Minor in Retail Studies

• The Retail Studies Student Association (RSSA) works in collaboration to mentor, hold special events and socials, panel conversations with our alums, meet & greets with the RMI Advisory Board Members, Mission Outreach to raise funds for the local underserved in the community and production of the RMI Magazine and Instagram @ retailsantaclarau curation.

• Silicon Valley Field Experiences – RMI has easy access to San Francisco– based retail companies including Levi’s, The Gap, Williams-Sonoma, Cost Plus World Market, Stitchfix, Lolli & Pops and Pinterest just to name a few. Throughout the school year, RSSA organizes many retailer visits. RMI’s ability to provide location-based experiences right at the intersection where technology meets retail, is a distinction no other retail program can claim.

• Scholarships – RMI awards several financial scholarships, the Jill Curran Scholarship for a New York Immersion Trip, and access to apply for industry organization scholarship offerings.

• Apply online through our website: www. scu.edu/rmi

• 1st Round interviews take place with RMI’s Associate Director, Cynthia Gamage.

• 2nd Round interviews with our Program Director, Professor Kirthi Kalyanam, take place upon successful completion of first interview.

Multi-Channel Retail Marketing

Multi-Channel Retail Marketing provides insights in to what retail represents and an understanding of its significance to U.S. and world economies Over the past thirty years, few industries have undergone the level of change that retailing has. By anticipating and reacting to changes in consumer shopping behavior, competitive economics and technological innovation, today retailers will adopt new types of shopping experiences. For several years, the growth of ecommerce put pressure on traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers. Today, retailers such as Amazon and Walmart sit at the top of their industries, while former ‘icons’ of retail’s past are challenged with today’s economic environment.

The Art & Science of Merchandising

The Art & Science of Merchandising is designed to keep students abreast of the newest technologies and analytical methods that aid how merchandise may be procured, managed, and sold in various retailing establishments. Class time is a combination of:

• Discussions presented on key concepts

• Industry guest speakers lead the conversation on real-world merchandising

• Student presentations examine and evaluate selected retailers merchandising decisions

The New Retail Disruptors + Retail Innovation Projects

The New Retail Disruptors defines where innovation has found its way into retailing with the entry of horizontal platforms (Amazon, Alibaba.com, eBay), vertical platforms (Blue Nile, Overstock, BuildDirect, AO.com, ASOS.com), manufacturers (Nike) and digitally native brands born on the web and sell directly to end consumers (Warby Parker, Bonobos, Naturebox) and the responses of incumbent retailers (Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Macy’s, Nordstrom). This innovation has created a new edge (boundary) in retail space that emphasizes new consumer needs.

Gen Z Dormstorm Retail Innovation Project – teams made up of 5 students groups deliver a presentation using key concepts learned in the class with the support and guidance of industry leaders.

• Through the process of developing the business idea, students should take a point-of-view on how they see retail evolving in the future and how this idea fits within that view.

• Student teams present to a panel of judges - retail experts and investors – who will provide real-time feedback and potential consideration for further development of business ideas.