In today's economy, the service sector plays a vital role. Globally, service industries contribute to over 70% of the GDP (World Bank). Services are essential because consumers rely on them daily, and their significance extends to the overall world economy. Retailing holds fundamental importance for the UK, Europe, and the Global economy. Despite economic turbulence, retailing is projected to continue to grow with retailers increasingly having to implement complex omnichannel strategies. While established markets like the UK have faced strategic challenges, significant growth has occurred worldwide, particularly in Latin America, the Middle East, and India - regions that collectively represent 78% of global growth according to Euromonitor. This module will explore the services and retailing sectors, covering seminal theoretical concepts as well as emerging contemporary trends/theory. The module will adopt a strategic perspective on services and retail and will analyse how organisations can respond strategically to external factors to optimise their performance. Within the module students will develop skills such as critical thinking, through evaluating case studies that explore the actions of services and retail organisations. Additionally, team working and communication skills will be developed through completing a group presentation as part of assignment one.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Critically discuss and illustrate the importance of the retail and services sector to the global economy.
Evaluate customer experience within the context of services and retail.
Analyse the challenges encountered by service and retail organisations and provide recommendations to address these challenges.
Critically appraise theoretical concepts within service and retail strategy.
Collaborate and communicate ideas through group presentations.
