Undergrads place 2nd in Wharton case competition

Lauren Dumas, BSBA ’19, contributed this post on behalf of her second-place winning team at the Wharton Undergraduate Case Conference.

A dynamic business landscape experiencing incredible disruption, in combination with the rise and influence of the Millennial consumer, impacts every industry—including grocery retail.

This was the situation presented to participants at the Wharton Undergraduate Case Conference, where the Arch Consulting team was challenged with curating a strategy addressing people, process, and technology related to a fictional chain of grocery retailers.

The team of four representing WashU included Lauren Dumas, BSBA ’19; Alec Johnson, BSBA ’20; Ankita Bhalla, BSBA ’20; and Nathaniel Ryan, Art/Sci ’20. Arch Consulting was able to secure a second-place finish after presenting their recommended strategy to two rounds of judging panels.

The case was distributed to teams approximately three weeks in advance of the actual competition and was sponsored by Deloitte. The case focused on developing a comprehensive strategy for a fictional grocery retailer looking to position itself competitively in the dynamic grocery retail industry, specifically appealing to the Millennial consumer.

After researching industry trends, the profile of the Millennial consumer, and general information regarding recent technological development, the case team recommended the following strategy:

• Generate brand loyalty and engagement among both Millennials and pre-existing customers through the convergence of digital, physical, and experiential shopping components.
• Implement new blockchain and multi-echelon supply chain tactics, in combination with superior data aggregation and analysis, to drive organizational impact.
• Increase managerial-level Millennial hires by restructuring recruiting, promoting an enhanced corporate culture, and increasing retention.

The team had the opportunity to compete against 18 other schools from across the United States and Canada. The first round pooled teams into four groups and the top team in each group was selected to compete in the final round. Then, the four finalists presented to a panel of three judges and an audience that included the rest of the competition participants.

Arch Consulting had an incredible time participating in this competition and its team members are grateful to have had the opportunity to represent WashU in this capacity. The organization looks forward to participating in the remaining competitions this semester, and continuing to represent WashU in semesters to come.

Thank you to the BSBA office and all advisors, faculty, and staff who have offered unwavering support and encouragement throughout the process!

Pictured above: Ankita Bhalla, BSBA ’20; Alec Johnson, BSBA ’20; Lauren Dumas, BSBA ’19; and Nathaniel Ryan, Art/Sci ’20 at the Wharton Undergraduate Case Competition 2018.