VSFS:BA_RM Retail Management - Course Information

BA_RM Retail Management

Extent and Intensity

2/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Ing. Vladimír Mikel (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

Ing. Vladimír Mikel
Department of Economics and Management – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Mgr. Markéta Koliášová

Timetable of Seminar Groups

BA_RM/cECPPPH: each even Tuesday 15:45–16:29 E225, each even Tuesday 16:30–17:15 E225, V. Mikel
BA_RM/cEKKV: each even Thursday 14:00–14:44 KV211, each even Thursday 14:45–15:30 KV211, V. Mikel
BA_RM/c1EKPH: each odd Tuesday 15:45–16:29 E306, each odd Tuesday 16:30–17:15 E306, V. Mikel
BA_RM/c2EKPH: each even Tuesday 12:15–12:59 E230, each even Tuesday 13:00–13:45 E230, V. Mikel
BA_RM/pECEKPPPH: Tue 14:00–14:44 E007KC, Tue 14:45–15:30 E007KC, V. Mikel
BA_RM/pEKKV: each even Thursday 10:30–11:14 KV211, each even Thursday 11:15–12:00 KV211, each even Thursday 12:15–12:59 KV211, each even Thursday 13:00–13:45 KV211, V. Mikel
BA_RM/vEKPH: Sat 14. 2. 14:00–15:30 E307, 15:45–17:15 E307, Sat 28. 2. 14:00–15:30 E307, 15:45–17:15 E307, Fri 24. 4. 14:00–15:30 E307, 15:45–17:15 E307, V. Mikel

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of retail management as a key discipline of modern business. Students will learn about the development, current trends, and strategic importance of retail in both domestic and international contexts. The course focuses on customer behavior, retail market analysis, category management, merchandising, marketing strategies, logistics, supply chain management, and human resources in retail organizations. Special attention will be given to the role of digitalization, information systems, e-commerce, and omnichannel strategies in shaping the future of retail. Students will also examine innovations, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility in retail, enabling them to critically assess competitive strategies and design effective retail solutions. The course prepares students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world business environments and to develop the skills required for successful management and leadership in retail organizations.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student will be able to: • Define the concept and importance of retail management in the business environment. • Explain the development and current trends in retail and distinguish between different types and forms of retail organizations. • Analyze customer behavior in retail, including segmentation, targeting, and decision-making processes. • Conduct a retail market analysis and evaluate the competitive position of a company. • Apply the principles of category management and create an assortment policy for a retail business. • Design merchandising strategies, store layouts, and customer experience concepts. • Develop retail marketing strategies, communication plans, and loyalty programs. • Explain the principles of human resource management in retail, including motivation, training, and evaluation of employees. • Analyze logistics and supply chain processes in retail and propose improvements. • Use information systems and digital technologies to support retail operations and decision-making. • Assess the impact of e-commerce and digital transformation on retail, including omnichannel strategies. • Evaluate innovations, sustainability practices, and CSR initiatives in retail.

Syllabus

• Lectures
• • Introduction to Retail Management – definition, importance, role in business.
• • Development and current trends in retail, types and forms of retail organizations.
• • Customer behavior in retail – segmentation, targeting, shopping behavior, decision-making processes.
• • Retail market analysis – methods, competition, market share, benchmarks.
• • Category management and assortment policy in retail. • Merchandising – tools, principles, store layout, and customer experience.
• • Retail marketing – communication with customers, loyalty programs, in-store promotion.
• • Human resource management in retail – staffing, motivation, training, evaluation.
• • Logistics and supply chain management in retail – inventory, distribution, warehousing.
• • Information systems and technologies in retail – POS systems, ERP, data analytics.
• • E-commerce and digital transformation in retail – omnichannel, integration of online and offline sales.
• • Innovations, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility in retail.
• Exercises
• • Retail Market Analysis. Task: Students select a specific retail chain (e.g., Tesco, DM Drogerie, Sportisimo) and conduct a short market analysis – competitors, customer segment, and trends in the selected sector. Output: Group presentation analyzing the chosen retail segment.
• • Customer Behavior in Retail. Task: Based on available studies and their own mini-research (surveys, interviews, mystery shopping), students describe the decision-making process of customers in a selected type of retail (e.g., Dr. Max pharmacy, IKEA). Output: Summary of findings, customer journey map.
• • Category Management and Assortment Policy. Task: Groups design an assortment strategy for a specific product category in a selected retailer (e.g., organic products in Kaufland, sports shoes in Sportisimo). Output: Category management plan (product selection, placement, pricing strategy).
• • Merchandising and Store Layout. Task: Students create a layout and merchandising strategy for a selected store (e.g., Lidl, Notino, Decathlon). They may use photos, drawings, or schemes. Output: Store layout visualization + justification of the design in terms of customer experience.
• • Retail Marketing and Customer Communication. Task: Students analyze the marketing and communication strategy of a selected retailer (e.g., Globus, Datart, Sephora) and propose a new campaign to support customer loyalty or a new service. Output: Marketing campaign proposal (communication mix + expected success metrics).
• • Logistics, Innovation, and Sustainability in Retail. Task: Students analyze how logistics and innovation are managed in a selected retailer (e.g., Mall.cz – e-commerce logistics, IKEA – warehousing, Rohlík.cz – sustainability and CSR). Output: Process flow diagram + proposal for optimization or innovative improvement.

Literature

required literature
• Levy, M., Weitz, B., & Grewal, D. (2023). Retailing Management (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

recommended literature
• Stephens, D. (2023). Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World. (Revised ed.). Kogan Page
• Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2023). E-commerce 2023–2024: Business, Technology, and Society (18th ed.). Pearson Education. ISBN 978-1292449722

Teaching methods

Lectures

Lectures will usually consist of a theoretical part (concepts, new findings including practical examples) and a practical part (case studies, examples of customer decision-making trees, design of communication plans for social media, examples of different forms of retail in the Czech Republic, aspects of competitiveness, development opportunities). Lectures may also include discussions, group work, and assignments for home preparation, such as comparing and evaluating online and offline retailers, identifying opportunities, or creating a retail business model. Real-life examples from various retail chains will be intensively used through interactive study of their operations.

Exercises

Exercises will usually take the form of group work and discussion based on lecture topics. Case studies related to selected issues will be analyzed. Students will work in teams on assigned tasks (e.g., communication plan for a retail chain, merchandising design) and present their solutions individually or jointly. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to analyze and interpret data correctly and propose practical improvements. Professional journals and studies from the field of retail management will also be regularly used for discussions on current trends.

Modern methods (technology-supported) – motivation, higher interactivity Emphasis will be placed on the ability to work with data and verified information, on searching for and analyzing reliable sources, and on using modern information and presentation systems. Interactive tools (e.g., online surveys, Mentimeter, Socrative) will be used to increase motivation and engagement. Students will also actively use examples of digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence applications in retail.

Assessment methods

The course is completed with a credit and an examination.

Credit is awarded based on:

active participation in seminars (minimum 70% attendance for full-time students, minimum 50% attendance for part-time students), continuous work during the semester (solving assignments, case studies, group work, discussions), presentation of selected tasks according to the lecturer’s instructions.

If a student does not meet the required attendance or has an ISP status, they are required to complete “make-up assignments” as instructed by the lecturer and upload them to the Assignment folder in the IS system.

The examination consists of two parts:

Written part – an online test verifying theoretical knowledge from the topics covered in the course.

Oral part – a discussion based on a selected case study or project task related to retail management (e.g., proposal for improving store organization, implementation of innovations, or marketing strategies in retail).

Language of instruction

English

Further Comments

The course can also be completed outside the examination period.

• Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2026, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.vsfs.cz/course/vsfs/summer2026/BA_RM