IRGS Students Visited AUCHAN Retail Russia
When we go to a store, we immediately notice external things: goods on a shelf, their price, variety, advertising, and promotions. The students of the International Relations and Global Studies programme had a unique opportunity to see how all the processes are set up from the inside, and who is responsible for them. AUCHAN retail chain served as an example. Alexander Lebedev teaching Marketing Research in the programme helped students to focus on the specifics of AUCHAN's work from a marketing perspective.
Students of the International Relations and Global Studies programme took part in an exciting tour to the office of AUCHAN Retail Russia. The event started with a coffee break and a presentation to introduce the key areas of AUCHAN activity. Students could ask any questions related to the functioning of the commercial department including the specifics of the recruitment process.
The presentation was rich and engaging, and then students had a chance to see how the theory is applied to practice. Students split into two groups to get a detailed look at what happens in the store and in the office.
The first group went to the store: the director took the students through its main areas, explaining the range and the location of the products as well as all the processes involved.
The second group stayed in the office. Students joined a routine practice among AUCHAN employees — tasting various products to determine the best ones that can be launched for sale.
After this, three AUCHAN top managers spoke to the students, sharing their professional experience, discussing career opportunities, and answering the questions. The speech by Kirill Blanche, the director for foreign economic activities at AUCHAN, was of a particular interest to international relations students. He talked about the specifics of the company’s work in a current economic context.
This trip provided the students with a unique opportunity to not only learn more about the internal processes of a large retail chain but also to experience the atmosphere of a real business, interact with retail professionals, and gain valuable knowledge that they can apply in the future.
The tour was held as a part of the Marketing Research course (instructor - A.V. Lebedev).
The report was prepared by Darya Savchuk, a third-year student of the International Relations and Global Studies programme.