Strategic Retail Program

Are you curious about how people shop, why they buy what they do, and what will shape retail next? The Strategic Retail Program is designed for creative thinkers, relationship builders, and problem solvers who want to learn by doing. Nestled in Northwest Arkansas, Walton students enter a living laboratory of retail, solving real challenges in the classroom and gaining hands-on experience and connections that can lead to internships and careers.

Strategic Retail Program

The Strategic Retail Program at the Sam M. Walton College of Business prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing industry through a relevant, rigorous curriculum grounded in experiential learning. Students work with company leaders to solve real problems, explore career paths, discover new areas of retail, and build professional connections through networking. In the classroom, students tackle real business challenges and build on that experience through retail internships. Students learn how to solve problems across marketing, innovation, and supply chain, build meaningful connections with industry leaders, and explore where their interests fit. Guest speakers, networking events, student organizations, and national conference opportunities connect students with the people, ideas, and career possibilities shaping the future of retail. These career-focused experiences help students explore pathways in the retail ecosystem, including careers in merchandising, digital marketing, retail media, supply chain, and beyond—building the knowledge, connections, and confidence to launch a successful career in retail.

Student Engagement Reach Out

Retail Advisory Board

The Retail Advisory Board connects Walton students with leaders from across the retail industry, creating opportunities for mentorship, networking, experiential learning, and career development.

Industry partners help shape the curriculum to reflect current retail industry needs.
Board members bring real-world business challenges into the classroom.
Students gain mentorship, professional connections, and exposure to potential internship and career opportunities.
Board members engage with students through guest speaking, panels, experiential projects, and Retail Ecosystem Exploration Day.

View The Advisory Board

Student Engagement Opportunities

Experience Retail Beyond the Classroom

The Strategic Retail Program gives students opportunities to go beyond the classroom and experience the retail industry firsthand. Through company partnerships, real-world business challenges, data, insights, industry events, mentorship, and networking, students build meaningful connections while developing the skills employers are looking for.

Whether you’re interested in buying and merchandising, digital marketing, retail media, sales, product development, or another area of retail, these experiences can help you explore career paths, expand your professional network, and prepare for what comes next.

Experiential Learning in the Classroom

Retail Brand Challenges

As part of the Strategic Retail Program curriculum, students have the opportunity in several classes to work in teams to address a real-world challenge presented by an industry partner. Students apply research, strategy, creativity, and presentation skills to develop solutions while gaining experience working with industry professionals.

Anheuser-Busch Cross-Functional Project

Through a course-based, cross-functional experience, students in sections of marketing management and supply chain come together to make, collaborate, and tackle a real business challenge from Anheuser-Busch. The project gives students an opportunity to see how different business functions work together, apply classroom concepts in an industry setting, and develop solutions for a leading consumer brand.

Razorback Retail Consortium Student Organization

The application-based Razorback Retail Consortium Student Organization gives students an additional way to engage with industry outside the classroom. Through company connections, professional development, networking, and exclusive experiences, members can deepen their understanding of retail while building relationships that support their career development.

Walton NextGen Mentorship Program

A signature opportunity exclusively for members of the Razorback Retail Consortium, the Walton NextGen Mentorship Program connects students with members of the Retail Advisory Board (RAB). These relationships give students direct access to experienced industry leaders who can share career guidance, professional perspectives, and lessons from their own experiences while helping students build meaningful connections within the retail community.

Explore the Retail Industry

National Conference Opportunities

Selected students have opportunities to attend major industry conferences and events, providing firsthand exposure to emerging trends, innovative companies, new technologies, and professionals shaping the future of retail.

Retail Ecosystem Exploration Day

Retail Ecosystem Exploration Day connects students with retail leaders while introducing them to different areas of the retail ecosystem. Students can explore potential career paths and learn how their interests and skills may fit within the industry. Connect with professionals from across the retail ecosystem and discover career paths spanning retailers, brands, agencies, technology, retail media, and more through an executive panel, interactive conversations and industry engagement.

Board Concept

Purpose & Impact

The Retail Advisory Board (RAB) at the Sam M. Walton College of Business brings together influential leaders from across the retail ecosystem to strengthen the connection between industry and academia. The board supports Walton College’s strategic priorities of elevating the student experience, fostering student success, and preparing tomorrow’s leaders.

Through their expertise, perspectives, and engagement, RAB members will help ensure that Walton College programs remain relevant, innovative, and responsive to the evolving needs of retail and consumer-focused industries.

The board will work to produce measurable impact across four areas:

Talent & Student Success: Prepare students with the knowledge, skills, professional networks, and real-world perspectives needed to create immediate value in retail-related careers. Expand opportunities for mentorship, talent assessment, recruiting, internships, and career placement.
Curriculum & Experiential Learning: Bring industry expertise directly into courses and co-curricular experiences through guest speakers, panels, competitions, live business challenges, and other practice-based learning opportunities. Increase collaboration with programs such as the NRF case competition, Shopper Marketing Brand Challenge, Walton Razorback Retail Consortium student organization, and Professional Sales Program.
Research & Thought Leadership: Develop a repository of relevant retail content and insights for both academic and industry audiences. Create opportunities for faculty and student research, including white papers, sponsored research, industry studies, and other thought-leadership initiatives.
Industry & Academic Connectivity: Build a broader network connecting students and faculty with industry professionals both within and beyond Northwest Arkansas. Position Walton College as a destination where leading companies and academics come together to address the future of retail.

Membership

The RAB will comprise senior leaders representing the breadth of the retail ecosystem, including retailers, CPG companies, marketing and advertising agencies, technology companies, research and insights firms, and other industry partners.

Membership will be intentionally curated to bring diverse expertise and perspectives to the board. Judith Anne Garretson Folse, Associate Dean for Curriculum Innovation and Teaching Excellence, and Anne Velliquette, Strategic Retail Program Director, will collaborate with the RAB chair to identify and engage prospective members.

An annual contribution of $10,000 establishes membership on the Retail Advisory Board. These funds directly support student experiences and opportunities, experiential learning, and curriculum and program development.

Member Experience & Benefits

RAB membership provides organizations and their leaders with opportunities to shape the future of retail talent while developing meaningful relationships across the Walton College community. Members receive:

Invitations to all Retail Advisory Board meetings and recognition as industry thought leaders and strategic advisors through RAB communications and the board website.
Opportunities to build relationships with and gain exposure to high-potential student talent preparing the next generation of retail leaders.
Opportunities to help shape student learning and curriculum by bringing current industry perspectives, challenges, and emerging skills into the academic experience.
Direct engagement with undergraduate and graduate students through classes, competitions, mentorship, panels, networking events, and other programs.
Collaboration with leading Walton College faculty and academic thought leaders on emerging industry topics, research, and content.
Invitations to select Walton College events, including the Business Forecast Luncheon and other signature programs.