...Executive Summary 3 Introduction 5 Purpose of the Study 5 Sears: Trends in Sales 5 Competitors 7 Sears Consumer Segments 8 Purchasing Trends 11 Legal Issues 11 Social & Cultural Issues 12 Economic Trends 14 Technological Innovations 15 Research Objectives 17 Methodology 18 Data Analysis & Results 21 Profile of the Sample 21 Descriptive Results 23 Difference & Associative Analysis 33 Limitations 37 Conclusions & Recommendations 40 References 46 Appendix 49 List of Illustrations Figures Page Figure 1.0: Sears Brands 5 Figure 2.0: Respondent’s Gender 21 Figure 3.0: Past Six Months Mall Visits 22 Figure 4.0: Clothing Stores 23 Figure 5.0: Percent of Respondents that Purchased Fitness Equipment in the Past Two Years 24 Figure 6.0: Fitness Equipment Purchase Location 24 Figure 7.0: Most Popular Sears Brands 28 Figure 8.0: Incentives to Increase the Probability of Entering a Store 30 Figure 9.0: Social Media 31 Figure 10.0: Facebook Presence 32 Figure 11.0: Gender vs. Mall Visits 35 Tables Page Table 1.0: Respondent’s Age 22 Table 2.0: The Appeal of the Kardashian Kollection to Females 23 Table 3.0: Perception of Sears 25 Table 4.0: Cause Marketing Practices 29 Table 5.0: Mall Visits vs. Store Location 33 Table 6.0: Price vs. Trendiness 34 Table 7.0: The Relationship between Perception of Service and Age 36 Executive Summary Objectives ...
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...www.readingsandlearnings.wordpress.com Balance Sheet – snapshot at certain time Income Statement – how company performs during a time period: 1st, 2nd quarters, monthly, yearly… * 1. Revenue * 2. Profit * 3. Costs Pro-Forma – predictions, future, what if statement Common-Size - % statement vs numbers * Compare year to year and versus competitors EBITDA – cash flow Junk Bond – high yield bond (risky) Depreciation – non cash item Ratios (LLAPS) Liquidity = CA/CL Leverage = TD/TE Activity = TS/TA (retail industry) (TAT) Profit = NP/NS, ROA = NP/ASSETS, ROE = NP/EQUITY (investors look at ROE the most) Shareholder = Div + (Share P end – Share P beg) PE Ratio = Stock Price/Proj. NI EBITDA = NI(profit) + Dep. + Taxes ***be able to produce a highly leveraged balance sheet 6—7 ratio (lev) and 1—2 ratio (liq) * Board of Directors * Chairman of the Board * CEO * President * V.P’s of Depts. (functional) * Employees Corporate Strategy * strategy of company as a whole * CEO and Chairman develop strategy and direction * Long range strategy Functional Area Strategy * Short range strategy – change anytime * i.e. * lower prices, reduce production costs, finance the growth of company 1st step of strategy is planning Ultimate objective of a strategy is to develop a sustainable competitive advantage! * Activities tailored to your company Operational Effectiveness...
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...Executive Summary Tanglewood Stores has to determine how to successfully fulfill its future staffing needs. The decentralization of various job functions has worked negatively for the company. Decentralization has caused the costs of job functions to increase because job functions have to be duplicated at various locations rather than having it at one central location. The HR strategy that will be implemented to achieve success will have a significant impact on the organization. A particular point of interest for any organization is whether to hire internally or externally. Internal hires have the advantage of having extensive prior knowledge about the organization. By comparison, external hires do not have as much knowledge about the organization but they can bring knowledge and skills that would otherwise be hard find elsewhere. Placing employees into management positions based on their level of loyalty to the company does not guarantee that the person chosen is the best candidate. Individual employee characteristics must be aligned with organizational goals and objectives. The organization needs to look at innovative methods to restructure itself, in particular its HR. Job fairs are a great way to reach a large audience face to face. Additionally, the competitive strategy of the company should be modified to deal with its competitors head on. Identification of the Problem Tanglewood is a chain of retail stores that feature items such as appliances, clothing, electronics...
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...system in place to contact the consumers who purchased a product that has been recalled, as well as a way to correct the problem they may be faced with. Our job was to locate a product that has recently been recalled I chose to research the Keurig MINI Brewing System, it was recalled on December 23, 2014, and the Recall number: 15-05. See below for an example of the product code bar and what the consumers who purchased the product were looking for to see of their product was affected by the recall. This picture below was provided by the compnay. * | | 1. 2 of 3 photos 2. Identification number is located on a white sticker on the bottom of the brewers 3. Below is a brief summary of the product and why it was recalled, also known as the Recall Summary? Keurig® MINI Plus Brewing Systems, the hazard occurred when the coffee was being brewed, apparently the water would overheat and spray out the sides and the consumed became burned. Keurig did provide duty of care to the consumers (See below). They seem to have covered their legal obligation to the consumers by offering an extensive list of how to correct the malfunction in order to avoid any more harm done to the consumers....
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...[pic]CHAPTER 12 12-1 Decision makers use financial statement analysis to extract relevant information from financial statements in order to assess a company's financial position and prospects. 12-2 In addition to the basic financial statements, annual reports generally contain footnotes to the statements, a summary of accounting policies, management's discussion and analysis of the financial results, the auditor's report, comparative financial data for a series of years, and narrative data about the company, its operations, and its prospects. 12-3 Sources of information include reports to the SEC, press releases and articles in the business press, company Web sites, trade and industry publications, analysts’ reports, investors' services and newsletters. 12-4 No. Past results often aid the prediction of future returns and their risks. 12-5 Equity investors are most concerned with information about profitability and future security prices. In contrast, creditors mainly want to know about short-term liquidity and long-term solvency. 12-6 Yes, to a certain extent. When revenues increase faster than net income, it means that costs are increasing faster than revenues. However, it is important not to jump to conclusions without asking “why?”. There may be a good explanation for the cost increases. So it warrants attention, but one should not automatically conclude that something is wrong. 12-7 Business practices often change and, therefore, expected financial...
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...Peter Bell International Business Planning & Marketing MNM41 A Business Strategy Review and a Marketing Review of Sears 1st submission Date Due in: April 19, 2012 Number of pages: 23 Word count :3,281 Table of Contents sEARS bUSINESS STRATEGY REVIEW i Executive Summary 2-3 introduction brief history and background of sears 4 mission & obJECTIVES II evaluation of sears existing mission and objectives 5-6 External analysis IIi Competitors 7 PEST 8-9 Five forces Analysis 10-11 Opportunities & Threats 11 InternaL aNALYSIS iV Strenghts & Weaknesses 12 Financial ratios analysis 13-14 Past and current strategies 15 Sears current strategic position v Sears current strategy Balance Scorecard 16-17 Porter’s Generic strategies 17 rEcommendations vi Objectives and strategic actions 19-21 Evaluation 22- 23 Conclusion 24-26 Bibliography Executive Summary Sears, once the leader of the retail industry, is now facing financial troubles and is relegated to the 10th position in the market (Store org, 2011). Even after the merger with K-Mart, the retail conditions have not seemed to improved, but in fact, Sears Holding’s financial reports continued to reflect loss. Investor confidence in Sears...
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...Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Research Content 5 United Kingdom 5 Online Retailing Market Overview 5 Online Shopping for Jewellery 7 Profile of General Online Shoppers 8 Site Profile of Top 3 Online Shopping sites 10 1. Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk (ranked no. 8 in Alexa in UK) 10 2. Argos - www.argos.co.uk (ranked no. 41 in Alexa in UK) 17 3. Littlewoods - www.littlewoods.com (ranked no. 498 in Alexa in UK) 27 USA 32 Online Retailing Market Overview 32 Online Shopping for Jewellery 33 Profile of General Online Shoppers 33 Site Profile of Top 3 Online Shopping sites 35 1. Amazon US – www.amazon.com (ranked no. 5 in Alexa ) 35 2. WalMart - www.walmart.com (ranked no. 41 in Alexa) 39 3. KOHLS - http://www.kohls.com/ (ranked no. 207 in Alexa in UK) 44 Germany 48 Online Retailing Market Overview 48 Online Shopping for Jewellery 50 Profile of General Online Shoppers 50 Site Profile of Top 3 Online Shopping sites 52 1. Amazon Germany – www.amazon.de (ranked no. 6 in Alexa) 52 2. Otto Germany - www.otto.de (ranked no. 79 in Alexa) 53 3. Idealo - http://www.idealo.de/ (ranked no. 37 in Alexa) 54 France 56 Online Retailing Market Overview 56 Online Shopping for Jewellery 56 Profile of General Online Shoppers 56 Site Profile of Top 3 Online Shopping sites 56 Netherlands 59 Online Retailing Market Overview 59 Online Shopping for Jewellery 59 Profile...
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...Whole Foods Market Strategic Management Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………….…….p. 3 Trends in the Organic Foods and the Impact on Whole Foods…………………........p. 3 Application of Porter’s 5 Forces Model………..…………………………….............p. 4 Most Significant Environmental Threat and Whole Foods Combat ………………...p. 6 SWOT Analysis….…………………………………………..………………........…p. 7 Sustaining Competitive Advantage...…………………………………...….………..p. 8 Summary….………………………………………………………….………..…….p. 8 References.…………………………………………………………..……………....p. 10 Whole Foods Market Introduction John Mackey cofounder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) founded Whole Foods in 1980 with the purpose of providing organic foods to the grocery shopping public. This started a movement over the next 30 years that has brought organic foods to the common shoppers in many markets around the U.S. that had only been previously serviced by smaller health food stores or by their local grocery chain. The success of Whole Foods moving forward will be how they can succeed and maintain their profitability when unemployment remains high and Americans have less disposable income. This essay will look at several factors of Whole Foods, including latest trends, the competitive environment in the grocery industry, environmental threats, SWOT analysis of the business operations and strengths that must be leveraged to maintain a competitive advantage. Trends in the Organic Foods...
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...J.C. Penny Corporation, Inc. Company Analysis and Prognosis Tasha Liberman CASE STUDY BACKGROUNDER #2 MGMT 498 nd July 22 , 2013 Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 Company & Industry Background...................................................................................... 1 Company Strategies ............................................................................................................ 1-2 Current Financial Performance.......................................................................................... 2 Financial Performance Compare to Sub-Sector ........................................................ 2-3 Primary Macro-Level Forces ............................................................................................... 3 Micro-Level Forces.................................................................................................................. 4 Primary Strengths and Weaknesses ................................................................................. 4 Risk and Rewards Potential................................................................................
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...Executive Summary The propensity for businesses to move beyond domestic markets into international markets is known as globalization. The ability to trade and operate in international markets has increased the profits and overall net income of these multinational corporations. McDonalds, Exxon and Wal-Mart are among many global companies that have been able to increase their revenues by operating in international markets. Wal-Mart’s international ventures accounts for 20.1% of their total revenue which is estimated at $60 billion annually. The purpose of this paper is to select a company and discuss their business model. The company we will be looking at through out this paper is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s slogan “Saving people money so they can live a better life” is what Wal-Mart’s business model is all about. Selling thousands of quality merchandise to low-income consumers at extremely low prices has been responsible for their success in the United States. Achieving success domestically is quite different from succeeding internationally. Doing business globally requires different business models. For a successful transition into the global environment, each business model must be designed to adhere to the preference or norms of each individual country. Both Wal-Mart and Ikea realized that success in the global market goes beyond offering low priced items when they moved into the global market. Its failure in Germany and South Korea made them realize that culture is a factor that...
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...SEARS Marketing Plan Executive Summary Sears Holding Corporation is the fourth largest retailer in the United States and Canada. Its subsidiaries include Sears, Roebuck and Co. as well as K-Mart. The closing of the merger between Sears and K-Mart took place on March 24, 2005. Sears has more than 4,000 retail stores across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Sears offers products and services through over 2,700 branded and affiliated stores. Sears operates 894 broad-line stores and 1,354 specialty stores. Sears’ broad-line stores are mall-based locations. The specialty stores include Sears Hometown Stores that are mostly independently owned, Sears Home Appliance Showrooms, Sears Hardware Stores, Sears Auto Centers, and The Great Indoor Stores (Community, n.d.). Sears is the leading retailer in home appliance, tools, lawn and garden, electronics, and automotive repair and maintenance. They are also the largest home service provider and answers over 11 million service calls a year (About, n.d.). Sears’ values are built upon customer service and the company is committed to quality service and products. Sears aims to build lifetime relationships and trust with its customers. The Company prides itself on having a diverse customer base and values the customer’s individualities. As stated on the corporate website “Everything we do starts and ends with the customer.” (Diversity, paragraph 3). Sears also holds expectations from their employees. The Company values...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 COMPANY PROFILE 3 PORTERS FIVE FORCES 8 EFE 16 IFE 24 TOWS MATRIX 32 REFERENCES 36 RESEARCH 38 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 COMPANY PROFILE 3 PORTERS FIVE FORCES 8 EFE 16 IFE 24 TOWS MATRIX 32 REFERENCES 36 RESEARCH 38 ------------------------------------------------- table of CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------- table of CONTENTS EXECUTUVE SUMMARY Since the first opening in 1858 in New York the “world’s largest store” became iconic for the department store industry. From the beginning Macy's Inc. stated its mission to satisfy a consumer as a paramount and recognized that all actions and strategies must be directed toward providing a localized merchandise offering and superior shopping experience. Organization has been following that principal for over a decade and today Macy’s targeting consumers through dynamic department stores and online sites. Main issue Advancing e-commerce and internet technologies cause recent declines in sales in the entire industry. Online retailers offer more convenient and fast shopping on the internet directly from your personal computer or smartphone. Along with efficiency online retailers striking department stores with lower...
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...Strategic Plan STR/581 Strategic Plan James Cash Penney started JCPenney, now known as JCP, 110 years ago. Penney aspired to be a lawyer for his family was not really well-off. His father was a Baptist minister and a farmer. He never had an opportunity to start in law school due to educational expenses that his family cannot afford. He worked in a local dry goods store where he became an assistant manager in Golden Rule Store. He had the chance to acquire one-third of the venture. In five years time, that was 1907, Penney acquired that of his partners (Soylent Communications, 2012). He had a vision to establish an entity that treats people the way he wants to be treated and this is what people commonly hear as “fair and square”. His very first retail business was named Golden Rule as based on his philosophy in life coming from the words of Confucius: “treat others as you want to be treated”. JCPenney was successful in his business for long years. His venture has the capacity to be an industry leader in innovation, pricing, and marketing strategy. Way before internet was invented, JCPenney offered catalogs to showcase their products. And now, they have jcp.com and their facebook page in which they do their promotions, marketing and sales (Toy, 2012). JCPenney had difficult times in keeping a close competition with Macy’s and Dillard’s Department Store especially when there were costs hikes when sales were down. The company adopted measures to deal with its problem. There...
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...Explain awareness, motivation, and ability as drivers of competitive behavior. 4. Discuss factors affecting the likelihood a competitor will take competitive actions. 5. Discuss factors affecting the likelihood a competitor will respond to actions taken against it. 6. Explain competitive dynamics in slow-cycle, fast-cycle and standard-cycle markets. CHAPTER OUTLINE Opening Case Competition Between Hewlett-Packard and Dell: The Battle Rages On A MODEL OF COMPETITIVE RIVALRY COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Market Commonality Resource Similarity DRIVERS OF COMPETITIVE ACTIONS AND RESPONSES Strategic Focus Who Will Win the Competitive Battles Between Netflix and Blockbuster? COMPETITIVE RIVALRY Strategic and Tactical Actions Strategic Focus Using Aggressive Pricing as a Tactical Action at Wal-Mart LIKELIHOOD OF ATTACK First-Mover Incentives Organizational Size Quality LIKELIHOOD OF RESPONSE Type of Competitive Action Actor’s Reputation Dependence on the Market Popped the Top? COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS Slow-Cycle Markets Fast-Cycle Markets Standard-Cycle Markets SUMMARY REVIEW QUESTIONS EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES NOTES LECTURE NOTES Chapter Introduction: The competitive landscape of the twenty-first century will be characterized by increasing globalization, advanced technological development, and other factors that will lead to an environment that is more dynamic and charged with rivalry. Firms will act and react in a dance of sorts,...
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...Executive Summary The TJX Corporation is a large retailor with stores throughout the United States,, Puerto Rico and United Kingdom. In 2005, a security breach of credit card information occurred through a seventeen-month period. The intrusion of customer personal information has grossed the concern of the security among their IT infrastructure. The following criteria based upon their security concerns and customer relationships recovery. Their growth as a discount retailer is dependent on the course of action they must take. They will adhere to a secure network, protect their stored data, prevent future intrusion of their system, restrict access to unauthorized users and frequently test for the implementation of their security measures. TJX will focus on establishing IT governance, mitigate risk, and develop a management strategy through the following alternatives. They will focus on hardware and software upgrades to prevent future attacks of their communication lines and their network through enhanced software and data encryptions. A Payment Card industry Data Security standard has been established and must be maintained by TJX, an implementation from the IT security team will be completed on a regular basis ensuring that all files and file transfers are appropriately encrypted. Internal and external security and network audits will need to be performed on a regular basis to comply with the PCIDSS. This will allow for testing of their system access and identify concerns within...
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