Step 1: Read the following: Please Help with step 2 in this case study. Questions. All of us have some experience with retail store operations.

According to Eby (2017): The field of retail store operations concerns all of the activities that keep a store functioning well each day. In the best-run stores, everything is carefully considered, planned, and executed. Operations includes many aspects, such as store design, display placement, customer service, money and credit handling, shoplifting prevention, premises maintenance, staff management, inventory optimization, and dealing with the entire supply chain (Links to an external site.) that leads to having products in the store. Retail hasnt been easy in recent years. The rise of e-commerce, such as the behemoth Amazon, has disrupted many retail store operations, and its vital that todays retail operations professionals adapt to handle that challenge. Many retail professionals say the key to success - in stores or online - lies in superior customer service, both today and in the future. There is a lot of synergy between your physical store and your online operation, says Jason Parks, Co-Founder of DermWarehouse (Links to an external site.), a beauty and skin care e-commerce site. If you just have a physical store and not an online presence, you can distinguish yourself by having amazing customer service. Actual human interaction can never be replaced and that is the advantage that a store owner has. In this article, well provide an overview of the functions and responsibilities of todays retail store operations and retail management. We also interview seven experts who give their tips, including on how to break down the walls between physical stores and online operations. What Is Meant by Retail Store Operations? Typically, when people use the term retail store operations, theyre referring to most of the functions and jobs in stores. How the term translates for individual operations depends on the type of store and the specific companys organizational chart. So, retail operations can encompass everything about how a store operates each day. If we think about it linearly, we can see examples of responsibilities. Start with choosing the stores location and designing the store. Then think about how the store plans, orders, and adjusts its product inventory: How it prices items and displays them in the store, under what lighting, in what arrangement, and with what signs. How it treats its customers throughout the store experience, from entry to exit. How it handles cash and credit. How it handles returns and refunds. How it handles price markdowns and sales. How it manages its staff and maintains its premises. How it handles data about customers, products, sales, and revenue. All of this can fall under the field of retail operations. In larger retail businesses, some of the functions may fall outside of what they call their operations department. For example, they may have departments for finance and/or accounting, marketing, human resources, and IT. Sometimes those departments exist at the corporate level but less so at individual stores, where more jobs may fall under operations. At smaller stores, nearly every position may fall under operations. It all depends on the definitions of the individual business. For the purposes of this article, well take the widest view of retail operations as a field. Retail can fall under goods or services. Some stores are both. A retail clothing store is mostly goods. A dry-cleaner offers a service. A tire store sells both a product (tires) and service (installation). Traditionally, the term store meant a brick-and-mortar store, but increasingly people blur the distinction, even referring to online stores. The term retail clearly applies to both physical stores and online operations. Each year, more and more sales are made online as consumer habits continue to change, and as the nature of competition changes. The next six sections provide a more detailed overview of responsibilities that may fall under the field of retail store operations: Design Customer Service Cash, Fraud, and Internal Controls Product Inventory Administration Store Management What Is Store Operations Management? The final area of operations responsibility is store operations management. The store manager is responsible for keeping daily operations functioning smoothly and managing employees. Its a challenging role in a challenging environment. The store manager reports to regional or corporate managers, or an owner, and may have to follow broad strategies or directives from them. But within the environment of the store, the store manager is the boss and is often responsible for all aspects of its performance, including its finances. Other areas of responsibility may include: Hiring, firing, training, and managing of employees Forecasting sales and budgeting Oversight of inventory and loss prevention Oversight of all internal controls, such as for cash handling All aspects of customer service Internal and external communication Legal compliance Store Design Responsibilities Design and aesthetics are a major part of the shopping experience. Design is both art and science, often using data to help make choices, such as product display and placement. Here are aspects of design that fall under retail operations. Store location: As the adage goes, location, location, location. Visibility and customer traffic patterns play a key role in a stores success. People will travel off the beaten path for something special, but its generally harder to build that business. Store design and layout: The stores exterior and interior design sets the tone for the shopping experience. Design can signal a clean, well-organized but relatively spartan discount store (think Target), a well-stocked, industrial looking warehouse (Home Depot or Lowes) or an upscale, well-appointed department store (Nordstroms) or clothing boutique (Anthropologie). Another consideration is the display layout. Racks, shelves, or displays can be arranged straight, at angles, or in a geometric pattern to create visual interest in addition to organization. Similarly, traffic patterns for customers can be gridded, almost like streets, looping or curving, or more free flowing. Changes in these patterns can affect what customers see and what they purchase. Creating departments within a store: This is important for item findability in a store, as well as for delivering tailored customer service. By creating specialty areas, such as jewelry, shoes, sporting goods, and housewares, retail professionals create stores within stores and have specialty employees who are better able to serve customers. Visual merchandising and display: Create attractive displays of products to set a tone and an expectation. Sometimes, you arent just selling a product - youre selling an experience. A pleasing display of merchandise sends a message to the would-be buyer, and so does a sloppy, unkempt table. Even the height at which items are placed can make a big difference. Some professionals use a retail planogram, a type of diagram, to detail the placement of items in a store. Store atmosphere: Lighting, music, and consistent overall store maintenance create a pleasant atmosphere that makes customers want to shop there. Unpleasant factors like clutter, odors, inadequate air conditioning, or unserviced restrooms can turn off customers. At the best stores, employees strive to create a pleasant atmosphere that helps to define the brand. Signage: Posting signs, both outside and inside, help to direct customers and make them aware of products, services, and offers. Without good signage, a store can be difficult to navigate, and customers might not see what store managers want them to see. Store space management: Avoid clutter and disorganization by managing space well in the store. Make items easily accessible and use out-of-the-way space for storage.

Step 2: Based on the challenges associated with Store Operations Management and the areas of responsibility, which would you most enjoy? What would you least enjoy as part of the job? What do you think are the most important areas of Store Operations Management? From the reading, what you do you think are ways to improve productivity and increase revenue? What are your personal preferences in determining where you shop?