The main goal of this work was to analyse the current solution of the floor space disposition in the selected store and introduce possible improvements in space management and merchandising. According to survey results, Billa s.r.o. is expected to be profitable and competitive in the following years.

The purpose of this diploma thesis is to analyze the process of purchasing decisions of tourist{\crq}s visiting the region of Český Krumlov and based on their preferences, to suggest suitable measures for the retail unit Renata, which I´ve done a research about in the second part of this thesis. Collection of primary data is done by using a questionnaire survey, which is divided into two parts. The first part of the research analyzes the purchasing behavior of a sample of tourist{\crq}s visiting Český Krumlov. The second part of the research analyzes the purchasing behavior of a sample of customers of the retail unit Renata in the Český Krumlov.

Retail store closures are on pace to pass those during the 2008 recession; meanwhile, consumer confidence is strong and unemployment is low.This puzzling situation sparks the question of how retailers can change their current business models and tactics to capitalize on a stronger economy and changing consumer preferences. Key solutions may lie in the strategies and decisions of America’s fastest growing retailers. The purpose of this study is to identify and understand common trends that are driving revenue growth in today’s consumer retail companies. The study produces characteristics useful for struggling retailers to develop and adapt in hopes of achieving growth and stability in the changing retail sector. The research design is a collection of variables from two data sets, one made up of 220 U.S. retailers and the other including the top 50 fastest-growing publicly traded U.S. retailers. This data comes from respective 10-K annual reports. The data is analyzed using STATA to identify strong trends and correlations among the top players in the retail space. Some notable characteristics are revenue in dollars, revenue growth percentages, gross margin percentages, square footage, employee count and sales ratios in dollars.

Dissertation presents theoretical approaches to category management including the definition of its 8-step process. The implementation of category management is shown on examples of the Coca-Cola company, which support functionality of suggested methodology and objectives from the beginning of this dissertation.

Since the first national park Yellowstone was established, people from across the world have come to visit the natural wonders that our national parks have to offer. While much empirical research has been conducted concerning the marketing and branding strategies of non-profit organizations, government agencies, and tourism destinations; not much has been conducted on national parks. This research seeks to understand how our national parks have marketed and branded themselves over time and determine how marketing and branding will play a role in the development and conservation of the parks. This research was conducted utilizing in- depth methods such as an autoethnographic reflection and content analysis. Throughout the content analysis, themes arose amongst the strategies of the national parks over time such as “Romanticism,” “Exploration,” “Nature Preservation,” and many more discussed throughout this research. Each of these unique themes represents what was culturally important.

El presente trabajo consiste en la elaboración de merchandising para el Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú (MNAAHP). El objetivo principal del trabajo consiste en ayudar al relanzamiento de la tienda del museo con una línea de productos alusivos al patrimonio cultural que alberga el museo, en este caso las piezas a desarrollarse son los de la etapa de la Conquista y Colonia del Perú. Para ello, se realiza un trabajo de recopilación de investigación el cual consiste planear reuniones con los clientes con la finalidad de conocer a grandes rasgos las necesidades de la problemática y en averiguar la importancia que presenta tener una tienda comercial dentro de los museos y cómo esta puede favorecerles de manera positiva. Una vez conocido el problema, se comienza el método investigativo para poder llegar a encontrar posibles soluciones: elaborar un set de merchandising para implementarlo dentro de la tienda del MNAAHP. En primer lugar, se realiza un brief para conocer a mayor detalle al cliente, su historia, la problemática, entre otro. Luego, se desarrolla la búsqueda informativa de la cultura asignada como los referentes del estilo gráfico que el producto pueda tener. En segundo lugar, luego de la recopilación de la información esencial del cliente, viene la parte creativa que consiste en la elaboración de bocetos, síntesis de las formas, entre otro, para la elaboración del set de merchandising. En tercer lugar, se planea una reunión con los clientes para mostrarle el material artístico y ver los últimos detalles que pueda haber. Después de las reuniones, viene la implementación del set de merchandising para el museo. Para ello, se realiza una investigación de posibles proveedores para la elaboración de los productos. Finalmente, se expone los resultados a los clientes junto a los asesores del curso con la finalidad de exponer el resultado final de la investigación. / The present study consists in the elaboration of merchandising for the National Museum of Peru’s Archeology, Anthropology and History (MNAAHP). The main objective of the work is to help relaunching the museum shop with a line of products alluding to the cultural heritage that houses the museum, specifically developing pieces of the Conquest and Colonial Era. For this purpose a research compilation work has been carried out, which was composed of planning meetings with clients in order to know in broad strokes the needs of the problem and to find out the importance of having a commercial store inside the museums and how this can favor them in a positive way. Once the problem had been detected, the process of finding solutions through research begins: develop a merchandising set to implement in the MNAAHP store. First of all, a brief is made to know in greater detail the client, their history, the problem, among other things. Then, the informative search of the assigned culture is developed as the referents of the graphic style that the product may have. Secondly, after collection of the essential information of the client, comes the creative part that consists of the elaboration of sketches, synthesis of the forms, visual analyzes, among others, for the elaboration of the merchandising set. Thirdly, a meeting with the clients is planned to showcase the artistic material and see the latest touches. After the meetings, comes the implementation of the merchandising set for the museum. For this to take action, an investigation of possible suppliers for the elaboration of the products is carried out. Finally, the results of the procedure are out and presented to the clients together with the course advisors in order to show the final result of the investigation

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Joy M. Kozar / Today, home economics in Saudi Arabia, in particular, apparel and textiles programs (AT) typically emphasize two major areas: apparel design and textile science. However, AT programs in Saudi Arabia need to evolve to help students take advantage of new job opportunities in the apparel retail sector. Establishing an apparel merchandising track in AT programs in Saudi Arabia will provide women with better preparation to succeed in the industry. Until recently, most female graduates of home economics programs in Saudi Arabia were prepared for teaching positions. The purpose of this study was to develop an apparel merchandising program for the AT discipline in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative data were collected in three phases to examine the focal points of choosing the new curricula: (a) the nature of the subject matter, (b) the nature of society, and (c) the nature of individuals. In Phase 1, the content of the top apparel merchandising programs in the US was examined to explore the nature of the subject matter. In Phase 2, the perceptions of industry professionals in Saudi Arabia were explored by interviewing 21 human resource managers and apparel store managers. Finally, the AT students’ needs to succeed in the apparel industry were examined by interviewing 17 female students. The data were analyzed by utilizing the word-based technique as well as comparing and contrasting responses to each question. The findings for all three phases were combined and compared to identify the knowledge and skills that need to be added to the new apparel merchandising track for AT discipline in Saudi Arabia. Results of the study indicated that all three phases reported the importance of considering hard skills, or content and process knowledge, and soft skills, or professional attitude and skills, in preparing AT student for the apparel retail industry. AT major knowledge, business knowledge, mathematics, as well as professional skills (e.g., communication, commitment, teamwork, English language, lifelong learning, and experience) are found to be essential for the success of Saudi women in the apparel retail industry. For AT educators in Saudi Arabia, this knowledge and skills have to be addressed in the apparel merchandising program.

This study proposes a loyalty segmentation model for the South African men's retail credit fashion industry. Retailers operate in a highly competitive market where competitors strive for share-of-wallet of the same customer. The likely victor in this battle is the retailer who best understands customer needs, purchase behaviour and utilises this information to influence customer's spending patterns. The research method comprised a postal survey to randomly selected customers. The process included the construct of the loyalty model which comprised four input models, namely the Competitiveness, Brand experience, Referral and Credit appeal models as well as a number of customer demographics. The Desert scenario, where extreme conditions exist, is used as the analogy for the Segmentation model, with four macro segments (Desert, Oasis, Sand Storm, Rain clouds) being used to categorise respondents along two criteria, namely that of value and relative risk. Segment characteristics are used to segment the retailer's database. / Business Management / MCom (Business Management)

Titel: Att anpassa eller inte?  En kvalitativ studie om butikskommunikationen anpassas till ett lands kultur.   Problemställning: Examensarbetet är inriktad på följande problemställning: Hur är butikskommunikationen anpassad till kulturen i Sverige.   Syfte: Syftet med detta examensarbete är att analysera om butikskommunikationen anpassas till ett lands kultur.   Avgränsningar: För att få studien mer fokuserad har avgränsningar utförts. Då butikskommunikation är ett brett ämne har författarna valt att rikta butikskommunikationen på modebranschen, där Företag A och Företag B utgör exempel för denna studie.   Metodik: I denna uppsats har en kvalitativ forskningsmetodik genomförts. Där vikten på ord och tolkning vid insamling samt analys av data haft relevans. Studien har resulterat i en abduktiv forskningsansats där tillvägagångssättet har varit flexibelt då studien har uppvisat en blandning av deduktion, induktion samt inslag av iterativt pendlade mellan empiri och teori. Metoden är baserad på observation där två företag används som exempel. Observationerna har varit av blandad karaktär, där den mest centrala delen var att studera fenomenet butikskommunikation i sin rätta miljö.   Slutsatser: Studiens slutsats visar på hur butikskommunikation är anpassad till kulturen i Sverige. Detta göras genom att ta kulturens beståndsdelar i beaktning. Vad gäller till exempel språk, färgers kulturella betydelser, traditioner och högtider. Studien har även påvisat att genom specialexponering av säsong och högtid kan värderingar med mera kommuniceras tydligt. Butikskommunikationen anpassas genom att visa en förståelse för en kulturs etnicitet. Studiens slutsatser visade också på att företag anpassar sin butikskommunikation genom att ta hänsyn till Hofstede´s kulturdimensioner att undvika osäkerhet, individualism och kollektivism, maskulinitet och femininitet samt långsiktigt- och kortsiktigt inriktning / Title: To adapt or not? A qualitative study of visual merchandising adapted to a country's culture.   Research question: The study is aimed at reviewing the following issue: How is visual merchandising adapted to the culture of Sweden?   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse if visual merchandising are adapted to a county’s culture.   Limitations: To achieving a more focused study, limitations were carried out. Because visual merchandising is a wide subject, the authors choose  to focus on the fashion industry. Two companies, Company A and Company B are made as examples for this study.   Method: In this study a qualitative research method was applied, where words and the interpretation in the collection of data and the analysis of it, had an  important relevance for this study. The study had an abductive approach. The study has shown a mixture of deduction, induction and elements of an iterative change between empiricism and theory. The method was based on the observation of two companies that were made as examples. The observations were of mixed characters, but the most central part was to study the phenomenon of visual merchandising in the right environment.   Conclusion: The study concludes how visual merchandising can be adapted to a country’s culture. This can be done by taking the cultural elements into consideration. With the regard of language, cultural meaning of colors, traditions and celebrations. The study has also shown that the visual communication can be more clearly communicated through special displays of seasonal and celebration products and values. Visual merchandising can be adjusted to a culture by showing an understanding of a culture’s ethnicity. The study also concludes that companies can adapt their visual merchandising by taking into account Hofstede's cultural dimensions to avoid uncertainty, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity and long- versus short-term orientation.

Innovating for Sleeker, Greener, Friendlier Rides critiques the ethical implications behind the meaning of sustainability in the surfboard manufacturing industry because surfers by origin have a kinship with the environment. First the paper discovers the origins of surfers, how surfing became a sport, and who are the major influencers in the industry. Second, this thesis analyzes three different sustainability approaches, repurpose, reduce, and self-sustainment. Repurpose method examines to decrease the amount CO2 in inputs and outputs of materials throughout surfboard construction. Reduce method innovates surfboard that are more durable so that there are less wasted surfboards going into landfills. Self-sustainment practices a variant of permaculture to construct surfboards out of only natural materials from the earth in order to diminish non-ecofriendly byproducts. Thirdly, the conversation regards towards permaculture as the better option, which requires comprehensive experiments to produce materials meeting the performance of non-sustainable resources. Lastly, the thesis provides areas of research for possible raw materials and a way to implement into the industry.