The development, design and delivery of a retail simulation

TheRetailGame.com is a web-based package of e-learning materials designed to support students on retailing courses. It uses the focal point of a 'store opening' to draw attention to key operational variables. The web-based package allows students to explore the impacts of variable combinations in a risk-free environment. This paper outlines the rationale for developing this new package; explains the design principles underlying its construction; and describes the delivery and assessment mechanisms in which it has been embedded. The case history of the project is reviewed, and actor-network theory is used to characterise the alignment of requisite time and expertise as a feat of engineering, facilitated by top-down support but dependent upon the creative manoeuvrings of the bottom-up enthusiast.