Ep 5. Trading Places

In The Apprentice season 1 episode 5 titled "Trading Places," the contestants are given their toughest task yet: they must swap teams and manage a retail store for a day. With only six candidates left, the tension is high as everyone tries to prove their worth and avoid getting fired by Donald Trump.

The teams are divided into two groups: Apex and Versacorp. Each team is given a retail store to manage for a day, and they must come up with a strategy to increase sales and maximize profits. This is the first time that the contestants have worked with their opponents, and they quickly learn that teamwork is crucial in making this task a success.

The Apex team is given the task of managing a children's clothing store, while Versacorp is tasked with managing a trendy boutique. The two teams are both given a budget of $1000 to buy inventory for their respective stores, and they must come up with a creative marketing plan to attract customers and increase sales.

As the day progresses, tensions rise as the contestants struggle to manage their assigned stores. The Apex team faces several challenges in managing the children's clothing store, including a difficult customer who wants to return a dress, and a group of rowdy kids who are destroying the merchandise. The Versacorp team also faces challenges, including a broken cash register and a shortage of staff, which causes long lines and angry customers.

Despite the challenges, both teams come up with creative marketing strategies to increase sales. The Apex team decides to hold a fashion show for children in the store, which attracts a lot of attention and generates buzz on social media. The Versacorp team decides to offer discounts to customers who make purchases over a certain amount, which helps to increase the store's revenue.

At the end of the day, Donald Trump meets with the contestants to evaluate their performance. He reviews the sales figures and customer feedback for each store, and he asks the contestants to explain their strategy and tactics. He also asks them to evaluate their performance and explain what they learned from the experience.

After evaluating the teams' performance, Donald Trump announces the winner of the task. The winning team is rewarded with a luxurious dinner at a fancy restaurant, while the losing team is sent to the boardroom for a showdown with Donald Trump.

In the boardroom, the contestants are grilled by Donald Trump and his advisors on their performance during the task. They are asked to explain their strategy and tactics, and to defend their decisions. Donald Trump also asks each contestant to evaluate the performance of their teammates and opponents, and to explain who they think should be fired.

At the end of the boardroom meeting, Donald Trump decides who will be fired from the show. This episode is full of drama, tension, and surprises, as the contestants compete to prove their worth and avoid being eliminated from the show.