Ann Taylor Stores Corporation

International Management Project
Management 4900 – International Management and Globalization

Executive Summary

As an opportunity to apply concepts of international management, the following analysis evaluates issues and provides recommendations for the Ann Taylor Corporation. The retail apparel industry as a whole has rapid business cycles because fashion and consumer tastes changing constantly. The already fiercely competition for market share is amplified by the declining economy. Like many apparel companies, Ann Taylor creates the designs and outsources the manufacturing process.
Ann Taylor sells women’s apparel and accessories and targets affluent career-minded women. One of the company’s strengths is brand equity. Every aspect of the Ann Taylor brand supports corporate social responsibility. Any association with a supplier or manufacturer that doesn’t support CSR and environmental sustainability will tarnish the Ann Taylor brand and risk losing brand loyal customers.

With dependency on over 150 suppliers around the globe, communication and culture awareness is required of all Ann Taylor management. Lack of culture understanding will put business partnerships at risk. Although Ann Taylor doesn’t have ownership rights in China, understanding what drives and motivates Chinese workers will help Ann Taylor management collaborating more effectively with the managers of the outsourced manufacturing located in China.

The need for strategic management is heightened by brutal competition, pressure on price due to globalization, and the recent economic recession. For Ann Taylor, an agile supply chain strategy coupled with total quality management will reduce costs. In an inefficient archaic system, fashion apparel can become obsolete even before it reaches the marketplace.

Outsourcing production to China has helped propel