Choose a specific retailer that you are interested in from one of the following categories:
• Grocery
• Books
• Sports goods (including clothing)
• Consumer electronics
• Health and beauty
• Children’s wear
Write a report of no more than 2500 words on the module themes by focusing on your chosen retailer.
This might sound like a challenging assessment but the EMA task is broken down into four distinctive parts that build together to form your report. Note that the parts have specific requirements in terms of the style in which you should present your work. There are also guidance notes to help you complete each part.
• a.Write a short introduction explaining why you are interested in this particular retailer and state why you believe this retailer makes an interesting example to explore B122’s themes.
(This part of the assessment is a personal reflection. There is no requirement to refer to academic models, theory or specific module content.)
Word count: approximately 200 words.
(8 marks)
• b.Discuss how your chosen retailer operates within its market and how it competes with similar retailers.
(You might find it useful to check your understanding of the term ‘retail category’ and the materials covering retail competition in Block 1.)
Word count: approximately 300 words.
(12 marks)
• c.Considering B122’s three module themes, identify how your chosen retailer is currently affected by:
• the global and international retailing environment
• sustainability and ethical concerns
• technology and retailing developments.
• Word count: approximately 400 words per theme (approximate total of 1200 words).
(45 marks)
• d.Using your answers from Part (c), considering the three module themes and the related issues you identified:
• i.suggest how your chosen retailer might respond to each of these three themes
• ii.consider what the future implications of each of the issues arising from these three themes are for your retailer
• iii.make three recommendations that your chosen retailer might take to ensure their long-term success.
Word count: approximately 800 words.
(35 marks)
Guidance notes
General
In tackling the EMA, you are expected to use appropriate concepts from B122 and choose those which support the argument you are making. In addition:
• Relate your answers to the retailer you have chosen rather than write everything you know about a particular area – answer the question(s) asked!
• Note the word limit; do not try to write about all you have learnt from studying B122.
• Read the guidance notes about each EMA part carefully before you start drafting your answers.
• Plan ahead, allowing plenty of time for drafting an answer you feel happy about. You have the time to work on several drafts if you wish, but only submit one version of the EMA.
• Submit your EMA through the online TMA/EMA service.
• Finally, if there is anything about completing the EMA or there are questions within it that you do not understand, ask your tutor.
Part (a)
In Part (a) you need to state which retailer you have chosen to focus on and why. Most of this section is a personal reflection, justifying why you feel the chosen retailer interests you and will be relevant to study for the EMA. You should refer to Block 1 and the sector theme for further ideas and guidance.
Part (b)
Part (b) requires you to focus on your chosen retailer and discuss how it operates within its market and competes with similar retailers. You can refer to examples provided in the module materials and identified in newspapers, magazines and on websites. Whichever source you use, remember to provide references for where the examples you are focusing on originate from.
Part (c)
Part (c) of the EMA is the most substantial part. Marks are awarded for the logic and clarity of your analysis of the three module themes and how they affect your chosen retailer. They are allocated evenly for each of the three themes.
Your answer should discuss how each theme affects your chosen retailer. In preparation for your answer you might find it helpful to revisit theme case materials from Blocks 1–5 and review the information gathered in the process of answering Parts (a) and (b). It is expected that you will use module concepts from Blocks 1–5 in your discussion.
By the end of this part you should have set out the issues affecting your chosen retailer. You should not attempt to discuss how your chosen retailer might respond to the issues as that will form the basis of your answer for Part (d). For example, if you focus on a book retailer you might consider digital technology as a major influence that is going to affect how consumers buy and read books in the future or discuss how the growth of Amazon as an online retailer is affecting the sale of books on the high street.
Part (d)
In Part (d), marks are awarded for the coherence of your argument and the appropriateness of the recommendations.
This is a challenging part of the EMA and to gain good marks you need to put together a logical and coherent argument about how your chosen retailer should respond to the issues you have discussed and analysed in Part (c). Markers will look out for the consistency of your argument and how this builds from your analysis in Part (c) to the final recommendations you make
