Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook
This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Postgraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)

Module BUSI4R015: Retail Analytics

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI4R015: Retail Analytics

TypeLevelCreditsAvailabilityModule CapLocation
Tied 4 15 Available in 2025/2026 None. Durham

Tied To

Pre-requisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations

  • None

Aims

  • To provide students with a systematic way of understanding the role of data in management decision-making across the retail and distributive industries

Content

  • Fundamentals of retail management
  • Retail strategies - single-channel, multi-channel, omni-channel
  • Location management and intelligent network planning
  • Retail mix elements
  • Retail communication and customer relationship management
  • Concepts in retail data analysis
  • Data requirements for market segmentation - geodemographic, psychographic, behavioural
  • Key metrics - Customer Lifetime Value, Marketing ROI, etc.
  • Financial analytics in retail and distribution management

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge
  • On completion of the module students should:
  • have a critical appreciation of the use of data in the retail and distributive trades;
  • be able to identify, collect, analyse and apply appropriate retail data forms and techniques;
  • have an advanced understanding of when data analytics might add value to the retail decision-making process.
Subject-specific Skills
  • On completion of the module students should:
  • be able to scope data requirements from the description of a retail situation;
  • be able to understand customer behavioural data and conduct analysis on it;
  • be able to apply retail science to the analysis of real-world business situations.
Key Skills
  • Effective written communication
  • Planning, organising and time management
  • Problem solving and data analysis
  • Making effective use of communication and information technology

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • The learning outcomes will be met through a combination of lectures, workshops and groupwork (including group discussion of case examples, data analysis exercises and a retail audit), together with individual exercises and guided reading.
  • The summative assessments of the module are designed to test students' understanding and critical appreciation of the key concepts associated with retail analytics techniques, and their ability to discuss the data requirements for each stage in the process of setting up and managing a small business.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotal HoursAttendance Monitored
Lectures 10 1 a week 2 hours 20 Yes
Seminars 4 1 every two weeks 1 hour 4 Yes
Preparation and Reading 126
Total 150

Summative Assessment

ComponentComponent WeightingElementLength/DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Individual Written Assignment 100% Assignment 3000 words (maximum) 100%

Formative Assessment

Team project, based on a retail audit


Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.