"bridging theory & practice"
“Fantastic lecturers who combined to provide a great dynamic. Extremely organised with meticulous class preparation. Arranged exciting and insightful guest speakers.”
“Excellent course. One of my favourites, in fact!”
"A perfect combination of a great professional and a great teacher"
The Institute offers a highly-regarded 8-week elective on retailing to the Saïd Business School’s full-time MBA programme each year. Co-taught by Jonathan Reynolds and Alan Giles, Chairman of Fat Face and former CEO of HMV, the course is relevant not just to those seeking careers in retailing, or consulting careers which will bring them into contact with retailers, but also those seeking careers in consumer goods or service industries, all of which are affected by the power and the decision-making of major retail firms. 100 students (nearly half the class) chose the elective in 2008.
The course brings together strategic marketing ideas, in the context of marketing channels and cultures of consumption. In-depth sessions on the course look at how retailers approach customer insight, review the criteria for successful international performance, consider how retailers have developed as leading brands in their own right, and how they set about delivering their customer proposition. Topics also examine the ways in which the growth of retailing impinges on society, how retailers are tackling the ethical dilemmas the industry faces and how technology is transforming consumption, through the growth of multi-channel retailing.
One of the distinctive features of this course is the use of current practitioners to bring to life some of the concepts covered in class. It’s a first hand opportunity to meet and question leading figures from the industry. In 2008, three senior retail directors visited the class: Ben Gordon CEO of Mothercare, David North, Community Affairs Director of Tesco and Ian Cheshire CEO of Kingfisher.