These are the Black Friday retail store challenges Nina, a 20-year-old graduate of the local technical college, faces after landing her first big role as Assistant Manager at Summit Square, a large retail department store in Oak Ridge.
Work as a group to brainstorm what you would do in Nina’s shoes given the five challenges below.
| Chapter & Department | The Black Friday Challenge | Group Prompt to Solve & Present |
| Group 1: Invisible Walls (External Factors) | Demand spiked, road delays stopped delivery trucks, and angry shoppers are complaining online. | What are 2 immediate ways Nina can handle delivery delays and protect the store’s reputation? |
| Group 2: The Firefighter (Management) | Register lines are backed up into the aisles, shoppers are upset, and staff are panicked. | Using Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling (POLC), how should Nina reassign staff on the floor right now to stop the chaos? |
| Group 3: The People Puzzle (Human Resources) | Overwhelmed temporary workers are quitting mid-shift or making stockroom safety mistakes. | How can Nina and HR motivate the remaining staff today and keep work safe without just writing people up? |
| Group 4: The Vibe & Sale (Marketing & Social) | Main doorbuster items sold out fast, backup gift items are ignored, and bad reviews are hitting social media. | What quick sales move on the floor and real-time social media post should Nina execute right now? |
| Group 5: Number Truth (Accounting: Money & Profit) | Sales numbers were high, but overall profits were wiped out by crushed product boxes and extra worker overtime. | What practical steps can Nina take on the store floor to stop inventory damage and control labor hours? |
Download this table to print: Nina’s Black Friday Challenges – Handout.pdf
Here are several possible solutions to Nina’s challenges at work during the Black Friday sales rush:
| Chapter & Department | The Black Friday Challenge | Group Prompt to Solve & Present | Simple & Realistic Solution (Answer Key) |
| Group 1: Invisible Walls (External Factors) | Demand spiked, road delays stopped delivery trucks, and angry shoppers are complaining online. | What are 2 immediate ways Nina can handle delivery delays and protect the store’s reputation? | • Nina can check backroom storage for extra backup stock to fill bare shelves. • Nina can post a quick, honest update on social media letting customers know when the next delivery truck will arrive. • Nina can post social reminders that products are still available for order at sale prices online. |
| Group 2: The Firefighter (Management) | Register lines are backed up into the aisles, shoppers are upset, and staff are panicked. | Using Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling (POLC), how should Nina reassign staff on the floor right now to stop the chaos? | • Nina can Organize by pulling extra staff from quiet sections to open more registers. • Lead by stepping into the lines to hand out water, answer quick questions, and keep employee spirits up. |
| Group 3: The People Puzzle (Human Resources) | Overwhelmed temporary workers are quitting mid-shift or making stockroom safety mistakes. | How can Nina and HR motivate the remaining staff today and keep work safe without just writing people up? | • Nina and HR can offer free snacks and drinks in the breakroom. • Pair new hires with experienced employees for help. • Give quick verbal thank-yous to keep morale high during the rush. |
| Group 4: The Vibe & Sale (Marketing & Social) | Main doorbuster items sold out fast, backup gift items are ignored, and bad reviews are hitting social media. | What quick sales move on the floor and real-time social media post should Nina execute right now? | • Nina can move stocked gift items to the front entrance displays with a flash discount sign. • Nina can post a quick phone video showing shoppers the great alternative gifts still available. • Nina can hang posters in-store and post social reminders that out-of-stock items can still be purchased online. |
| Group 5: Number Truth (Accounting: Money & Profit) | Sales numbers were high, but overall profits were wiped out by crushed product boxes and extra worker overtime. | What practical steps can Nina take on the store floor to stop inventory damage and control labor hours? | • Nina can show workers how to stack boxes properly in the backroom to prevent crushed items. • Nina can make sure employees take their scheduled breaks on time so nobody accidentally works unauthorized overtime. • Nina can also work with HR to schedule more employees during high-traffic times. |