UTAR Retail Management programme cultivates business-versatile individuals
IN today’s ever-evolving market landscape, one proven strategy may not work well for one brand, but it could work wonders for another brand.
Hence, incorporating strategies from different fields of business and marketing is vital to strengthen competitiveness in the retail industry.
Among the large pool of skills, retail management is often mistaken as a skill for stocking shelves and ringing up sales at any marketplaces or your nearest shopping malls.
It entails intricacies to maintaining profitability and achieving success in a competitive market.
“As Malaysia continues to progress, the growth of the retail industry progresses as well, making retail management an essential skill in ensuring profitability and success.
“To ensure a brand’s competitiveness in the long term, the management of a marketplace does not only require the basics of business, a retail manager will also need to be equipped with strong skills and knowledge on how to plan and organise their merchandise efficiently.
“Nowadays, the responsibilities of retail managers are extensive, as they not only have to care for inventory and staff management, but they also have to be well-prepared to meet and exceed customers’ expectations, which could ultimately ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty,” Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) Head of Department of Marketing Dr Choy Johnn Yee explained.
With the broadening of retail managers’ responsibilities as well as opportunities, UTAR constantly updates the syllabus of its Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) Retail Management programme to keep students’ skills and knowledge up-todate in the latest job market.
“UTAR’s Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) Retail Management programme puts emphasis on instilling a strong foundation and innovative application. It shapes students to be both analytical and creative in not just the overall management of retailing but also in many business contexts.
“This is because we want our students to be well-versed in different fundamental areas, which eventually could provide different solutions and perspectives when they progress in their retail careers.
“Aside from the fundamentals, this programme also inculcates students on specialised areas in the field of retailing, including merchandising, logistics and supply chain management, and customer relationship management,” remarked Dr Choy.
UTAR’s Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) Retail Management programme is a threeyear retailing programme that leads to a world of thriving career opportunities in the business field.
Aside from stepping into the retailing industry, graduates can widen their skills and portfolios by applying to become chartered global management accountants (CGMA) through the three-year CGMA Finance Leadership Program (FLP) by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Not to mention, the Retail Management Programme by UTAR is also recognised by the Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS), which can lead the graduates on the road to become a certified company secretary.
Career prospects of Retail Management programme graduates include merchandising manager, marketing manager, senior buyer, store manager, and shopping mall manager.
As students dive into the field of the retail industry, UTAR also enriches their learning experience by providing them with the opportunity to learn firsthand experience from professionals in the retail industry through a mandatory three-month industrial training.
This empowers the students to apply the skills they have learned from their classrooms in a reallife context, which allows a wider room for the students to unleash their innovation, creativity, and critical thinking.
With the rapid advancement of technology, UTAR partnered with Alibaba Group to provide students the opportunity to take part in the Alibaba Global Digital Talent (GDT) Programme, to help students access insights, skills, and opportunities in the modern world.
With that, the students of the Retail Management programme will have the opportunity to explore the ecosystem of crossborder e-commerce such as online retailing, digital economy, Internet of Things (IoTs), and digital entrepreneurship, further broadening their horizons in the latest Industry Revolution.
UTAR offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in areas including Accountancy, Actuarial Science, Applied Mathematics, Arts, Chinese Studies, Malaysia Studies, Business and Economics, Biotechnology, Engineering and Build Environment, Information and Communication Technology, Life and Physical Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Media and Journalism, Education and General Studies, and Agriculture and Food Science.
The university also engages in the provision and conduct of research, consultation, management and leadership training, and other related educational services at its Sungai Long and Kampar Campuses in Malaysia.
Visit UTAR Open Day on the 8-9 June, 15-16 June and 22-23 June from 9am to 5pm at both Kampar and Sungai Long campuses. For more information, please visit www.utar.edu.my or call 05-468 8888 (Kampar Campus), 03-9086 0288 (Sungai Long Campus).