The retail sector is a major employer, is of economic significance and part of the everyday life of consumers. Retailing is an exciting, high-tech, global industry which requires retailers and suppliers to be innovative and dynamic to prosper in the increasingly competitive retail landscape.

In this unit retail marketing is examined from the birth of modern retailing to the challenges and opportunities facing today’s retailers. The unit is built on a foundation of retail marketing theory and covers retail marketing from both a marketplace [traditional] and a marketspace [online] perspective. The unit explores the key success factors of a diverse range of retailers at a local and an international level. The unit covers market selection, the service nature of retailing, channels of distribution, supply chain management, pricing, place considerations, merchandising, human resources, loyalty, branding, and more. The unit objective is to equip students with the necessary skills and strategies to manage the challenges of modern retailing.