The "ultimate consumer."

Select a retailer. Remember a retailer sells to the "ultimate consumer." You need to choose a retailer with a physical store presence who sells a physical product the retail store I chose was Apple. the link for the textbook website is https://studylib.net/doc/25876772/retail-management Provide additional information on: Executive Summary (why the reader is reading the document and highlighting your key findings. History of the Company (use the Internet to research this): o How long have they been in business? o How has their business changed over the years? o What is their mission statement? o Do they plan to expand, penetrate, diversify or change their retail format in the near future? Target Market: o Demographic characteristics of their target customer (age, gender, income level, education etc.) o Psychographic characteristics of their target customer Merchandise Assortment: You may have to visit the store to find information about these. o What are the major brands they carry? o Do they have private label brands? o Where does this retailer's merchandise fit on the category life cycle? (Chapter. 12) o Does this retailer carry convenience goods, shopping goods or specialty goods? (Chapter. 7) Store Location: o Where is this retail store located? (CBD, Shopping Center, Specialty Center, MXD) o Why do you think they chose this location? o Is this site accessible for the customer? Omni-Channel Strategy: o Describe the retailer’s presence in other channels (website, catalog etc). o Is the retailer able to present a similar image across all its channels? How do you prove this statement? Pricing: o What is this stores pricing policy? (Everyday Low Pricing, High/Low Pricing etc.) o What other practices do they use to compete with price? (Coupons, Rebates, Price Bundling) o Is there a frequent shopper program? Communication Mix: o What type of paid advertisements does this business use? o What type of unpaid communication does this business use? (Publicity) o Does this retailer use cooperative advertising? With whom? o What type of sales promotions does this retailer use? (Sales, Sampling, Demos, Contests etc.) Store Layout: (Visit store if possible or provided answers based on previous visit) o What type of design layout does this store use? (Grid, Racetrack, Free Form etc.) o Is it effective for customer flow? o What type of fixtures do they use? o What type of lighting are they using? o Is music constantly playing? What type? o What type of scent is in the store? Does it detract or attract? Customer Service: (Visit store or website) o What type of services does this store offer? (Alterations, gift wrapping etc.) o Talk to 3 customers (it could be your family or friends who have visited this store in the past) - What is their perception of this stores customer service? How does this store handle customer complaints? o What is their return policy? Competitive Advantage: (This section should be 2-3 paragraphs minimum -- think critically about it!) o Does this retailer have a sustainable competitive advantage over similar stores?  Refer to the Retail Strategy chapter to outline their SCA o How can they retain this advantage or achieve an advantage over their competition? Recommendations for the retailer o Based on your research, what does the future hold for this company? o Provide your own examples of the four different growth strategies (Refer to Retail Strategy chapter) available for this retailer? o What operational and/or strategic recommendations will you provide them to remain successful in the future