Unit 15 Investigating Retail Business Assessment Brief 2026 | Pearson

Unit 15 Investigating Retail Business Assessment Brief

Unit in Brief

Learners will explore the current structure of the retail sector and its supply chain through practical activities.

Unit Introduction

Retail is a broad sector and encompasses businesses of all sizes. You will probably already have some experience of the sector, either simply through purchasing goods, or selling them – perhaps while employed in a part-time capacity in a clothing or food outlet.

In this unit, you will carry out research into local and national retail businesses, exploring how the supply chain supports retailing. You will consider how the sector responds to change, the opportunities for employment in the sector, and the types of job roles available. You will apply your research and findings to current businesses in the sector.

Retail is important for the UK economy and trends in retail sales often mirror those of the country’s economy as a whole. It is a sector with good opportunities for your future career and there is a tradition amongst the larger employers of excellent in-house training schemes that support progression opportunities and career advancement for employees. The unit will provide a useful opportunity for you to consider whether you wish to pursue employment or further specialist study in retail management at higher education level.

Learning Aims

In this unit you will:

A. Explore the current structure of the sector through investigation of the local retail environment

B. Investigate how the retail sector has responded to change and trends

C. Examine the importance of the supply chain and stock control management to the success of retail business

Summary of Unit

Content

Learning aim A: Explore the current structure of the sector through investigation of the local retail environment

A1 The nature of retailing

• Definition of retailing, adding value to products and services, development of retailing, meeting customer needs through different retail formats and distribution channels, e.g. high street shopping, out-of-town shopping centres, direct delivery from internet orders, bricks and clicks.

A2 Classification of retailers

• Store based, non-store based, product/service retailing.
• Ownership, e.g. independents, multiples, chain stores, franchises, cooperatives, social enterprises
  • size, e.g. number of employees, sales area, number of branches, turnover, type of activity, product range
  • location, e.g. town centre, local, out of town, retail parks, regional centres, online o store formats, e.g. convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialist/niche, premium/value.

A3 Structure of retailing

• Retail sub-sectors, e.g. food, fashion, sports.
• Business models used by retail businesses: their advantages and disadvantages,

e.g. value stores, premium brand stores, artisan stores.

A4 Employment in retail

• Job roles, training and promotion prospects in both small and large businesses.

Learning aim B: Investigate how the retail sector has responded to change and trends

B1 The retail environment

• Macro- environment, e.g. external factors including political, legal, economic, sociocultural and technological factors.
• Response to external changes, e.g. new products, new online formats, government policy on store trading hours and planning permission.
• Tensions and competing priorities, e.g., reorganisation in response to changing circumstances, environmental issues, sustainability, fair trade, packaging.

B2 Impact of social change

• Demographics, household occupancy, mobility, new technologies, diverse communities, ageing population, migration, changing lifestyles, cultural differences, leisure time.

B3 Changes due to new technologies used in the sector

• Growth of online shopping.
• Mobile apps for shopping.
• Chip and PIN, contactless payment and payment technology apps.

B4 The competitive environment and trends

• Competitors, market position, barriers to entry, pricing, product development.
• New products and services, retailers’ power over manufacturers, new retail concepts, i.e. social enterprise stores.
• Global influences on UK retailing.

Learning aim C: Examine the importance of the supply chain and stock control management to the success of retail business

C1 Distribution channels

• Availability of products, e.g. time, place, quantity, movement of goods through the supply chain, different channels for different types of goods and services, the role of wholesalers, intermediaries, transport, storage, after- sales service.

C2 Retail supply chains and logistic processes

• Movement of goods and services, sourcing from the UK and internationally, suppliers, distributors, warehousing, transport, carriers, storage locations, disposal of unsold products, recycling, impact of ICT in supply chain management.
• Competing supply chain issues, e.g. communication, coordination, collaboration, costs, delays, targets, power issues in chains.

C3 Stock control

• Links to merchandising, business objectives.
• Types of stock control, e.g. manual and computerised.
• Factors affecting stock control, e.g. sales forecasts, planning, targets, risks.
• Stock management, e.g. total quality management (TQM), stock management systems: Just in Time (JIT), Last in, First out (LIFO) and First in, First out (FIFO).
• Stock control security systems, e.g. CCTV and tags.

C4 Impact of digital technology

• Information flows, supply and demand information between suppliers and customers, B2B and B2C, EDI, internet and electronic trading, networks, intranets, e- commerce, integrated systems.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS), Electronic Funds Transfer at the Point of Sale (EFT POS), stock control systems, hands- free ordering.

Assessment criteria

Essential information for assignments

The recommended structure of assessment is shown in the unit summary along with suitable forms of evidence. Section 6 gives information on setting assignments and there is further information on our website.

There is a maximum number of two summative assignments for this unit. The relationship of the learning aims and criteria is:

Learning aims: A and B (A.P1, A.P2, B.P3, A.M1, B.M2, AB.D1)

Learning aim: C (C.P4, C.P5, C.M3, C.D2, C.D3)

Further information for teachers and assessors

Resource requirements

For this unit, learners will need access to a range of current business information from websites and printed resources.

Essential information for assessment decisions

Learning aims A and B

For distinction standard, learners will select two different retail businesses and provide an individual evaluation on how developments and change in the UK and globally have impacted these two specific retail businesses. Clear examples of how and why should be evidenced. This could be, for example, linked to opening smaller stores in prime locations, going into partnerships, mergers or acquisitions, entering new markets or changes in employment patterns. At least two examples of change for each business would be expected in the evaluation.

For merit standard, learners will investigate and report on the structure of different retail businesses, they will select businesses from different sub sectors of the retail area and business models which would meet customer needs in that locality. Learners will assess how one retail business has responded to change. This will need to be assessed in depth with examples included relating to how it has enhanced its competitiveness. Some evidence may be drawn from an interview conducted with a member of the retail profession.

For pass standard, learners will clearly show the make- up of the local retail facilities. Evidence of employment and job roles in contrasting businesses in the sector will be included. Evidence will include an explanation on how the retail sector has responded to change and trends by perhaps streamlining its operations, expanding globally, looking at the size and location of its outlets or diversifying.

Learning aim C

It will be useful to use individual research from visits to retail businesses and interviews with employees to gain the information required for this assignment.

For distinction standard, learners will evaluate how important the management of the supply chain and stock control have been in one particular business. It is important that the right business is chosen to allow development of a detailed individual evaluation. The evaluation must be supported by appropriate examples. Learners will also evaluate how digital technology has impacted on the range of processes in a selected retail business.

For merit standard, learners will analyse, by reference to one sub- sector, how digital technology developments have impacted on retailing, the supply chain and how they are used for controlling stock and monitoring delivery to the end user.

For pass standard, learners will investigate the process of distribution from manufacture to end customer in two different businesses. The businesses need to be sufficiently different with the differences clearly explained. To give a contrast learners may select businesses from different sub sectors so that the processes are varied. Stock control methods in the different businesses will need to be explained. They will also need to explain the importance of digital technology on the retail and logistic process, and how integrated stock control systems are important.

Links to other units

This unit links to:

Unit 1: Exploring Business
Unit 14: Investigating Customer Service
Unit 16: Visual Merchandising
Unit 27: Work Experience in Business.

Employer involvement

This unit would benefit from employer involvement in the form of:

– guest speakers and interview opportunities
– work experience
– business material as exemplars
– participation in audience assessment of presentations
– visits to appropriate businesses.

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