...Noe Hernandez Management 425, Sect 10, 2257 October 6, 2015 982 words Blue Nile Inc. in 2011: Will Its Strategy to Remain Number One in Online Diamond Retailing Work? In the Article, “Blue Nile Inc. in 2011: Will its Strategy to Remain Number One in Online Diamond Retailing Work?”, we identify the Blue Nile Company sustains competitive advantage through the strong practice of Porter’s Five Forces Model. After conducting a Five Forces Analysis, the most important factors in the Blue Nile case, were the threat of new entrants and the rivalry among existing competitors in order for the Blue Nile Company to compete in the market and the ability to sustain competitive advantage. The Blue Nile company sustained competitive advantage by diminishing potential threats of entry to a moderate level. The threat level of new entrants was kept moderate by ensuring that network effects were present. These network effects were enhanced by the policies the company had. The Blue Nile customers faced high switching costs by giving up on valuable characteristics the Brand created for its consumers. Blue Nile’s strategy of providing educational information, in-depth product information, grading reports, customization, and attractive prices were all key drivers that increased costumer’s brand loyalty. All of theses unique services Blue Nile provided for the consumer became valuable for the costumer, therefore, creating high switching costs. Throughout the case we become aware of some of...
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...Using named examples, assess the extent to which conflict over water supplies is inevitable. On Earth, we have many valuable resources and none are more valuable than water which unfortunately is limited in some places more than others. Everyone believes that they have an equal right and due to this, conflict is likely break out around the world. However, conflict is far more likely in countries that are less developed as they depend upon water for agriculture and their livelihoods. One area where conflict has the potential to occur is in China. They are currently attempting a water transfer scheme on a large scale that plans to move water from the South to the North of China where the capital is located. This is due to the lack of water present in the North and the possibility of being able to irrigate more land. The scheme is estimated to cost a minimum of $62 billion for the movement of 44.8 billion metres cubed of water from the Yangtze River to the Yellow river basin. Surprisingly, China only has access to 6% of the worlds fresh water supply which is leaving 21% of the world’s population searching for more supplies. China also has a plan to take more water from the Tibetan Plateau area that is stopping rivers flowing into countries that are close by. This will allow more water to flow into the East. This is causing growing concerns in India about their future water supply as the vast majority of their water flows from this area. As a lack of water is flowing into India...
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...Final MGMT 435 Strategic Management and Planning 02/12/2016 1. How does Blue Nile create trust in buying an expensive item like an engagement ring * 2. How does BN educate potential customers * 3. How does BN get users to buy expensive diamonds on a mobile device 4. How does BN make the diamond buying process hassle free * 5. How can BN grow internationally if the internet is not always available* 6. Can BN expand its product offerings beyond diamond and jewelry* 7. Is BN “stuck in the Middle” APA 3-5 pages at least 4 references Blue Nile, Inc. is considered the world’s largest online retailer of diamonds. Founded in Nineteen-ninety nine, the Blue Nile offers gold, platinum, pearl and silver jewelry. The company’s headquarters is located in Seattle, Washington and operates in over twenty five countries, with products offered through their United States, Canada and United Kingdom websites. As of January 2012, the Blue Nile employed two hundred and six full-time employees and six part-time employees. Blue Nile creates trust in purchasing an expensive piece of jewelry by educating customers, offering competitive prices that are twenty to thirty five percent less than traditional retailers, lifetime insurance, prompt shipping, exceptional customer service and the opportunity to build their own features. Blue Nile educates prospective customers about their diamonds through their informative website. The website offers information about...
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...Aristotle’s arguments in some of the ideas that led to the development of modern geomorphology. River Siltation Both Herodotus and Aristotle present arguments in regards to river siltation. Herodotus first notes that there were yearly increments silt and clay deposits in the Nile River on its flood plains. He explains that the Nile River floods every year, and in the process, it irrigates the flood plain along either bank and deposits fresh silt along its banks. He noted that the Nile has three distinct regions (Rennell, 2011).. He further explained that flood waters from the White Nile flow through an enormous marsh called the "Sudd" in the southern part of the modern country of Sudan, and arrive later and more slowly than the flood waters from the Blue Nile and the Atbara River. This contribution was crucial in determining the modern day irrigation along the Nile as well as determining where people could live. Aristotle had not visited Egypt himself, but he had at hand excellent observations in the works of Herodotus who had visited there in 450 BC, and perhaps reports of other travellers as well. Regarding the Nile, Aristotle concurs with Herodotus in the sense that he also noted that the Nile had three distinct regions (Wilson, 172). However, Aristotle seems to differ with Herodotus...
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...is tainted by her “faded” reference to “Brady and Hindley”. The fact that she decided to include this in an overall gentle, innocent poem, suggests two things. One being that this reference could be a way for Duffy to signify her teacher’s ability to provide a safe place. A place to feel separate from harm and danger. However, I personally think that Duffy chose to include these dark, threatening characters into her poem as a way of suggesting her bitter side as a writer. Perhaps Duffy now feels that, looking back, her teacher provided an inaccurate, false hope for the future, due to her deep negativity towards her secondary education experience. This point is backed up in the first line of the poem; “You could travel up the Blue Nile”. Of course, the Nile river is, in...
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...1. How strong are the competitive forces confronting Blue Nile and other online retail Jewelers? Do five-forces analysis to support your answer. There are 27,000 jewelry stores in the United States making this industry fiercely competitive. The rival competitors have high fix costs and this is due to the fact the jewelry is expensive because of its luxury. The competitiveness stemmed from highly fragmented sales amongst local and other retail stores and the fact that there are many avenues in which one can purchase jewelry. Because of all of these factors, Blue Nile had to compete with online and offline traders. During the recession, Blue Nile was able to continue functioning because of its strategy. If an order came in online, then would the diamonds be purchase and order was then fulfilled and quickly delivered to the client. The Supplier bargaining power in this particular industry is weak. Blue Niles competitive advantage over other leading vendors is its economical supply chain and it low operating all with keeping a comparable product in terms of quality. Blue Nile negotiated arrangements that allowed for diamond and gem suppliers to have their products on their website. This arrangement s was multi-year contracts and only included certain diamonds on their site. Another advantage was that they never order large quantities of diamonds or gems to keep in stock. They simply placed orders as needed by a client and this drastically reduced cost that other jewelers incurred...
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...Blue Nile Inc. Created by A, B and C. Executive Summary Incorporated in 1999 as a Delaware corporation, Blue Nile Inc.is the leading online retailer of high quality diamonds and fine jewelry. Blue Nile offers its products for sale through the bluenile.com website in over 40 countries and territories throughout the world. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and employs 206 employees as of December 2012. The objective of Blue Nile is to offer high-quality diamonds and fine jewelry at competitively attractive prices and at the same time providing useful information and guidance throughout their purchase process. High end jewelry shopping has in fact taken a surprising turn as more and more customers order them online at websites like bluenile.com instead of vising a brick and mortar store. Blue Nile is definitely not the only online jeweler. It has competitors like diamonds.com, whiteflash.com and successful retailers like amazon.com have also tapped this market in the recent years needless to say that the competitive market is intense and highly fragmented with brick and mortar stores also selling a big percentage online. While barriers to entry is high in this industry due to high capital costs, regular brick and mortars are entering this online market due to the ability to keep costs down while reaching a huge market. Threat of substitutes is really low which is a significant advantage to all diamond jewelers. The bargaining power of customers is medium...
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...Blue Nile Case Group D Monday and Wednesday 11:00-12:15 Anthony Allen, Laura Blakeman, Daniel DeMaiolo, Carla Hill, and Mason Shattuck 1 Industry Analysis: Dominant Economic Features Definition of Jewelry Retailing Industry & Nonstore Retailer Subsector According to the United States Census Bureau, the Jewelry Retailing Industry (NAICS code 448310) “comprises establishments primarily engaged in retailing one or more of the following items: (1) new jewelry (except costume jewelry); (2) new sterling and plated silverware; and (3) new watches and clocks. Also included are establishments retailing these new products in combination with lapidary work and/or repair services” (United States Census Bureau Jewelry Industry Definition, 2008). While Blue Nile competes in the larger Jewelry Retailing Industry, it also competes in the narrower Nonstore Retailers (Subsector 454) category because of the e-commerce component of the business model. The United States Census Bureau comments that “industries in the Nonstore Retailers subsector retail merchandise using methods, such as the broadcasting of infomercials, the broadcasting and publishing of direct-response advertising, the publishing of paper and electronic catalogs, door-to-door solicitation, in-home demonstration, selling from portable stalls and distribution through vending machines. Establishments in this subsector include mail-order houses, vending machine operators, home delivery sales, door-to-door sales, party...
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...Blue Nile Case Group D Monday and Wednesday 11:00-12:15 Anthony Allen, Laura Blakeman, Daniel DeMaiolo, Carla Hill, and Mason Shattuck 1 Industry Analysis: Dominant Economic Features Definition of Jewelry Retailing Industry & Nonstore Retailer Subsector According to the United States Census Bureau, the Jewelry Retailing Industry (NAICS code 448310) “comprises establishments primarily engaged in retailing one or more of the following items: (1) new jewelry (except costume jewelry); (2) new sterling and plated silverware; and (3) new watches and clocks. Also included are establishments retailing these new products in combination with lapidary work and/or repair services” (United States Census Bureau Jewelry Industry Definition, 2008). While Blue Nile competes in the larger Jewelry Retailing Industry, it also competes in the narrower Nonstore Retailers (Subsector 454) category because of the e-commerce component of the business model. The United States Census Bureau comments that “industries in the Nonstore Retailers subsector retail merchandise using methods, such as the broadcasting of infomercials, the broadcasting and publishing of direct-response advertising, the publishing of paper and electronic catalogs, door-to-door solicitation, in-home demonstration, selling from portable stalls and distribution through vending machines. Establishments in this subsector include mail-order houses, vending machine operators, home delivery sales, door-to-door sales, party...
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...12/2/2014 Contents Brief facts Ancient market: Khan-al khalili Fishawi's Cafe Nile River Sharm El Sheikh EGYPT Does it only have Pyramids? Subject: Tourism Geography Tutor: Khổng Yến Giang Group 10: Đặng Thị Quỳnh Hoàng Thị Thảo Attraction Giza Foul Kebab Kebab Molokhia Mint tea Baklava Egyptian Cuisine Tips Do and Don’t . Name : Arab Republic of Egypt Capital: Cairo Independent day: Feb 28th 1922 Square: 1.001.450 km2 Population: 77.505.000 (2005) Border: North: Mediterranean Sea West: Libya East: Israel and Red Sea South: Sudan Language: Arab Religion: Islam Weather: desert, hot and dry summer temperate winter Flag Red: Revolution White: Purity Black: Dark time in the past Eagle of Saladin: Brave, Loyalty and Victory 1 12/2/2014 Egypt geography • 29th biggest country in the world. • Total area of 1,002,450 sq. km. • Located in the northeast corner of the African continent. • 4 main geological areas: Nile Valley and Delta: extends on both sides of the Nile from the southern limit of the river Western Desert: Extending from the Nile Valley in the east to the Egypt-Libyan border in the west and from the Mediterranean coast in the north to the southern- covers 2/3 of the country’s total land area. Eastern Desert: between the Nile Valley to the west, the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez to the east, Lake Manzala to the north and the Sudanese border to the south. Its underground treasures include gems, coal and oil. Sinai...
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...SWOT…………………………………………………………………………… page 46 Financial ratios…………………………………………………………………… page 50 Strategies………………………………………………………………………… page 53 Preferred strategy……………………………………………………………….. page 60 EVA……………………………………………………………………………… page 62 Blue Nile balance sheet…………………………………………………………… page 63 References…………………………………………………………………………. Page 64 Executive Summary Blue Nile is a publicly traded company. The company was established in 1999 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA and is one of leading online retailers of diamonds and fine jewelry. In addition to serving the U.S. market, Blue Nile offers products to selected countries through its Canadian and UK websites. 70% of their sales are from engagement rings and wedding bands and they are known for being a high-end jewelry retailer. The company offers its products on its websites without actually holding the products. Because of its unique business model, it is able to sell its products at much lower prices than the competitors. After a thorough analysis of the trends impacting the market, and Blue Nile in particular, we have come up with a strategy that will maintain and improve the company’s position in the industry. By increasing its focus on marketing, Blue Nile should be able to gain more of...
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...Nile Perch in Lake Victoria By Introduction Lake Victoria is largest lake in Africa, seventh largest in the world by volume. And second largest freshwater lake in the world. (PRINGLE, 2005) The lake is surrounded by three different country’s Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. Figure 1 depicts Lake Victoria and the surrounding countries. All three countries share the lake and its resources, but one of the biggest issues is that the governing laws involving the resources and the lake regulations are different in each country. (Lowe-McConnell, 1994) As an economic stand point the lake produces an annual catch of roughly 400-500,000 tons of fish bringing in around US$250,000-500,000. (Blake, 2005) The lake itself has around 2 million people that either directly or indirectly depend on fishing activities to support their lives. Lake Victoria is the head waters to the Nile River. The Nile perch (Lates niloticus) can be distinguished by their silver coloring and blue tint. They have sharp black eyes which are surrounded by a luminous yellow outer ring. The juvenile Nile perch can be seen with very dark markings beaming from their eyes with extensive dark markings on their body which in time will fade with age. (Blake, 2005) The female Nile perch generally grows larger than the male. Certain bones such as the pre-opercle and pre- orbital are guarded with spines. The Nile perch is known to grow extremely fast during the first year of existence. (Blake, 2005) The growth...
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...troops.Aided by Britain ethiopia pushed back Italian colonial army in the Battle of Adwa. This victory signaled the decline of European colonialism in Black Africa. Free from imperialization ethiopia joined the united nation and league of nation at the time of the second world war. Allies wise Ethiopia had good relations with the United States and the West, especially in responding to regional instability and supporting counterterrorism efforts. China and japan strongly supports Ethiopia’s economic development, and helped Ethiopia’s economy grow. It helps develop Ethiopia’s Technology and provides technical assistance. Traveling into ethiopia is a great experience for all because of the gorgeous landmark like the Blue Nile Falls a waterfall on the Blue Nile river in Ethiopia. It is known as Tis Abay in Amharic, meaning "great smoke" it is also ethiopia largest lake. The Danakil Depression lies at the triple junction of three tectonic plates as a result of Africa and Asia moving apart causing a rift in the center on the earth. A must see tourist attraction loved for its hot spring and jaw dropping view. Church of Saint George, Lalibela was carved from a type of volcanic tuff. Lalibela, King of Ethiopia, sought to recreate Jerusalem, and structured the churches' landscape and religious sites in such a way as to achieve such a feat.christianity the country major religion played an important role in driving the people to their peak performance. Enkutatash ethiopia New year's...
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...Conflict and the Environment The African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) military escort for UNEP fieldwork near El Geneina, Western Darfur. Intense competition over declining natural resources is one of the underlying causes of the ongoing conflict. SUDAN POST-CONFLICT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Conflict and the Environment 4.1 Introduction and assessment activities 2. an overview of the role of natural resources in the instigation and continuation of historical and current conflicts, listing the major resources of concern and focusing specifically on conflicts involving rangelands and rain-fed agricultural land; and 3. a brief environmental impact assessment of the various conflicts, evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of conflict on Sudan’s environment. Chronic environmental problems are covered in other chapters, though it should be noted that at the local level, the boundary between chronic and conflict-related environmental issues is often unclear. Assessment activities The assessment of conflict-related issues was an integral part of fieldwork throughout the country. In addition, UNEP carried out a number of specific activities, including: Introduction Sudan has been wracked by civil war and regional strife for most of the past fifty years, and at the time of finalizing this report, in June 2007, a major conflict rages on in Darfur. At the same time, Sudan suffers from a number of severe environmental problems, both within and outside current and historical conflict-affected...
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...The early prehistoric people on the Nile inhabited the terraces or plateaus left by the river. The remains of their tools and homes show their gradual development from hunters to settled farmers. By 4000 BC the civilization of Egypt was in its earliest developing stages, the Predynastic period, which lasted until about 3100 BC, had begun. Organized settlements have been found and the art produced during this time was discovered mainly in their cemeteries. Objects were put into the grave with the body for the use of the spirit in the next life, even though preserving a large number of personal goods as pottery, tools, and weapons. The pottery is often decorated with a painting that reflects the life of the time. Images of birds and animals common to the Nile. Copper was used in small quantities for beads and simple tools, but most things were chipped from stone. Cosmetics made of stone were used for grinding eye paint. Small sculptures and pictures were either carved from ivory and bone or modeled in clay. Old Kingdom Sculpture From the early figures of clay, bone, and ivory in the Predynastic period, Egyptian sculpture developed quickly. By the time of Zoser large statues of the rulers were made as resting places for their spirits. Egyptian sculpture is best described by the terms cubic and frontal. The block of stone was first made rectangular; the design of the figure was then drawn on the front and the two sides. The resulting statue was meant to be seen mainly...
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