[Solved] The Retail Bankruptcies of 2020

Assignment Prompt & Instructions

[>Accounting homework help](https://www.sweetstudy.com/fields/business-finance-accounting)

In 2020, the U.S. retail industry experienced many high-profile bankruptcies. Large retailers such as Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, and Sears filed for bankruptcy, as did many more in the industry. Many of these retailers had been struggling for a variety of reasons, with the increased popularity of online shopping and home delivery being the two reasons most apparent to the public. The COVID-19 pandemic and widespread lockdown orders drove even more customers to online shopping and delivery.

Retailers that filed for bankruptcy in 2020 reported more than $100 million in assets. The bankruptcies had many far-reaching effects on domestic economies, supply chains, and continued shifts in consumer practices.

In this assignment, you will create a professional slide presentation analyzing a retail company that filed for bankruptcy between 2020 and the present. Your presentation should evaluate the financial and investment decisions that contributed to the company's bankruptcy.

## **Preparation**

This Strayer library resource contains guidelines and tips for creating and designing effective slides, using speaker notes, and citing sources in a presentation:

– [Microsoft PowerPoint](https://library.strayer.edu/ppt).

## **Instructions**

Create a 10–15 slide PowerPoint presentation that meets the following requirements and includes all listed sections.

### **Presentation Requirements**

– Length: 10–15 slides (not including the Title and Sources slides).
– Include speaker notes or brief explanations on each slide.
– Use visuals such as charts, graphs, company logos, or financial data when appropriate.
– Apply professional formatting, clear headings, and a readable design.
– Cite all sources in SWS format on a Sources slide.

### **Presentation Content**

Include all the following sections:

01. **Title Slide**
– Company name.
– Assignment title.
– Your name.
– Course name and date.
02. **Company Background**
– Brief overview of the retailer.
– Industry and market position.
– Bankruptcy filing date and type.
03. **Financial Decisions**
– Describe three financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy.
– Examples may include excessive debt, poor cash flow management, or declining revenue strategies.
04. **Investment Decisions**
– Describe three investment decisions made before bankruptcy.
– Examples may include store expansion, technology investments, acquisitions, or inventory management.
05. **Impact on Bankruptcy**
– Explain how the company's financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy.
06. **Impact on Stakeholders**
– Analyze how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners.
07. **Ability to Raise Capital**
– Analyze how the company's decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing.
08. **Innovation and Operational Changes**
– Evaluate whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive.
09. **Conclusion**
– Summarize key findings.
– Discuss lessons businesses can learn from the company's failure.
10. **Sources Slide**
– Use at least five quality sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. You may use your textbook as a source. [Cite each source](https://library.strayer.edu/sws/citing) listed on your source page at least once within your assignment. For help with research, writing, and citations, access the [library](https://library.strayer.edu/home) or review the [library guides](https://library.strayer.edu/index).

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the [Library SWS site](https://library.strayer.edu/sws) for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

– Evaluate causes of large-scale corporate financial distress and its impact on individuals, businesses, industries, and the economy.

**Week 8 Assignment – The Retail Bankruptcies of 2020CriteriaRatingsPointsProvided the company background, including a brief overview of the retailer, its industry and market position, and its bankruptcy filing date and type.Exemplary** Provided the company background, including a  brief overview of the retailer, its industry and market position, and its bankruptcy filing date and type. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Provided the company background, including a brief overview of the retailer, its industry and market position, and its bankruptcy filing date and type, but the information was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Provided the company background, including a  brief overview of the retailer, its industry and market position, and its bankruptcy filing date and type, but the information was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not provide the company background. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Describe three financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy.Exemplary** Described three financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Described three financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy, but the description was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Described one or two financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy, or described three but the description was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not describe any financial decisions that contributed to bankruptcy. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Describe three investment decisions made before bankruptcy.Exemplary** Described three investment decisions made before bankruptcy. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Described three investment decisions made before bankruptcy, but the description was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Described one or two investment decisions made before bankruptcy, or described three but the description was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not describe any investment decisions made before bankruptcy. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Explain how the company’s financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy.Exemplary** Explained how the company’s financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Explained how the company’s financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy, but the explanation was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Explained how the company’s financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy, but the description was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not explain how the company’s financial and investment decisions led to financial decline and bankruptcy. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Analyze how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners.Exemplary** Analyzed how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Analyzed how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners, but the analysis was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Analyzed how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners, but the analysis was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not analyze how the bankruptcy affected key stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors/shareholders, suppliers and creditors, communities, and business partners. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Analyze how the company’s decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing.Exemplary** Analyzed how the company’s decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Analyzed how the company’s decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing, but the analysis was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Analyzed how the company’s decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing, but the analysis was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not analyze how the company’s decisions affected investor confidence and access to financing. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Evaluate whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive.Exemplary** Evaluated whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Evaluated whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive, but the evaluation was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Evaluated whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive, but the evaluation was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not evaluate whether the retailer invested in innovation, e-commerce, technology, or operational improvements to remain competitive. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Summarize key findings and lessons businesses can learn from the company’s failure.Exemplary** Summarized key findings and lessons businesses can learn from the company’s failure. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Summarized key findings and lessons businesses can learn from the company’s failure, but the summary was incomplete or incorrect on 1–2 key points. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Summarized findings and lessons businesses can learn from the company’s failure, but the summary was incomplete or incorrect on more than two key points. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not summarize key findings and lessons businesses can learn from the company’s failure. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Follow the requirements specified in the assignment instructions as to the number of slides, speaker notes, organization and formatting of content, title and sources slide.Exemplary** Followed the requirements specified in the assignment instructions as to the number of slides, speaker notes, organization and formatting of content, title and sources slide. **20 to >17.99 ptsCompetent** Followed the requirements specified in the assignment instructions with the correct number of slides, but with 1–3 errors in the inclusion of speaker notes, organization and formatting of content, and the formatting and information on title and sources slide. **17.99 to >15.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Followed most of the requirements specified in the assignment instructions with four or more errors in the correct number of slides, the inclusion of speaker notes, organization and formatting of content, and the formatting and information on title and sources slide. **15.99 to >13.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not follow the requirements specified in the assignment instructions. **13.99 to >0 pts**/20 pts **Use at least five credible, relevant, and appropriate sources to support your writing.Exemplary** Used at least five credible, relevant, and appropriate sources. **10 to >8.99 ptsCompetent** Used five sources, but one source was not credible, relevant, or appropriate. **8.99 to >7.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Used fewer than five sources, or used five but two or more were not credible, relevant, or appropriate. **7.99 to >6.99 ptsUnacceptable** Did not use any sources. **6.99 to >0 pts**/10 pts **Writing contains accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling in accordance with SWS style.Exemplary** Writing contained accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling in accordance with SWS style, with 0–2 errors. **10 to >8.99 ptsCompetent** Writing contained 3–4 errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, and/or the application of SWS style. **8.99 to >7.99 ptsNeeds Improvement** Writing contained 5–6 errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, and/or the application of SWS style. **7.99 to >6.99 ptsUnacceptable** Writing contained more than six errors in grammar, mechanics, spelling, and/or the application of SWS style. **6.99 to >0 pts**/10 pts