Discusion one- Do you think physical (brick and mortar) stores will exist in the future, given the increasing use of the Internet for shopping? (Explain why or why not) If you think they will continue to exist, what roles could these stores have, and what kinds of stores/products would perform better than others?

Discussion two- Choose your favorite retail store or one that you frequently shop at.

• What kind of store is it with respect to ownership, merchandise, etc.? (refer to the categories mentioned in the textbook).

• Does this retail store use multichannel marketing? If so, what are the other channels?

• Describe the retailing mix (i.e. assortment, type and quality of merchandise, advertising and promotion used, location strategy, pricing).

• Does the store have a certain image and how do the store environment and personnel contribute to (or detract from) this image?