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John H. Haake - Kmart Geography
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| “I guess I have always been interested in traveling and discovering what was beyond the next hill,” says John H. Haake, Director of Real Estate and Marketing Strategy for the Kmart Corporation, “I didn't know that I could study geography until I went to college.” Today, Haake uses his geography and business skills to identify what makes a successful Kmart store. By comparing one Kmart store to another and how sales differ depending on their location, Haake can predict where building a new Kmart store will be profitable. “The most interesting thing to me about geography is that it lets you cross boundaries and look at different aspects of a problem,” says Haake, “The work that I do in the corporate world is a direct extension of my geographic training.” “The most satisfying thing about my job is that I get to apply my geographic skills everyday,” says Haake, “I also have the advantage of being able to see the results of my work, which is also exciting.” “The most common geographic skills used in the retail industry are site location analysis and new store sales forecasting techniques,” says Haake, “Applying the theories of urban/economic geography, understanding census geography, models of urban growth and development, spatial variations in land costs and land use patterns are important in any retail strategy.” “A geographic perspective is not only important to the real estate process, but also to many other departments in a corporation,” says Haake, “In my work experience, I have provided the results of geographic analysis to a variety of departments such as, advertising, legal, finance, merchandising and operations.” Haake believes that a geographic education is essential for a career in retail location research. According to Haake, The Kmart Corporation, Sears, JC Penney, The Kroger Co., and Walgreen stores all have primarily geographers in their market research departments. “The department at Kmart is fairly new,” says Haake, “ We are still growing and still hiring people.” Kmart often will hire geography graduate students for a basic analyst position and then they can choose where they want to move within the company. “They learn about the company, what makes a successful store, how Kmart operates, and how different things that are done in the market place influence the store,” says Haake, “They understand different pieces of the organization to understand what makes it work.” Haake suggests students interested in an applied geography career such as business apply for an internship position where they are interested. This will help the student learn what the organization does and how their geography studies will be applied. He also suggests taking additional courses like business if you are interested in business or geology and geomorphology if you are interested in physical geography. “Find the specifics of your area of interest and broaden your knowledge of not just geography but some in-depth specialization,” says Haake, “Modern GIS techniques are adding more breath and depth to the geographic analysis of business data.” Unfortunately there are very few colleges or universities that offer applied or business geography. “I think that many businesses and public agencies would demand more geographic studies, if they were exposed to its benefits,” says Haake, “The only schools that have a concentrated program in marketing geography are: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Miami University, and Binghamton University in New York.” Haake also suggests that students who are interested in a career in marketing geography or market research should: have a genuine interest in the business world, be ready to work for long hours on short deadlines and in stressful situations, but look forward to seeing actions taken based on your recommendations, being an integral part of major business decisions as well as receiving financial rewards for good performance. Developing good communication and people skills, being able to write succinctly, speak clearly and persuade other people, understanding how to apply GIS, urban/economic and marketing geography concepts, and to develop your knowledge of basic business and economic principles. John Haake is a geographer who makes the business of shopping a geographic science. |