Students in Professor Patricia Huddleston's Retail Strategy class recently competed for $3,500 in scholarship money and had the opportunity to pitch innovative ideas to district executives from Kohl's Department Stores.
At the beginning of the semester, students in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations class were divided into 10 small teams and given the task of brainstorming new ideas for the department store brand. The teams worked all semester on the project. Then on Nov. 18, they presented their ideas to the Kohl’s executives, who awarded $2,500 to the first place team and $1,000 to second place.
"As usual, it was very difficult to select the winners," said Loretta Roszczewski, Kohl's VP Regional Manager. "The ideas continue to be outstanding and innovative."
The collaboration with Kohl's started in Fall 2008. Since then, the company has donated $56,000 in scholarships as part of the competition.
“It is a great experience to have to present your ideas to a panel of professionals,” Huddleston said. “They ask difficult questions that force students to think and defend their ideas.”
First Place: Get Fit with Kohl's
First place was awarded to a group that had the idea to connect Fitbit, wearable activity trackers, with Kohl's through a mobile application that paired exercise goals with store rewards. Each time a customer reached a personal fitness goal, Kohl's would reward them with Kohl's Cash. The goal of the project was to increase revenue in the store's activewear departments and help promote healthier lifestyles.
Team Members:
- Nick Greco
- Kristin Iiles
- Ryan Powell
- Morgan Whitney
- Anthony Zuccarro
Second Place: Downtown Detroit
The second place team pitched the idea of creating a boutique Kohl's store in Detroit's city center. The store would provide a small selection of essential items to customers and convey a more urban feel. The goal of the project is to put stores in urban centers to reach a new customer base and show a new side of the brand.
Team Members:
- Michael Barr
- Rebecca Budnitskiy
- Austin Praet
- Evan Ruby
- Annie Thurber
