Online Retailing Comparison Assignment

Online Retailing Comparison Assignment

MKT 3210W Summer II 2021

Guideline for Online Retailing Comparison
· Tasks

1) Choose two competing retailers (Retailer A and Retailer B).

2) Visit the websites and smartphone apps of your chosen and approved retailers.

3) Analyze your observations in the areas below.

4) Write a report using the following format:

Cover page

(Provide a title of the report, your name, course number and name, and semester and year.)

1. Overview of the Retailers (1 page)

a. Retailer A (Replace this subsection title with a retailer’s name. Apply this to all sections below.)

[Provide an overview of Retailer A in the following areas: industry type (e.g., grocery business, department stores, apparel business, consumer electronics business), retailer type (Ch. 2), key merchandise categories, the website address.]

(Provide the following information for Retailer A: location of the headquarters, names of CEO, CMO, and Chief Merchandising Officer, and annual sales in 2018, 2019, and 2020.)

b. Retailer B (Replace this subsection title with the other retailer’s name. Apply this to all sections below.)

[Provide an overview of Retailer B in the following areas: industry type (e.g., grocery business, department stores, apparel business, consumer electronics business), retailer type (Ch. 2), key merchandise categories, the website address.]

(Provide the following information for Retailer B: location of the headquarters, names of CEO, CMO, and Chief Merchandising Officer, and annual sales in 2018, 2019, and 2020.)

2. Comparison of Key Target Consumer Segments (1 page)

a. Retailer A

1) Demographic segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer A’s target consumer segments in terms of age, gender, income, and/or education.)

2) Psychographic segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer A’s target consumer segments in terms of social class, lifestyle, and/or personality.)

3) Behavioral segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer A’s target consumer segments in terms of occasions, benefits sought, use status, usage rate, and/or loyalty status.)

(Tip: Pay attention to people featured, graphics, dominant colors, font size and type, emphasized features, and layouts of the landing pages.)

b. Retailer B

1) Demographic segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer B’s target consumer segments in terms of age, gender, income, and/or education.)

2) Psychographic segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer B’s target consumer segments in terms of social class, lifestyle, and/or personality.)

3) Behavioral segmentation variables

(Identify Retailer B’s target consumer segments in terms of occasions, benefits sought, use status, usage rate, and/or loyalty status.)

(Tip: Pay attention to people featured, graphics, dominant colors, font size and type, emphasized features, and layouts of the landing pages.)

(Tip: Retailer B’s target segments can be similar to those for Retailer A. But the two retailers’ target segments cannot be exactly the same.)

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between the target consumer segments of Retailer A and Retailer B. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

3. Comparison of Ease of Navigation (3 – 4 pages)

(Section 3 Tip: In this section, do not mention promotions, pricing, or product presentations. Strictly focus on navigation and user experience issues.)

a. Computer Experience

1) Retailer A

(Visit Retailer A’s website using a laptop or desktop computer and describe your experience on the website. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.)

(Tip: Pay attention to website structure and layout, use of graphic, use of color, font size, locations and size of tabs and links.)

2) Retailer B

(Visit Retailer B’s website using a laptop or desktop computer and describe your experience on the website. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.)

(Tip: Pay attention to website structure and layout, use of graphic, use of color, font size, locations and size of tabs and links.)

3) Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between the websites of Retailer A and Retailer B based on your experiences. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

b. Smartphone Experience

1) Retailer A

(Visit Retailer A’s website using your smartphone and describe how your experience with your smartphone is different from that with a computer. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

[Mention which brand of smartphone (e.g., iPhone 12 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra) and which web browser you used.]

(Tip: Smartphone experience cannot be similar to computer experience, due to the small screen size of a smartphone.)

2) Retailer B

(Visit Retailer B’s website using your smartphone and describe how your experience with your smartphone is different from that with a computer. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

(Tip: Smartphone experience cannot be similar to computer experience, due to the small screen size of a smartphone.)

c. App Experience

1) Retailer A

(Download Retailer A’ smartphone app onto your smartphone, create an account on the app, and try it for a while. Then, describe your experience on the smartphone app. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.)

[Tip: Pay attention to sign-up process (if applicable), app structure and layout, menu options and features available, use of graphic, use of color, font size, locations and size of tabs, and ease of scrolling.]

2) Retailer B

(Download Retailer B’ smartphone app onto your smartphone, create an account on the app, and try it for a while. Then, describe your experience on the smartphone app. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.)

[Tip: Pay attention to sign-up process (if applicable), app structure and layout, menu options and features available, use of graphic, use of color, font size, locations and size of tabs, and ease of scrolling.]

3) Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s app and Retailer B’s app based on your experiences. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

4. Comparison of Merchandise (2 pages)

[Section 4 Tip: This section should be based on your observations and analysis of the retailers’ websites (not their smartphone apps) accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

(Section 4 Tip: Variety and assortment are covered on p. 33 of the textbook.)

a. Retailer A

1) Variety

(List all major product categories available on Retailer A’s website. Then, evaluate how well this level of variety serves Retailer A’s target consumers identified in Section 2.)

2) National and private-label brands

(List major national brands offered on Retailer A’s website and evaluate how well those national brands serve Retailer A’s target consumers identified in Section 2.)

(If private-label brands are offered on Retailer A’s website, list them and mention which national brand(s) they compete with. If private-label brands are not offered, suggest in which categories Retailer A should offer its private-label brands and why.)

3) Assortment

[Choose a specific product category (e.g., women’s jeans) and then a national brand in that category. Then, estimate the assortment level (i.e., the number of SKUs) of the national brand in the category. Describe what assortment factors (e.g., price level, fabric type, color) you used for your calculation.]

(Tip: An example is illustrated on p. 288 of the textbook.)

b. Retailer B

1) Variety

(List all major product categories available on Retailer B’s website. Then, evaluate how well this level of variety serves Retailer B’s target consumers identified in Section 2.)

2) National and private-label brands

(List major national brands offered on Retailer B’s website and evaluate how well those national brands serve Retailer B’s target consumers identified in Section 2.)

(If private-label brands are offered on Retailer B’s website, list them and mention which national brand(s) they compete with. If private-label brands are not offered, suggest in which categories Retailer A should offer its private-label brands and why.)

3) Assortment

[Choose a specific product category (e.g., women’s jeans) and then a national brand in that category. Then, estimate the assortment level (i.e., the number of SKUs) of the national brand in the category. Describe what assortment factors (e.g., price level, fabric type, color) you used for your calculation.]

(Tip: If possible, choose the same product category and the same national brand you chose for Retailer A and compare the numbers of SKUs between Retailer A and B.)

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s merchandise management and Retailer B’s merchandise management. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

5. Comparison of Product Presentation (2 – 3 pages)

(Section 5 Tip: This section should be based on overall observation and analysis of many products in multiple product categories for each retailer. Do not focus on only one product per retailer for this section.)

(Section 5 Tip: Do not describe how departments, categories, and subcategories are organized on a website in this section. This is a website structure issue and should be covered in a. Computer Experience under Section 3.)

a. Product Presentation on Websites

1) Retailer A

[Describe presentation of product information in terms of (1) types and amounts of specific product information, (2) usage of font size and color, and (3) overall layout of the product information. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Describe presentation of photos and videos in the following areas: (1) types of photos (e.g., product alone, with a model, front, side, back), (2) number of photos available, (3) sizes of photos, (4) color quality and resolution of photos, (5) availability of videos and average length, and (6) evaluation of the effectiveness of photos and videos. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Describe presentation of product reviews in the following areas: (1) types of product reviews available (e.g., stars, average rating, verbal reviews), (2) average number of verbal reviews available per product, (3) average length of verbal reviews, and (4) helpfulness of product reviews on the website. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Tip: This should be based on Retailer A’s website accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

2) Retailer B

[Describe presentation of product information in terms of (1) types and amounts of specific product information, (2) usage of font size and color, and (3) overall layout of the product information. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Describe presentation of photos and videos in the following areas: (1) types of photos (e.g., product alone, with a model, front, side, back), (2) number of photos available, (3) sizes of photos, (4) color quality and resolution of photos, (5) availability of videos and average length, and (6) evaluation of the effectiveness of photos and videos. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Describe presentation of product reviews in the following areas: (1) types of product reviews available (e.g., stars, average rating, verbal reviews), (2) average number of verbal reviews available per product, (3) average length of verbal reviews, and (4) helpfulness of product reviews on the website. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

[Tip: This should be based on Retailer B’s website accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

3) Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s product presentation and Retailer B’s product presentation on their websites. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

b. Product Presentation on Smartphone Apps

1) Retailer A

(Describe how Retailer A’s product presentation on its app is different from that on its website. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

2) Retailer B

(Describe how Retailer B’s product presentation on its app is different from that on its website. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

(Tip: due to smaller screen size, product presentation on an app cannot and should not be the same as that on a website.)

6. Comparison of Loyalty Programs (2 pages)

a. Retailer A

[Describe Retailer A’s loyalty program in the following areas: (1) name of the program, (2) eligible types of customers, (3) whether or not the loyalty program requires a credit card, (4) membership tiers, (5) types and amounts of rewards (or benefits), (6) detailed redemption process with specific point amounts included, (7) how the loyalty program is integrated into the retailer’s smartphone app, and (8) your evaluation of its effectiveness. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

b. Retailer B

[Describe Retailer B’s loyalty program in the following areas: (1) name of the program, (2) eligible types of customers, (3) whether or not the loyalty program requires a credit card, (4) membership tiers, (5) types and amounts of rewards (or benefits), (6) detailed redemption process with specific point amounts included, (7) how the loyalty program is integrated into the retailer’s smartphone app, and (8) your evaluation of its effectiveness. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s loyalty program and Retailer B’s loyalty program. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

7. Comparison of Pricing (1 – 2 pages)

[Section 7 Tip: This section should be based on your observations and analysis of the retailers’ websites (not their smartphone apps) accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

a. Retailer A

[Describe Retailer A’s overall pricing strategy and three (3) pricing techniques used on its website. In this subsection, you must apply both pricing strategies and pricing techniques covered in Ch. 13 of the textbook. Also, you must include specific prices, discount amounts, or pricing context from the website as an example for each pricing technique you describe. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

b. Retailer B

[Describe Retailer B’s overall pricing strategy and three (3) pricing techniques used on its website. In this subsection, you must apply both pricing strategies and pricing techniques covered in Ch. 13 of the textbook. Also, you must include specific prices, discount amounts, or pricing context from the website as an example for each pricing technique you describe. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s pricing and Retailer B’s pricing. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

8. Comparison of Checkout Process (1 – 2 pages)

[Section 8 Tip: This section should be based on your observations and analysis of the retailers’ websites (not their smartphone apps) accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

[Section 8 Tip: Choose the same or similar products on both websites and go through checkout process until the last step (i.e., hitting the “BUY” button).]

a. Retailer A

[Describe Retailer A’s checkout process in the following areas: (1) list of checkout steps (from shopping cart to “Buy” button), (2) types of personal information asked, (3) payment options available, (4) delivery/pickup options available, (5) shipping and handling charges, and (6) any additional products or services suggested during the checkout process. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

b. Retailer B

[Describe Retailer B’s checkout process in the following areas: (1) list of checkout steps (from shopping cart to “Buy” button), (2) types of personal information asked, (3) payment options available, (4) delivery/pickup options available, (5) shipping and handling charges, and (6) any additional products or services suggested during the checkout process. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s checkout process and Retailer B’s checkout process. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

9. Comparison of Customer Service (1 – 2 pages)

[Section 9 Tip: This section should be based on your observations and analysis of the retailers’ websites (not their smartphone apps) accessed with a computer (not with your smartphone).]

a. Retailer A

[Describe Retailer A’s customer service on its website in the following areas: (1) where to find customer service information on the website, (2) types and amounts of customer service information available on the website, (3) ways to contact the retailer for customer service (including social media), and (4) detailed return policy. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

b. Retailer B

[Describe Retailer B’s customer service on its website in the following areas: (1) where to find customer service information on the website, (2) types and amounts of customer service information available on the website, (3) ways to contact the retailer for customer service (including social media), and (4) detailed return policy. This should be a paragraph with 10 lines or more.]

c. Differences

[Describe at least two (2) meaningful differences between Retailer A’s customer service and Retailer B’s customer service. Provide your reasons for each difference. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.]

10. Recommendations for the Retailers (1 – 2 pages)

(Section 10 Tip: All subheadings must be used.)

(Section 10 Tip: You cannot provide the same recommendations for both retailers. Your recommendations should be different between Retailer A and Retailer B.)

a. Retailer A

1) Recommendation 1

(Describe your first recommendation for improving Retailer A’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer A should do specifically to implement the first recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

2) Recommendation 2

(Describe your second recommendation for improving Retailer A’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer A should do specifically to implement the second recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

3) Recommendation 3

(Describe your third recommendation for improving Retailer A’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer A should do specifically to implement the third recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

b. Retailer B

1) Recommendation 1

(Describe your first recommendation for improving Retailer B’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer B should do specifically to implement the first recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

2) Recommendation 2

(Describe your second recommendation for improving Retailer B’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer B should do specifically to implement the second recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

3) Recommendation 3

(Describe your third recommendation for improving Retailer B’s digital operation with specific reasons mentioned in the previous sections. Provide your suggestions regarding what Retailer B should do specifically to implement the third recommendation. This should be a paragraph with 5 lines or more.)

11. Epilogue (1 page)

(Describe three things that you learned from this assignment.)

· Your chosen retailers should be approved by the instructor by July 16. Approvals can be made via email. It is the responsibility of the student to verify that each chosen retailer offers a website, a smartphone app, and a loyalty program.

· Pointers

· Choose retailers that you are genuinely interested in or that you want to know more about.

· The following retailers cannot be chosen for this assignment : Amazon, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Dollar General, TJX Companies (e.g., T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Sierra), companies whose main business is not retailing (e.g., Apple, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour), convenience stores, and any fast-food or sit-down restaurants.

· You cannot choose two retail chains owned or managed by the same company (e.g., Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop). But, you can choose one of the sister retail chains and a competitor that is not related to the first retail chain (e.g., Cabela’s and REI).

· If you took MKT 3010 (Principle of Marketing) with the instructor, you cannot choose the same retailers. You must choose a different retailer pair for this assignment. This is to maximize your learning.

· All of the section and subsection titles must be used in your report, as shown in this guideline.

· Apply what you have learned from the course. Reports with no or few applications of retailing concepts and terms will receive a low grade.

· Although significant similarities should be mentioned in the report, the focus of this assignment is on the differences of the two retailers in their online operations. Meaningful differences must be provided in “Differences” subsections throughout the report.

· The minimum paragraph length must be met in each subsection.

· Do not use bullet feature on paragraphs. Do not indent any line in your report.

· In each section, focus solely on the topic of the section. Do not discuss or mention issues related to a different section.

· Policy on photos and tables: Combining photos, screenshots, and tables, you can include up to four (4) items in your report. Each photo, screenshot, or table must be one quarter of the page or smaller

· Do not include summaries from articles, reports, or research papers available on the Internet. I expect to see in your report your own personal subjective observations, analysis, and opinions regarding the retailers’ online operations.

· It will be helpful if you do some background research on the retailers first before visiting their websites and apps.

· You are advised to start this assignment early and give yourself sufficient time to complete this assignment without rush. Note that this assignment is a comprehensive project with very detailed sections.

· If you use this guideline as a template, delete parentheses or brackets and then add your own content.

· Notes Regarding Submission

· This is an individual assignment, not a group assignment.

· Each student should submit his/her report by August 5 . An electronic copy should be uploaded to the Assignments folder on D2L by 11:00 PM on the above due date. A hard copy submission is not required.

· All parts of your report should be in one file. A multiple-file submission will not be accepted.

· The page limit for this assignment is 15 – 25 pages, including everything.

· The following font and size must be used for main text throughout the report: Calibri or Cambria, size 11.

· All pages should be double-spaced and numbered with one-inch margins on all sides.

· Writing style should be “business.” In business writing, clarity and brevity are very important. But, do not write a memo-style report with lots of bullet points and incomplete sentences. All sentences must be complete.

· Sloppy work will lower your grade. Correct any grammatical and syntax errors, typos, and inappropriate punctuations by proofreading multiple times. Proofread at least twice before submitting your report.

· Do not afraid of using the service offered by the Writing Center on campus. I encourage every student to plan to use the service from the Writing Center for this assignment. Note that good writing skills are one of the keys to success in the business world.

Areas for Point Deduction

· A report that does not follow the above format will lose 70 points. In other words, an “essay” report without headings and subheadings will lose 70 points.

· A report with sections that do not include subsection titles will lose 7 points per each of those sections.

· A report with sections where the same or very similar paragraphs are repeated for Retailer A and B will lose 7 points per each of those sections.

· A report with subsections where the minimum paragraph length is not met will lose 3 points per subsection.

· A report without meaningful differences in “Differences” subsections will lose 5 points per “Differences” subsection.

· A report without meaningful differences between a website and a smartphone app will lose 5 points per retailer per section.

· A report without specific examples in Section 3 – 9 will lose 10 points per section.

· A report with a retailer that does not offer a smartphone app will lose 15 points per retailer.

· A report with a retailer that does not offer a loyalty program will lose 10 points per retailer.

· A report with no or few applications of retailing concepts and terms will lose up to 50 points.

· A report with more than five (5) typos or grammatical errors will lose 30 points.

· A report without a cover page will lose 5 points.

· A report without page numbers will lose 5 points.

· A report submitted after the deadline will lose 50 points.