This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to evaluate, analyze, and discuss the past and the future of retailing from a global perspective. With the rise of e-commerce, sophisticated customer analytics, the omnichannel shopping experience, and digital supply chains, etc., the retail industry has been growing rapidly and evolving. This course integrates classroom teaching, guest lectures, and company visits to enhance the students’ knowledge of emerging retailing issues and trends that have been affecting a retail manager and the retailing community.

This course will explore a wide range of topics such as the evolution of retailing and e-tailing, the sustainable development of retailing and ethical purchasing, omnichannel retail operation management, omnichannel marketing strategies, pricing and promotion strategies in retailing, retail entrepreneurship, and the future of global retailing. About half of the classes will feature retail industry practitioners who will either give a lecture or facilitate company visits to understand the real world of modern retailing.

Students will be given case studies, news articles, and journal articles related to the topic to prepare for in-class discussions, guest lectures, and company visits. Practitioners in the retail industry will share with our students their industry-specific thoughts and experiences, including their company’s retail business model and strategies, real-world business scenarios, best practices, and the latest retail technologies to drive profitable growth and transformation. Students will participate in assessments such as presentations, group projects, and individual papers to evaluate their performance.