Bryan Eshelman

Bryan Eshelman
  • Part Time Lecturer

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    732 Jon Huntsman Hall
    3730 Walnut Street University of Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia, PA 19104

Overview

Bryan Eshelman will be teaching MKTG306 and MKTG806, Retail Merchandising, during the spring 2020 semester in Quarter 4.

Bryan Eshelman has over 25 years of experience in the retail industry working both for retail management consulting firms and as senior management for specialty apparel, accessories, and footwear retailers. His industry experience is concentrated in the end-to-end retail merchandising lifecycle, from planning and product design through sourcing, distribution, and online fulfillment.

In addition to lecturing at Wharton, Bryan is a Managing Director in the retail practice of AlixPartners, LLP, a global management consultancy. AlixPartners’ unique model utilizes small senior teams to assist clients with urgent issues drawing upon the firm’s heritage in turnaround and restructuring. Prior to joining AlixPartners, Bryan was the Chief Operating Officer of Aldo Group, Inc., a global retailer and wholesaler of footwear and accessories and before that the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Charming Shoppes, now a division of Ascena Retail. In both of those roles he oversaw the global planning, product sourcing & manufacturing, supply chain and distribution, and information technology functions and teams. He started his career with 15 years at Kurt Salmon Associates, a retail consulting firm that is now a division of Accenture Strategy.

Bryan has a B.S. in Applied Mathematics with a double major in Economics from the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and an M.B.A. (Finance with Honors) from the Wharton School. He has been a frequent guest speaker in Wharton’s own Marshall Fisher’s Retail Supply Chain Management class and has taught a Master’s level class (Strategic Business Advising) at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.

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Teaching

Current Courses (Spring 2024)

  • MKTG3060 - Retail Merchandising

    As a follow-on to Principles of Retailing (MKTG 2250), this course delves more deeply into both the fundamentals and recent trends in the end-to-end retail merchandising process. The objective is to familiarize students with both the theory and practice of planning, buying, designing, pricing, and displaying merchandise to consumers. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 3970).

    MKTG3060401 ( Syllabus )

  • MKTG8060 - Retail Merchandising

    As a follow-on to Principles of Retailing (MKTG 7250), this course delves more deeply into both the fundamentals and recent trends in the end-to-end retail merchandising process. The objective is to familiarize students with both the theory and practice of planning, buying, designing, pricing, and displaying merchandise to consumers. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting their a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 6970).

    MKTG8060401 ( Syllabus )

All Courses

  • MKTG2250 - Principles of Retailing

    This course is a cross-functional overview of retailing – from types of retailers to current trends and strategies. The objective is to familiarize students with the retail business model in its various forms – from pure store-based retailers, to digital natives, and everything in-between. Topics will include structures & organizational models, channels & formats, real estate & locations, marketing & customer relationship management, the full merchandising cycle (planning & buying to display & pricing), and operations & technology. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in product design & development, buying, planning, pricing, and visual merchandising should consider taking Retail Merchandising (MKTG 3060). Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 3970)

  • MKTG3060 - Retail Merchandising

    As a follow-on to Principles of Retailing (MKTG 2250), this course delves more deeply into both the fundamentals and recent trends in the end-to-end retail merchandising process. The objective is to familiarize students with both the theory and practice of planning, buying, designing, pricing, and displaying merchandise to consumers. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 3970).

  • MKTG7250 - Principles of Retailing

    This course is a cross-functional overview of retailing – from types of retailers to current trends and strategies. The objective is to familiarize students with the retail business model in its various forms – from pure store-based retailers, to digital natives, and everything in-between. Topics will include structures & organizational models, channels & formats, real estate & locations, marketing & customer relationship management, the full merchandising cycle (planning & buying to display & pricing), and operations & technology. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in product design & development, buying, planning, pricing, and visual merchandising should consider taking Retail Merchandising (MKTG 8060). Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 6970).

  • MKTG8060 - Retail Merchandising

    As a follow-on to Principles of Retailing (MKTG 7250), this course delves more deeply into both the fundamentals and recent trends in the end-to-end retail merchandising process. The objective is to familiarize students with both the theory and practice of planning, buying, designing, pricing, and displaying merchandise to consumers. This knowledge will be fundamental to careers working for retailers themselves (e-commerce or omnichannel), but also in consulting to retailers, in banking or investing in the retail sector, or even starting their a brand or retail concept. Those seeking more depth in sourcing, distribution, fulfillment, and store/site operations should consider taking Retail Supply Chain Management (OIDD 6970).

  • MKTG8990 - Independent Study

    A student contemplating an independent study project must first find a faculty member who agrees to supervise and approve the student's written proposal as an independent study (MKTG 899). If a student wishes the proposed work to be used to meet the ASP requirement, he/she should then submit the approved proposal to the MBA adviser who will determine if it is an appropriate substitute. Such substitutions will only be approved prior to the beginning of the semester.

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