Working with live customers provides a great challenge for final year students studying the Retail Consultancy module while providing local retailers with a good business service.
Undergraduates studying for a Retail Management BA (Hons) work with local businesses to advise them on business growth opportunities. This years business included: Funky Viking, a children's wear shop, Bonners music store, The Very Nice Handbag company, Renaissance, a fashion designer, and Penelope's Portmanteau a vintage business with shops across the South East of England.
Students work in pairs making a health check of the business and then developing a proposal for research.
"It was really interesting to work on the Retail Consultancy project with the Very Nice Handbag company and to have the opportunity to put the theory we have been taught to practical use.
"It was a pleasure to work with Mr and Mrs Smith as their enthusiasm for their products and their business was infectious and I hope that they will find our findings of some use in their future development plans." said final year student Hannah Forbes Hunter.
Bob Smith from the Very Nice Handbag Company in Eastbourne was very impressed with all the presentations. "I am very pleased with the presentation carried out by Hannah and Becky, they identified some really interesting statistics concerning the recognition of our business in the community".
The students carried out a local customer survey to identify customer purchasing habits for handbags and identify opportunities for further marketing.
Retailers are invited to the students' final presentations and they also receive a copy of the final report.
Susan Bishop the module leader commented, "Students welcome the opportunity to transfer their skills from the last three years of study and to be able to undertake a consultancy role in a live company that helps local businesses expand and grow."
School of Service Management News
1st June 2010
