News
The NRF Foundation And 25 Universities Partner To Promote Retail Careers To Students
More than two dozen colleges and universities have joined the NRF Foundation as partners through a program that provides educators and students exclusive access to retail industry research, educational events and other industry networking opportunities. The college and university partner program is part of the NRF Foundation’s mission to promote retail as a career path to young people by providing students with the tools needed to be successful in retail, and demonstrate that opportunities in the retail industry include a variety of fields including marketing, operations, merchandising, logistics, IT, analytics, criminal justice, and dozens of others.
Retail Consulting Course works with Beall's Department Stores
Students from MAR4232: Retail Consulting were given a tremendous opportunity to work directly for top executives for a large Florida retailer! The course, directed by Dr. Hyunjoo Oh, gathers top students from different disciplines in business to develop solutions to real-world challenges faced by a real-world client. Executives from Bealls Department Stores, Inc. worked closely with the students to provide data, business information, and research goals. The students designed and conducted research campaigns and presented their final recommendations to Bealls Executives at their corporate headquarters in Bradenton, Florida. Their work was well received and began an ongoing relationship between the firm and the Miller Retail Center to conduct future research through Dr. Oh's courses.
Pathways to Retail Success -Q&A with Juan Guerrero, Office Depot
Wednesday, March 28th at 3:00pm EST
Juan Guerrero is Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Office Depot. He is responsible for Global Network Strategy and Transportation, Supply Chain Operations and Inventory Management. Juan has nearly 20 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining Office Depot, Juan held the position of Senior Vice President, Global Logistics and International Supply Chain, with Starbucks Coffee Company. Register for the webinar.
Warrington celebrates dedication of Miller Retail Center
The newly-remodeled David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education & Research was officially dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday afternoon at David Stuzin Hall on the campus of the University of Florida.
Pathways to Retail Success - Q&A Webinar with Brown Shoes' Geoff Green
The Pathways Webinar Series, co-branded by the University of Florida's David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research and the Florida Retail Foundation, provides a forum for people to engage with and learn from C-level retail executives. This month we will be talking to Geoff Green, VP of Talent Acquisitions for Brown Shoe Company. In his position, Geoff manages domestic and international recruiting for Brown Shoe's offices, distribution centers and more than 1,300 specialty retail footwear stores. The primary focus of his role is to bring top talent to the organization.
Ribbon-cutting for the New Retail Center Home
Join us at 4:00 p.m. on October 19 as the David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research launches a new era. After 25 successful years of educating students for retail careers, the Center moves to its exciting new facility in Stuzin Hall 100.
The ceremony will feature appearances by David Miller, the founding donor of the Center, Bart Weitz, who created and led the Center through much of its history, plus representatives of companies who have contributed to the building of the Center's new space, plus members of the Center's Advisory Board of annual sponsor companies. After the brief ceremony, snacks and refreshments will be served in the new CRER offices.
Come see the new space, including state of the art A/V and instructional/meeting technology, a comfortable, open area for student gatherings and catching up on the latest retail print media and video, and a dedicated conference room for group meetings featuring "SmartBoard" and video conferencing capability.
Recruiting Great for Retailers
The Miller Center for Retailing experienced another enthusiastic year with students entering the retail industry. Students from colleges across campus are understanding the value and opportunity of retail careers. Over fifty companies participated in the internship and career programs offered by the Center. As of June 30, 2011, 188 graduates of UF have reported taking a career with a retailer and 220 interns have reported doing the same. "It was great to see students excited about their retail internships and careers." said Cecilia Schulz, director of student programs of the Miller Center for Retailing. Many students who seek a retail career do so with a business background which can include marketing, finance, IT, management or economics majors, but about 20% of the hires have studied in colleges outside of the Warrington College of Business Administration. These students usually had experience in customer service which is valued by retailers.
The Miller Center works to educate students about retailing on a consistent basis. Throughout the year, students are exposed to classes, workshops, meetings, tours, informational sessions and mentoring. The Center offers an open door policy for students who want to discuss their careers in the industry and offers individual guidance to assist in obtaining an internship or career position.
Ray M. Greenly Scholarships In e-Commerce and e-Retailing
The David Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at the University of Florida is soliciting proposals for research studies in the general area of e-commerce or e-retailing. The Ray M. Greenly Scholarships, funded by the National Retail Federation Foundation and shop.org will be administered by the Miller Retail Center, in cooperation with faculty in the departments of Marketing, and Information Systems and Operations Management. Graduate students in other areas are also welcome to apply.
The Greenly scholarships are intended to support students demonstrating an interest in e-commerce, and to support innovative research in the area, particularly research with practical implications for retailers operating in this rapidly-developing business. Students will work with faculty who have personal research interest in these topics, with an expectation that the research projects will (with some exceptions possible) be completed during the 2011-2012 academic year. Suggested areas for research proposals are shown on the reverse of this page.
Global Retail Leadership Development: China Retail Study Tour
This summer, the David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at the University of Florida offered a Global Retail Leadership Development opportunity in China, one of the most vibrant and robust global economies. The 3-week study tour, (May 9th – May 29th), is part of a series of projects involving international retailing which the Miller Center is conducting with a sponsorship from US Department of Education – Business and International Education (BIE) Program.
Q&A Webinar with Deborah Ferrée, Vice Chairman and Chief Merchandising Officer, DSW
The University of Florida's David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research and the Florida Retail Foundation Pathways Webinar Series provides a forum for people to engage with and learn from C-level retail executives. It is an opportunity for retail executives to share their knowledge and expertise with young professionals, college students, and others in the retail field to better understand how to be successful in a retail career.
2:00 PM EST: Register Today for this free Webinar!
NYC Spring Break Retail Tour
For the past few years, the David F. Miller Retail Center has been taking students to New York City for spring break to experience and learn firsthand about the retail industry. This year, we are doing it again, only better. Students are led throughout the city on guided tours inside several retailers. Tours are designed to help students grasp what the Retail world is about. There, you'll be able to speak and network with senior leaders, understand the behind the scenes of these corporation, and even learn how you could one day be a part of their team.
Associacao Brasileira de Supermercado (ABRAS) repeats study tour
ABRAS, the supermarket trade association of Brazil, is repeating its study/tour visit under the auspices of the Miller Center. Following a trip to New York for the National Retail Federation convention, the group of 25 senior supermarket executives will travel to Orlando for a three-day program, January 12-14, 2011, organized and conducted by the Miller Center. The program consists of formal classroom presentations about trends in U.S. supermarket retailing, an in-depth look an Winn-Dixie's business strategy initiatives, and a number of guided tours of both Miller Center sponsors (including Winn-Dixie and Wal-Mart), as well as other stores such as Costco, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Publix and others.
On the third day, the group will participate in a program coordinated with the Disney Institute,, focusing on how Disney creates an integrated guest experience and builds guest loyalty. The group will examine how Disney operates its "Casting Center", as well as get a behind the scenes tour of the Magic Kingdom.
This program is a repeat of a very successful one conducted for the same group in January 2010, and increases the Miller Center's visibility as a leader in international executive education.
