Omnichannel & customer relationship strategies

A distribution strategy is core in every business and an accurate channel management is key to the success of products or services.  Distribution plans need to be well elaborated and consider several elements such as location, financial aspects of retail, buying and logistics functions as well as merchandising techniques. 

In the last decades, as technology vanishes the distinctions between physical and online retailing, marketers will need to rethink their distribution strategies.  Consumers are now « omni-channel » in their outlook and behavior – they use both online and offline channels for shopping.  With the disappearing distinction between physical and online stores, the world is turning into a showroom without walls.   Companies need to provide seamingless experiences accross channels accross all touchpoints to their customers.  The performance over these channels needs to be optimized.  The objective of this module is to provide students with a customer-focused framework on how companies can succeed with their omni-channel strategies.

At the end of this course, students are expected to understand and be able to actively implement a successful distribution and omnichannel strategy

More specifically, students should be able to:

• Understand how to bring a service or product to the market in a profitable manner
• Know how to operate a distribution and retailing business
• Evaluate a distribution /omnichannel strategy
• Solve issues related to distribution strategies in different sectors, at local and international levels
• Understand and create customer journey maps
• Recommend and justify an appropriate distribution/omnichannel strategy

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

An advanced knowledge of marketing concepts is required (students should at least have succeeded for a basic marketing course)

The format is based on active learning and includes lectures, case studies, and exercises. In order to put the theory into practice, managers will be invited as guest speakers.  To apply the theoretical concepts seen in class, students will have to actively participate by making exercises in class and make a team assignment. 

The student is considered as an independent, self-organised learner. Every student is expected to contribute as actively as he/she can to the discussions in class.

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

Readings and course slides will be made available for students.

Support(s) de cours

• Syllabus
• Université virtuelle

Contacts

Virginie Bruneau by e-mail (virginie.bruneau@ulb.be)

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Projet
• Présentation orale
• Travail de groupe

Projet

Présentation orale

Travail de groupe

The evaluation consists of continuous assessment (compulsory attendance to classes), one group assignment and an individual quiz, which will take place during the group assignment presentation period at the end of the semester. The quiz is designed to assess students’ understanding of the theoretical foundations covered in the course.

The instructor reserves the right to require any student to attend an additional oral examination in order to verify their individual mastery of the content of the submitted examination.

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

Repartition if the grade of the individual assessment is above 8/20

• Group assignment 40%
• Continuous assessment 30%
• Individual assessment (quiz) 30%

If the grade for the individual assessment is =<8/20, the individual assessment (quiz) will account for 50% (instead of 30%).

In this case the repartition will be the following:

• Group assignment 30%
• Continuous assessment 20%
• Individual assessment (quiz) 50%

The instructor reserves the right to require any student to attend an additional oral examination in order to verify their individual mastery of the content of the submitted examination.

In the second session, the same distribution of points will apply. It will not be possible to improve the continuous assessment grade, which will be carried over unchanged to the second session.

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais