Overview of Retailer- Describe the type of retailer you are establishing. Include the mission statement, ownership type, and products offered. Describe the kind of retail format and sub-industry. Include the NAICS code (https://www.naics.com/search/) for your retailer.

SWOT Analysis:Include current and long-term strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Objectives:Include your goals for sales, profits, positioning, and satisfaction of the public.

Target Market and Retail Strategy-Identify a target market and then specify an overall strategy that will adequately target that market (e.g., mass marketing, concentrated marketing, or differentiated marketing).

Overall Strategy:Discuss the overall strategy for controllable and uncontrollable variables.

• Controllable variables
• Managing the business
• Goods/services strategy
• Location strategy
• Pricing strategy
• Promotion Strategy
• Uncontrollable variables
• Consumer environment
• Competitive environment
• Legal environment
• Economic environment
• Seasonality
• Technological environment

Specific Activities:Discuss the daily and short-term operations.

Control:Discuss how you will assess the performance of the store.

Store Layout: Complete a drawing of the layout of the proposed store with a justification for why the merchandise is located in specific areas. Include common (public spaces) and administrative/workspaces.

Merchandise Mix:Complete a merchandise assortment plan for your proposed retailer.

• The number of products categories carried
• The variety of products in any category
• Criteria for buying decisions (how often, what terms, which suppliers)
• Level of inventory for each type of merchandise
• Procedures to assess the success or failure of each item sold

Financial Plan:A complete strategic profit model using pro forma income and balance sheet estimates.

HRM Plan:Discuss the number, skill level, pay rates, and scheduling of employees.

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Plan:Include how the retailer communicates about itself and its products/services. Include themes, logic, and campaigns for the retailer. Include marketing, advertising, promotion, public relations, and communication strategies and tactics.