Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the students will have acquired skills on the following topics:
- The drivers of store format innovation;
- New formats in the international scenario;
- The management of the in-store marketing levers;
- Layout models;
- Display models;
- The principles of visual communication;
- POP communication;
- KPI of point of sale and shopper behaviour.
Skills and understanding skills applied
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- understand the different phases underlying the design of a new format;
- translate the conceptual tools into empirical rules for the design of new formats;
- plan and manage the store marketing levers in the various sectoral contexts, both in the perspective of industrial companies wishing to enhance their brand within modern structures, and in the perspective of commercial companies wishing to design new formats;
- develop distinctive skills in the area of merchandising, visual merchandising and store design.
Independence of judgment
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- evaluate the format strategies pursued by the companies;
- identify the most innovative formats in the national and international scenario;
- identify the best practices in managing in store marketing levers;
- evaluate the effectiveness of space management.
Communication skills
Through lectures managed in an interactive way, company testimonials
and group work, the student will be able to:
- clearly communicate, in a concise, timely and coherent manner, to different interlocutors (both academic and business), information and concepts (including complex ones) related to retail and shopper marketing issues;
- communicate effectively using an appropriate language;
- manage contents and timing of a presentation.
Learning skills
The course aims to transfer the ability to translate the economic principles into empirical rules of decision. The main topics are detailed through the presentation of successful case studies in the context of the Italian, European and U.S. markets. At the end of the course the students will have gained the ability to expand and update the level and range of the knowledge acquired from lessons and course textbooks.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic concepts related to management of retailing.
Course unit content
The point of sale has taken on new roles and new functions and has gradually transformed from a point of purchase to a place where industry and distribution plan the communication and relationship process with the final consumer.
In line with the new context, the course aims to provide the conceptual and operational tools to plan marketing and merchandising strategies guided by "insights" aimed at satisfying the needs of shoppers, improving the shopping experience and increasing the KPIs of the store and brand equity for distributors and producers. The context is mainly that of unspecialized distribution.
The first part of the course describes the profile of "mainstream" and "lifestyle" food distribution formats, and illustrates the innovation strategies of best in class retailers operating in the international context.
In the second part of the course, the levers of store marketing (layout, display, communication and store design) are illustrated, which are maneuvered by retailers in order to condition and guide the choices of the Shopper, improve the KPIs of the store and develop a store identity and store loyalty .
Finally, the course describes the shopper marketing levers of the brand industry (category plans, POP communication, etc.), aimed at enhancing the brand within the store with the aim of increasing the penetration of the industrial brand into the banner and increase brand equity.
In addition to lectures in the classroom, the course includes interventions by managers, case discussions, classroom exercises and group work.This way, students are offered the opportunity to integrate theoretical knowledge with business practice in order to stimulate problem solving and decision making skills.
Full programme
− The drivers of store format innovation;
− New formats in the international scenario;
− The management of the in-store marketing levers;
− Layout models;
− Zoning;
− Display models;
− Retail design;
− Interior and exterior design;
− The principles of visual communication;
− POP communication;
− KPI of point of sale and shopper behaviour.
Bibliography
Attending students who participated in teamwork:
Textbook
Maria Grazia Cardinali, Retail Ibrido, Egea, Milano, 2017
Materials available on Elly platform (booklet of ppt presentations and readings)
Non-attending students:
Textbooks
Maria Grazia Cardinali, Retail Ibrido, Egea, Milano, 2017
Karin Zaghi, Visual Merchandising. La comunicazione del punto vendita per dare valore all'esperienza del cliente, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2018
Capitoli 1,4,5,6, 7,8,9,10
Teaching methods
Within the course students will have the chance to attend business seminars to be engaged in case discussions and team works.
Students will have the chance to participate in team work.
Acquisition of knowledge: lectures.
Acquisition of the ability to apply the analysis methodologies and acquisition of technical language: project works and cases studies.
Autonomy of judgment acquisition: project works and managerial lessons.
Acquisition of learning skills: lessons will favor students' participation and critical evaluation of the main topics discussed.
The slides used to support lectures will be loaded weekly on the Elly.
To achieve an effective preparation for the exam students can rely on notes taken during lectures and slides.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning outcomes will be assessed through a written exam.
The knowledge and understanding achieved will be assessed with 6 open-ended questions, each worth 5 points, assigned to achieved knowledge and understanding capabilities (2 points), ability to apply the acquired knowledge (2 points), ability to learn and to communicate with an appropriate technical language and autonomy of judgment (1 point).
The duration of the written test is 60 minutes.
The final written test is evaluated on a 0-30 scale. “30 cum laude” will be awarded to those students who have demonstrated an appreciable knowledge of the topic, an excellent ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the specific problem, a considerable autonomy of judgment, as well as excellent communication skills.
Attending students can replace the last 2 questions with the evaluation of the teamwork, which has a value of 10 points.
The teamwork grade will be considered for the exam only if the written test with 4 questions is sufficient (12/20).
The teamwork is valid until the last winter session (February 2023).
Results will be published on the Esse3 platform.
During the exam, the use of any type of notes, books, mobile phones, media etc. is strictly forbidden.
Online registration for the exam is mandatory.
Other information
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