...Behaviour of a Retail Company/Business and their Economic Efficiency for Society Poppy Stevens Stream 1B Student ID: 187645 Introductory Business Studies Companies and Businesses worldwide all have one goal, and that is to make a profit, and to do that they need to have a good hold in the world’s economy, to have a good reputation and have consumers eating out of their hands. A good example of this would be Apple Inc. Apple is one of the worlds most well known companies, and has a market value of more than half a trillion dollars (Krosinsky, 2012). Apple is known for it’s Computer hardware, Computer software, but mainly Apple is known for their production of iPods, iPads, iPhones, MacBook’s, and of course iTunes. This essay will cover the following: The kind of market structure Apple has, how much consumers demand their products and the economic efficiency of the company. When it comes to building a market you need to know your consumers wants, needs, fears and concerns so you can build up and around it to provide them with exactly what they want. Apple has their consumers wrapped around their finger, due to the fact that they use the strategy of market segmentation. Market segmentation is when the market has been cut up into groups/segments where consumers have similar wants and needs for a certain product. This would be a better definition, “Market segmentation is the technique used to enable a business to better target it products at the right...
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...Apple Inc Strategic Recommendations for the Future Apple Inc is a globally respected business organisation and is an acknowledged pioneer in its areas of operations in the technology sector. Primarily a manufacturer and marketer of personal computers and peripherals, software and networking solutions, the company’s product line includes the Macintosh range of desktop and notebook PCs, the Mac OS X operating system, the IPod digital music player, the ITunes music store, the IPhone, the IPad tablet, the X Serve G5 servers and X Serve storage products (Apple Computer Inc, 2011, p 1). The company sells its products through its chain of retail stores, third party wholesalers and online channels. The company’s main markets are in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Japan and South East Asia. It also has a growing presence in China and India (Apple Computer Inc, 2011, p 2). Apple’s vision statement is elaborated as “man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures and not subordinate to them”. The company’s mission statement is as under: “Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and internet offerings”. (Masi, 2009, p 2) 2. External Analysis 2.1. Environmental Analysis Apple Inc is one of the largest of global corporations in terms of market capitalisation and has important products...
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...China’s new-car sales fell for the third straight month in August amid sluggish demand fed by economic slowdown andslumping stock prices. Passenger car sales slipped 3.4% to 1.42 million vehicles last month, following a 6.6% decline in July and a 3.4% fall in June. Combined sales of passenger and commercial vehicles fell 3% in August to about 1.66 million vehicles, the government-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Thursday. Apple Suppliers Hope to Tap Into New iPhones’ ‘3-D Touch’ If Apple Inc.’s new iPhones that feature a new touch technology are a hit with consumers, a handful of component suppliers across Asia and the U.S. stand to be significant beneficiaries. The Cupertino, Calif., company on Wednesday unveiled a pair of new iPhones with “3-D Touch” technology, which can distinguish between a light tap and a heavier press, allowing users to control a device differently depending on how hard they push on a surface. Apple is the first company to feature the technology, in its smartwatches and MacBook computers. Boeing, Lockheed Differ on Whether to Sell Rocket Joint Venture A $2 billion bid for the Pentagon’s primary rocket maker is running into complications, partly because Boeing Co. and Lockheed MartinCorp. differ on whether to sell their equal stakes in the joint venture, according to people familiar with the details. Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc.’s bid for United Launch Alliance LLC, the joint venture, faces a situation in which Lockheed...
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...COMMON ASSESMENT: CASE ANALYSIS Submission 21st February 2001 Present an in-depth comparative analysis of two firms operating in two different countries. In the case analysis compare and contrast the differences in political, ethical, economic and legal differences and their impact on management decision making. Introduction: The aim of this paper is to identify the key political, ethical and economic differences between Apple, based in the USA and Shell, based in Holland, and then compare the differences based on management the individual decision making processes in the subject countries. The ethical conditions will also be discussed, with regard to laws on corporate social responsibility of the companies, as well as the environmental laws of the countries and the impact on the companies. Shell Holland Royal Dutch Shell plc, also known as shell, is a global group of energy and Petrochemicals Company with more than 100,000 employees in almost 90 countries. Shell is a worldwide oil and gas company, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and with its registered office in the United Kingdom. It is the largest energy company and the second-largest company in the world measured by revenues, It is management controlled and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, that includes exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, power generation and trading. It also has major renewable energy activities, hydrogen, solar...
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...STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT REPORT OF APPLE, INC. Strategic management report of Apple, Inc. Xu Ruiqing FTDipFM10 Kaplan Higher Education Academic February 6th 2013 Table of Contents Running head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT REPORT OF APPLE, INC. 1 Table of Contents 2 1. Introduction 3 2. SWOT 4 2.1 Strengths 4 2.2 Weakness 4 2.3 Opportunities 4 2.4 Threats 5 3. External analysis (general environment) 5 3.1 Politics/legal 5 3.2 Economic conditions 5 3.3 Social forces 6 3.4 Technological factors 7 3.5 Environmental factors 8 4. External analysis (competitive environment) 8 4.1 Intensity of rivalry among competitors 8 4.2 The threat of new entrants 8 4.3 The threat of substitutes 9 4.4 Suppliers 9 4.5 Customers 10 5. Internal environment analysis 10 5.1 Resource types 10 5.2 Firms capabilities 11 6. Conclusion 11 7. Recommendations 12 Reference 13 1. Introduction Apple incorporated was first established as a computer company by Steve Jobs in 1976, but in 2001, Apple broke the barrier with iPod, eventually becoming the dominant market leader in music players. In following, Apple joined the phone industry in 2007 with the iPhone, which has gained a huge success and been developed to the 6th generation today. Nowadays, Apple has developed several of products such as Apple TV, MacBook, iTunes, etc. However, after Steve Jobs, the ex-CEO of Apple, passed away, the stock price of Apple once made new lows. The incumbent...
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...which therefore affects management. Competitive landscapes are constantly changing, so managers must consider businesses and people from around the world. Globalization, innovation, technology, diversity, and ethics require comprehensive planning, and are essential in every aspect of management. One such organization is Apple, who uses strategic planning and organizational tools to successfully manage and market technology. Globalization is an external, driving factor that has a major impact on the way managers run businesses. It is the result of a notable increase in cross-border trade, cultural exchange, investments, emergent economies and population growth (New World Encyclopedias, 2008). Globalization affects the four functions of management directly, or directly affects the core competencies of management which are planning, organizing, leading and controlling (Bateman & Snell, 2011). Globalization causes situations or events to take place within a business in which managers have no direct control over. This external factor (Globalization), causes businesses and organizations such as Apple Inc. to monitor and update the company’s business plan concerning the core...
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...APPLE APPLE [Company name] | [Company address] [Company name] | [Company address] Financial Analysis writer Financial Analysis writer 2015 2015 ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY OUTLOOK The electronic industry was developed in the twentieth century and now they become a worldwide industry who earns billions of dollars for every year. Electronic devices are used by modern people in every field of life like use mobile phones and computers for their household and commercial needs. These devices are assembled in semi-automated and automated factories. Electronic industry products were assembled from the integrated circuits. With the passing of days the size of the electronics industry will enhance and they used Toxic material which were not easily recycled. So International courts develop rules and guidelines to address the problems of recycling of toxic material. The Electronic industry will usually be known as consumer's electronics. Different types of products are used by everyone in consumer electronics. For example consumer electronics used in office productivity, communication, and entertainment. Radio broadcasting was the first key consumer product introduced in the twentieth century. Afterwards Calculators, recorders, digital cameras, telephones, Mobiles, personal computers, DVDs, Camcorders and GPS automotive electronics were developed and included in consumer electronics. Now in 2015 these products are made based on latest technologies and everyone used latest mobiles and...
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...Introduction: Apple is an American multinational corporation located in Cupertino, California. The company manufactures and sells personal computers, software applications, cell phones, portable digital music devices, and networking solutions. Most importantly, it specializes in designing and producing unique products such as: iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, iPods, iCloud, and certain operating software. Apple Inc. was founded in April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Woznaik, and Ronald Wayne. According to the CNN Money website, Apple has about 453 retail stores and 92,600 employees in 16 different countries as of March 2015. Furthermore, Apple’s stocks are publically traded in the NASDAQ stock exchange market. The MacRumor website states that the value of Apple’s stock prices continues to rise competing with other fortune 500 companies like Exxon Mobil, Google, Wells Fargo, and General Electric. As of July 24th, 2015 at 4:08 PM EDT, Apple’s stock price closed at a value of $124.50. The company uses its core competencies which is brand power and high sales volume (Revenue of $182,795 million in the first quarter of 2015) to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the business market (Fortune 500, 2015). However, as Apple continues to grow and expands its product line and entry into new markets, the company has to guard against stiff competition from companies like Google and Samsung. Apple is committed towards providing the best computing experience to its customers through...
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...BA 380 Case #9 APPLE INC. IN 2011: CAN IT PROSPER WITHOUT STEVE JOBS? INTRODUCTION It is not a secret that for 2009-2011 the United States had had poor economic conditions and it was barely possible to succeed for any businesses under these circumstances in the market. However, Apple Inc. had dared to celebrate its record quarterly revenues for 2011 that its stock price boomed to a level where Apple Inc. became the most valuable and demanded company by market capitalization worldwide. The growth revenues and profits came primarily from increased sales of iPhones and iPads, which increased by 142 percent and 183 percent from the same period in 2010. In addition, the sales of Mac computers increased by 14 percent from third quarter 2010 and reached a record of 3.95 million units. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer in 1976 and started selling them under the name the Apple I to computer enthusiasts. Two years later they produced their first major personal computer (PC) and named it the Apple II, and the sales for this new product became to be more than 10, 000 units. However, their next product line, the Macintosh (Mac), had changed personal computing history through graphical user interface (GUI) which was user-friendly and allowed users to interact more with screen images rather than regular typing text commands. In spite of the fact that the Macintosh introduced in 1984 became crucial in the personal computing history, because of speed limit and the...
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...esonic: Strategic Analysis Yerheem Cha● Beth Jones ●Seetal Patel ●Erik Pickard ●Mike White University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations September 2005 ♦Executive Summary♦ In an attempt to reap the potential profits of the emerging online music industry, Sonic Records has established esonic, a subsidiary exclusively designed to serve as an online music store. In the wake of mounting anti-piracy campaigns concerning music downloads, increased demand for digital technologies that offer greater access and mobility, and an overall increase in consumer demand for access to digital media, esonic has a more than favorable forecast of success in entering the digital music market. Despite fierce competition from established online music providers such as Apple’s iTunes and Napster, esonic will find more than enough room for growth. Through strategic alliances with software and hardware technology firms, esonic can further magnify its reach and appeal to become a digital music industry giant. A unique opportunity presents itself to esonic: it can learn from and avoid the mistakes of digital music industry pioneers, whilst simultaneously mimicking elements of successful strategies at the rapid pace that an online music store with relatively little operating costs can provide. Designing a competitive business strategy remains imperative, however, and the success of esonic will be dependent on its...
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...linshan-li@uiowa.edu Apple Inc. (NSDQ: AAPL) April 17, 2012 Current Price $609.60 Target Price $765-790 Apple Bytes Its Way To The Top The iPad has revolutionized the booming tablet industry and is dominating a 61% market share with a unit sales increase of 111% over the year ago quarter. A yearly increase of 334% in sales volume during FY2011 makes the iPad the most popular product in the tablet industry. Apple shattered analysts’ expectations for Q1 of its FY2012 with 37.04 million iPhones sold representing 128% unit growth over the year ago quarter. The iPhone is penetrating emerging markets in China, Asia-Pacific, and Europe targeting global growth. Future product innovation in the iPhone fifth generation and iPad fourth generation will capture more market share while sustaining high levels of growth. Apple’s potential for penetrating the television market will again affirm its position as the top producer in consumer electronics. CEO Tim Cook announced dividends to be paid to shareholders beginning next quarter at a yield of 1.8% or $2.65 per share. He also announced a $10 billion buyback starting in fiscal year 2013, and continuing through 2014 and 2015; signaling an undervalued company. On January 25, 2012, Apple topped Exxon Mobile as the largest company in the world by market capitalization; currently at $568.5 billion. Share price has consistently grown with a 48.26% increase YTD and a five year increase of 570.22%. Company Overview Apple Inc. was established...
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...Internal Assessment Economics Article: Apple polishes forecast after selling 9 million new iPhones Apple-polishes forecast after selling 9 million new iPhones BY POORNIMA GUPTA AND JENNIFER SABA Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:10pm EDT 24 COMMENTS * Tweet 199 This page has been shared 199 times. View these Tweets. * in Share 39 * Share this * 279 * Email * Prin | | | | 1 OF 4. Alejandro de Rosa (R) and Melisa Racineti of Buenos Aires, Argentina pose with their new Apple iPhone 5s phones with Apple employee Jay at the Apple Retail Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York September 20, 2013. Apple Inc's newest smartphone models hit stores on Friday in many countries across the world, including Australia and China. CREDIT: REUTERS/ADREES LATIF RELATED VIDEO Daily Digit: 9 million new iPhones Breakingviews: Smartphone fruit salad RELATED TOPICS * Tech » * Asian Markets » * Media » * China » (Reuters) - Apple Inc sold 9 million new iPhones during their first three days in stores after China joined the list of launch countries for the first time, prompting the company to issue a rosier financial forecast. Shares in the company closed up 5 percent at $490.64 on Monday after the company said revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter would gravitate towards the high end of its previous forecast for $34 billion to $37 billion. Apple, which began selling the top-tier...
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...preliminary 4.2% growth rate for 2012. It expects many of the issues that affected retail sales during a lackluster 2012 holiday season--worries about the economy's direction and increasing online competition--to remain foremost in shopper's minds early this year. The forecast excludes automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants. Debates about the health of the economy and fiscal policy are "having a real impact on household budgets and consumer spending," said Matthew Shay, chief executive of the trade organization. He called on Congress and President Barack Obama's administration to show leadership and take concrete actions "enlarging the size of the economic pie, not just having a continuing debate about dividing up the pie in different ways." The federation said it expect improvements in the second half of the year should the outlook for job creation and income growth improve. Continuing improvement in the housing sector and containment of price pressure from inflation--including lower energy prices--are among the tailwinds it expects to help retail sales. In another holiday trend it expects to continue, the...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In this report, there will be an in-depth analysis of the International marketing strategies that Apple Inc. currently does in order to promote their products. The key strategies will be discussed and explained further in more clarity. There will an investigation into any problems that Apple may face currently as well as potentially. Finally, there will be recommendations in terms of their marketing strategies will be given. Firstly, there will be an introduction into the company with clear background information. This will provide an insight into the formation of Apple Inc. and the mastermind behind Apple’s successful marketing strategies. Information on the key products that Apple produces and sells will also be given. The report will also look at the marketing mix of Apple, also known as the four P’s: • Product • Price • Place (distribution) • Promotion The 4p’s will be discussed in detail and there will be specific analysis on each of the core elements in the marketing mix. Therefore, the importance of having quality products will be explained. Also, the reasons why price plays a pivotal role in terms of Apple’s international marketing will be specified. Apple’s distribution policies will be examined and explained; as well as the promotion strategies that are used by Apple to enhance its global appeal. The report will also provide a SWOT analysis; this is a strategic method that will be used in order to evaluate Apple’s strengths...
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...spheres contribute to the current globalization scheme; these spheres are distinguished as economic, political and the cultural-ideology (Lechner 2007). Furthermore, Sklair’s approach differs from the weak/strong heterogeneous or homogeneous approach as outlined by Appelrouth, stating that the interactions of such are more complex than a cut and clear weak vs. strong approach. The economic sphere regards the ability of TNCs to control global capital and material resources. Economics revolves around the idea that resources are scarce, and a current pursuit of allocative efficiency creates a sound economic environment. The more resources any corporation has allows for not only an ability to create a monopoly-like scenario depriving competitors of resources, but also in establishing a larger profit margin achieved through market control. These resources are not limited to natural resources, but also of intellectual property and human resources themselves. Although allocative efficiency is not reached through monopolization, higher profit margins are, and hence the capitalist global system provides an explanation for the economic aspect of TNPs as conducted worldwide. The evolution of capitalism through technological advancement (communication, transportation, electronics, and biotechnology) sees capitalism embrace a larger global market (Lechner 2007). Primary agents of the economic...
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