Winners revealed in Target Case Competition

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A team of two seniors and two juniors in the University at Buffalo School of Management has won the annual On Target Undergraduate Club Case Competition, sponsored by Target Corporation.

Representing the Pi Sigma Epsilon student club, the winners were Jacob Bluestein of Buffalo, Safia Dandia of Endicott, Dan Maitles of Nesconset and Peter Preziosa of Lawrence.

The team and club will share a $3,000 prize, with each student receiving $250 and Pi Sigma Epsilon receiving $2,000.

The competition aims to help undergraduate students hone their analytic, communication, presentation and teamwork skills beyond the classroom by investigating and issuing recommendations for real-world business challenges.

Fourteen teams representing 56 UB School of Management students entered the competition this year. Titled “The War for Guests,” the case focused on how technology is changing the marketplace and what traditional retailers must do to compete against online merchants and startups.

Teams were asked to develop a comprehensive analysis of Target’s competition and current purchasing trends, and to identify Target’s strengths and weaknesses in merchandising, branding and other areas. In the final round of competition on Feb. 28, the top five teams presented their analyses and recommendations.

Five Target team leaders served as judges for the final presentations: Nick Bowe ’07, Nancy Farrell, Mike Pollutro ’00, Katie Ferrari and Megan Kane ’03, PMBA ’08.

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,917 stores — 1,793 in the United States and 124 in Canada — and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information, visit target.com.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.