept 10) Focus A: Traffic flow, adjacencies, signage, endcaps, planogram reading, seasonal transitions. Focus B: Moments of truth, service standards, accessibility, complaint recovery, cross-sell. In-class: Create a before/after endcap sketch; service recovery role- play. Do/Submit: Quiz 9 (visual merch) + Quiz 10 (service/CX). Due: A2 Store Walkthrough Audit (10%). Deliverable: A3 Visual Merch Micro-Project due Week 10. DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
10. Week 10 – Sales Fundamentals in Retail (Concept 11) Focus: Needs discovery, features/benefits, objection handling, closing, ethics; adapting to ESL/visitor customers. In-class: Structured role-plays with checklists, cross-sell scripts for local categories. Do/Submit: Quiz 11 (sales fundamentals). Due: A3 Visual Merch Micro-Project (10%). Assessment underway: A4 Service & Sales Role-Play + SOP assigned (due Week 11). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
11. Week 11 – Store Operations & People Management (Concept 12) Focus: Opening/closing routines, cash handling, safety, scheduling, coaching, micro-training. BC Employment Standards overview for scheduling & breaks. In-class: Build opening/closing SOP; schedule a weekend with constraints; short coaching conversations. Do/Submit: Quiz 12 (ops & people). Due: A4 Service & Sales Role-Play + SOP (10%). Assessment underway: A6 Ops Shift Plan & KPI Dashboard assigned (due Week 12). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
12. Week 12 – Inventory Control & Loss Prevention (Concept 13) Focus: Receiving, cycle counts, shrink sources (admin, internal, external), LP tactics (non-confrontation), returns policy design. In-class: Plan a monthly cycle count; write a safe, legal LP script; returns policy trade-offs. Do/Submit: Quiz 13 (inventory & LP). Due: A6 Operations Shift Plan & KPI Mini-Dashboard (10%). Deliverable: A7 Inventory Cycle Count & Replenishment Plan assigned (due Week 13). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
13. Week 13 – Omnichannel Retailing & Retail Tech (Concept 14) Focus: Click-and-collect, last-mile, POS/ERP basics, loyalty, data ethics, accessibility, social commerce. In-class: Diagnose a local retailer’s digital presence; map a click- and-collect flow. Do/Submit: Quiz 14 (omnichannel & tech). Due: A7 Inventory Cycle Count & Replenishment Plan (6%). Assessment underway: A5 Omnichannel & Digital Presence Critique due Week 14. Capstone A8 launched—teams confirm their local retailer/problem. DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
14. Week 14 – Pulling It Together: Operations, Numbers, People (Capstone Studio) Focus: Integrate strategy, math, operations, CX, tech into a concrete improvement plan. In-class: Workshop with instructor "viva-style" checks (brief Q&A per team). Due: A5 Omnichannel & Digital Presence Critique (10%) A8 Capstone: Retail Improvement Plan (20%) (slide deck + 2-page executive brief + 1 process artifact such as SOP/planogram/promo calendar/KPI sheet). DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.
15. Final Exam Period - no classes DETAILS (DUE DATES, TOPICS, ETC) HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; ALWAYS CHECK MOODLE FOR THE CURRENT CORRECT SCHEDULE.Assessment
| Title | Learning Outcomes | Value |
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| Concept-check quizzes: 14 * 1% each, drop two grades. Quizzes are on moodle, open-mouth and must be completed in class at the beginning | lowest closed notes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of class. | 12% |
| Retail Math Lab (individual) | 2 | 10% |
| Store walkthrough audit (individual) | 1, 3, 5 | 10% |
| Visual Merchandising micro-project (pair) | 1, 5 | 10% |
| Service & Sales Role-Play + SOP (group) | 1, 3, 4, 5 | 10% |
| Omnichannel & Digital Presence Critique (individual) | 1, 3, 4, 5 | 10% |
| Operations Shift Plan & KPI Mini-Dashboard | (pair) 1, 3, 4 | 10% |
| Inventory Cycle Count & Replenishment Plan Capstone: Retail Improvement Plan for a Local | (individual) 1, 2, 4 Retailer | 6% |
| (group) | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 20% |
| Term performance (classroom engagement, professionalism) | Program outcomes | 2% |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Table
Standard Academic and Career Programs Grading Table
| Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA |
| 90-100 |
A+ |
4.33 |
| 85-89 |
A |
4.00 |
| 80-84 |
A- |
3.67 |
| 76-79 |
B+ |
3.33 |
| 72-75 |
B |
3.00 |
| 68-71 |
B- |
2.67 |
| 64-67 |
C+ |
2.33 |
| 60-63 |
C |
2.00 |
| 55-59 |
C- |
1.67 |
| 50-54 |
P |
1.00 |
| 0-49 |
F |
0.00 |
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DNW |
0.00 |
See the Academic Calendar for General Information including how to withdraw from course(s) and other regulations.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication. Content of the course is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational, employment and market needs. The instructor will endeavor to provide notice of changes to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from courses.