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New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.

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Submitted By couellet
Words 2561
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Problem Statement Two of New Balance main competitors, size and product wise, Adidas and Reebok, recently announced their intention of merging. Together, they become a counterweight large enough to rival with Nike, the world’s dominant player in athletic footwear and apparel.
The Davises, sole owners of New Balance, know that this transaction will have an impact on the industry and their business. They wonder how to react to ensure long-term business profitability and whether they should adjust the company’s priorities in light of the changing competitive landscape. New Balance wants to grow and needs to find the appropriate strategy to effectively support this endeavour. At the same time, the company’s leaders wish to remain committed to its core values, philosophy and heritage. The athletic footwear industry is very competitive and each player tries to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. Although New Balance produces cutting-edge, high performance running shoes, their style, or lack of, plays against them. The market has evolved since the successful introduction of its iconic 990 running shoe, and more and more people are now wearing sneakers for casual purposes. The Adidas-Reebok merger will certainly have consequences on the industry. Many stakeholders, including New Balance’s own employees, will soon begin to ask questions about the company’s response. In order to secure its assets, the Davises must quickly determine how to tackle the situation and capture resulting growth opportunities, if any.

External Analysis
New Balance operates in the athletic footwear industry. Unlike its main competitors – Nike, Reebok and Adidas – it does most of its business in the U.S. market. Americans are accounting for about 50% of the spending worldwide. This is a growing business, yet slowing, due to maturation of the consumer interest in sports and

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