First: Assessments for a Retail Management
Assignment (1): Category Management Optimization
Objective: Analyze one in-store category & recommend improvements to assortment, pricing,
promotion and merchandising
Key field work:
SKU count, price tiers, shelf space
Planogram review, promotion visibility
Shopper observation (behavior, dwell time)
Assignment (2): Supply chain visibility & stock availability
Objective: On-shelf availability & product replenishment for a category & identify gaps in supply
chain
Key field work:
Out of stock tracking for selected SKUs
Replenishment speed (morning vs evening stock checks)
Identify possible supply chain bottlenecks (even if you can ask the staff as a customer)
Assignment (3): Pricing & promotion effectiveness
Objective: Evaluate the impact of pricing strategies & promotions on customer engagement &
sales potential
Key field work:
Record promotional prices vs regular prices
Compare with competing retailers (same SKUs)
Observe customer reaction to price cuts, bundles, or flash offers
Assess whether promotions are visible & easy to understand
Assignment (4): Customer experience & store layout
Objective: Analyze how store design, layout and service influence customer buying patterns
Key field work:
Map store layout for selected departments
Track foot traffic flow & hot/cold zones
Observe checkout process (speed, payment methods offered)
Note signage clarity & in-store navigation ease
Assignment (5): Sustainability & waste management in retail
Objective: Evaluate how the store handles unsold goods, packing waste, and sustainability
practices
Key field work:
Track expiry dates & markdown process (ex: yogurt on shelf row vs expired date)
Identify how waste is disposed or donated (even if you ask as a donation receivers’
entity)
Check for eco-friendly packaging & recycling stations
Ask staff on sustainability understanding (as a customer have a recycling company)
Second: Common deliverables for all the groups
1. Field report (3 to 4 pages)
Observation
Data (Photo, SKU counts, prices, etc)
Problems identified
Recommendations with milestones (Who/when) with ROI impact
2. Presentation (3 to 5 slides) covering
Objective selected
Observation with evidence
Key findings
Practical recommendations
Third: Evaluation Criteria
Criteria Weight
Accuracy of field data (photos, prices) 20%
Creativity & Practicality 25%
Evidence & analysis quality 20%
Link to retail/supply chain theory 20%
Presentation clarity 15%
