IFTM makes available to students a number of training units and similar facilities to help undergraduates acquire an all-round education. One of the latest steps has been the launch of the iRetail Lab. Since its activation last year, the iRetail Lab has been used to host various seminars and workshops, as well as being employed as a teaching venue for interactive courses related to retailing.
The course on Principles of Retailing for the Chinese-language stream of the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme is one of the IFTM educational activities that use the iRetail Lab. The venue simulates a retail store, with themed sales areas for products including cosmetics, jewellery, clothing, and travel souvenirs. There is also a multi-function room associated with the lab, for group discussion, lectures, and presentations.
Mr. Gabriel do Rosário Tchiang, one of the evening students taking the Principles of Retailing course in the first semester of the current academic year, says the layout of the multi-function room creates a discussion-friendly environment. “The setting of the classroom actually has an influence on the class atmosphere,” he states.
As a seasoned professional in the retailing industry, he points out that the iRetail Lab can help students with no industry experience advance their understanding of retail operations. “The lab allows students to learn more about using a POS [point of sale] system, and get a clear idea about retailing processes such as incoming and outgoing products, presenting products to clients, and settling payments. It is a real scenario of sales.”
The iRetail Lab also helps those students experienced in retailing to learn more about various local brands, Mr do Rosário Tchiang adds.
Connecting with the industry
The course on Principles of Retailing is taught by IFTM Lecturer Ms. Belina Lei. Using the iRetail Lab and its associated multi-function room as teaching venues is useful for students, she says. It allows them to get practical experience in various processes in retailing, from using a POS system to managing product storage and transactions. “Even less-experienced students can easily adapt” and rapidly learn how to use the types of equipment at the lab, she says.
Contributing to the iRetail Lab’s operations are several local designers and retailing brands, whose products are available for sale there. The lab currently features products from 8 local brands, including watches, jewellery, cosmetics, electronics, clothing, and souvenirs. It is open to the public on Wednesdays and Fridays, in the afternoon.
“It is more than a teaching and training space; it is also a platform for brands to present their products,” says Ms. Lei. “At the moment, all brands featured are local, with some developed by IFTM alumni.”
The iRetail Lab has its own website, where users can buy the products available in the physical location. The website too is an education tool for undergraduates, allowing them to become familiar with e-commerce operations and digital marketing.
Lecturer Ms. Lei hopes the iRetail Lab can help diversify the educational environment available for IFTM students, assisting them to gain practical experience in retailing. In addition, Ms. Lei says, the venue is a fresh form of connection between IFTM and the retailing industry, promoting closer cooperation between both sides.
Interactive and practical teaching
Ms. Peggy Fong Pui Kei, also a first-semester student in the Principles of Retailing course, says the iRetail Lab allows for an interactive type of teaching, promoting exchanges between students, and between students and lecturers.
When having classes in the multi-function room, students sit in groups, Ms. Fong says. “We can discuss our ideas with classmates sitting next to us. The less formal environment gives us room to interact. We are more likely to share our ideas, and more enthusiastic about doing so.”
She already has experience in retailing: that is why she decided to enrol in the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management programme, matching her career interests.
Ms. Fong praises the product display used in the iRetail Lab. “It is easy for us to find each product. The lab is practical: besides product displays, there is also a tutorial on the POS system, which is of real use for students lacking industry experience.”
Fellow classmate Ms. Joan Fu Ka Kei says she enjoys using the iRetail Lab. “It creates a less formal teaching environment, offering a more relaxed and interactive atmosphere, which helps a lot in our learning experience.”
She says that the Principles of Retailing course is quite hands-on, and the iRetail Lab contributes to that. “Most of the knowledge we have gained is applicable to my job: for example, how to handle customer complaints,” states Ms. Fu. She praises the course curriculum for not merely sticking to theoretical concepts, but also for integrating them with real-life situations: which makes it particularly interesting for those students – like her – who already have industry experience.
