...Williams-Sonoma has shown much success and growth within a short amount of time and continues to show potential for future growth as well. If Williams-Sonoma continues with its present strategies and objectives the projected five years of the company will continue to show success and show a fast mass and maturity in growth. As technology changes it will allow William-Sonoma to open up new avenues to reach out to its customers both from the retail sector standpoint and the direct-to-customer approach. My view is that William-Sonoma could capitalize on the new technology that is out and blowing up the market. New apps on cell phones will allow a more expedient approach and allow customers to have access to various thing at their fingertips. As William-Sonoma continues to find new innovative ways to target their audience then their focus is on track. There is no denying that William-Sonoma isn’t working hard to please their costumers nor strategically thinking on how to outsource their items only relying on 4 percent (Rouse, 2010), of responsibility from each one while maintaining the core responsibility. After reviewing the case study, Williams-Sonoma is not alone when it comes to specializing in many of the products that are being sold on the market today. There are many competitors that Williams-Sonoma is up against however, because William-Sonoma values there customers, they value their merchandise as well, leaving no room for chance when a customer receives a product for it...
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...Case Study - Question 3 Ida Fort Columbia Southern University Case Study - Question 3 Crate and Barrel offers unique/original products and strives to set the trends. Their products are mostly marketed via catalogs and website. They have fewer brick and mortar stores than Williams Sonoma. They offer high style but at a lower price point than Williams Sonoma. Crate and Barrel focuses on furniture rather than kitchen products. The Company is in the process of changing its combination of online and brick and mortar stores, repositioning some of its stores in their current markets (Sweeny, 2014). Restoration hardware sells pricey vintage style furniture. They compete with William Sonoma in the direct to customer market. Restoration Hardware targets the wealthiest 10 %, Williams Sonoma targets wealthiest 20%. A former senior manager left Pottery Barn to work or restoration hardware (Rouse, 2010). This inside knowledge helps with Restorations’ positioning. Its strategy is to target fast growth. Pier one stores offer similar offerings to Williams Sonoma. Pier 1 aims to get the competitive advantage by offering a variety of products to fit various market. They offer an array of household, kitchen and specialty items. Bombay Company offers classic, traditional accessories and large furniture. The company also has outlet stores that targets those they desire high style at a lower price point. While targeting a group of consumers that have less disposable income, this strategy...
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...Unit 8 Assignment MBA 5101 1. In this case study; the firm Williams-Sonoma has exhibited great models of developing of his organization in a short period of time using a wide variety of strategies. That can provide benchmarks for firm to follow. They outlined the organization’s objective strategies that aligned with the business’s mission and helped the firm reach it objectives. This was the foundation that proved to successfully grow William-Sonoma. This business started by providing high-end culinary and serving equipment. Over time they started diversifying into other business areas. The modern William-Sonoma offers specialty products such as decoration and furnishing for the home. Over the next five year, Williams-Sonoma has the opportunity to capture a variety of markets, by providing superior products to increase shares in the industry. The company would be able to satisfy the needs of every consumer and potential consumer in all segments of decoration and home furnishings home. The company would be able to dominate the market and would achieve its target in both channels, retail and direct to customers. It would bolster Williams-Sonoma brand image and will achieve and maintain the competitive advantage in the home decoration market by his applying a distinctive strategies ties in the company’s mission with the organization’s goals and results in growth. 2. In the case, proves that Williams-Sonoma is constantly increasing its organization’s growth with its distinctive...
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...Abstract Williams-Sonoma is synonymous with high-end retail for the home. Creating an innovative market mix of retail, catalog and e-commerce, Williams-Sonoma is strategically positioned to retain market share of the diverse mix of house and kitchen wares, furniture, linens and home furnishings segment. With strong leadership, committed to consumers, shareholders and employees, Williams-Sonoma is continuing to be profitable and provide quality unique niche products domestically and internationally. Company Overview In 1956, Chuck Williams founded Williams–Sonoma Inc. (WSM). Mr. Williams identified a need for a place to purchase unique and niche home and kitchen wares. His passion for cooking and entertaining ignited a revolution within the United States that is still present today. The high-end American specialty retail company, Williams-Sonoma sells a diverse mix of house and kitchen wares, furniture, linens and home furnishings domestically and internationally. Products are sold in retail stores, catalogs and worldwide via the internet. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Williams-Sonoma became incorporated in 1976. The brand portfolio encompasses Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Williams-Sonoma Home, West Elm, Rejuvenation, Pottery Barn Bed & Bath and PBteen. Williams-Sonoma Inc. operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and franchises throughout countries...
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...and Using Information Systems, Wiley, 2006 (3nd edition) 2. A package of Harvard Business School Case Studies Additional Readings and Cases: Class handouts as needed. Course Description and Goals This course is designed to provide the current and future managers with understanding and appreciation of the issues that are related to the organization’s information technology assets. The course is not to educate technical specialists, rather, it is to give students a managerial perspective on the use of, design of, and evaluations of information systems that exist in organizations today. The objective of this course is to prepare students to manage information services in both today’s and tomorrow’s environment with its managerial, social, political, ethical and global issues. Conduct of the Course All students are expected to read the assigned materials (text, end-of-chapter discussion board questions (DBQ) and Harvard Business School case studies- HBC) before coming to the class. Some days we will discuss the materials in the text book. You are expected to be prepared to actively participate in this discussion, answering questions such as “What are the issues involved in ...?”, “What do the authors mean by ...?”, and “Give an example of...?” The second use of class time will be group presentation on the selected cases from the case study package. You will be assigned a group and lead the discussion for this activity. Those of you not assigned for...
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...Valued at 1 April, 2007 Matthew Lewis: matthew.lewis@ttu.edu Tyler Page: tyler.page@ttu.edu Alex Segreti: alexander.l.segreti@ttu.edu Andrea Spencer: andrea.spencer@ttu.edu Stephen Wiggins: stephen.wiggins@ttu.edu Table of Contents Executive Summary Business & Industry Analysis. Five Forces Model Rivalry Among Existing Firms Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitute Products Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining Power of Suppliers Competitive Advantage Analysis Key Success Factors Accounting Analysis Key Accounting Policies Accounting Flexibility Accounting Strategy Quality of Disclosure Revenue Manipulation Diagnostics Expense Manipulation Diagnostics Potential “Red Flags” Undo Accounting Distortions Ratio Analysis Forecast Financials Liquidity Analysis Profitability Analysis Capital Structure Analysis Extended Ratio Analysis SGR and IGR Analysis Forecasting Valuation Analysis Cost of Equity Cost of Debt WACC Method of Comparables Intrinsic Valuation Models Altman Z-Score Analyst Recommendation Appendix Works Cited 1 3 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 16 16 18 20 21 23 26 29 30 31 31 37 44 46 47 47 61 61 66 67 68 72 78 79 80 84 2 Executive Summary Investment Recommendation: Overvalued, Sell BBBY – NASDAQ $40.40 52 week range $30.92 - $43.32 Revenue (2006) $5,809,562,000 Market Capitalization $11.75 Billion Shares Outstanding 283,380,000 3-month Avg. Daily Trading Volume 2,332,640 ...
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...Valued at 1 April, 2007 Matthew Lewis: matthew.lewis@ttu.edu Tyler Page: tyler.page@ttu.edu Alex Segreti: alexander.l.segreti@ttu.edu Andrea Spencer: andrea.spencer@ttu.edu Stephen Wiggins: stephen.wiggins@ttu.edu Table of Contents Executive Summary Business & Industry Analysis. Five Forces Model Rivalry Among Existing Firms Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitute Products Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining Power of Suppliers Competitive Advantage Analysis Key Success Factors Accounting Analysis Key Accounting Policies Accounting Flexibility Accounting Strategy Quality of Disclosure Revenue Manipulation Diagnostics Expense Manipulation Diagnostics Potential “Red Flags” Undo Accounting Distortions Ratio Analysis Forecast Financials Liquidity Analysis Profitability Analysis Capital Structure Analysis Extended Ratio Analysis SGR and IGR Analysis Forecasting Valuation Analysis Cost of Equity Cost of Debt WACC Method of Comparables Intrinsic Valuation Models Altman Z-Score Analyst Recommendation Appendix Works Cited 3 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 16 16 18 20 21 23 26 29 30 31 31 37 44 46 47 47 61 61 66 67 68 72 78 79 80 84 1 2 Executive Summary Investment Recommendation: Overvalued, Sell BBBY – NASDAQ $40.40 52 week range $30.92 - $43.32 Revenue (2006) $5,809,562,000 Market Capitalization $11.75 Billion Shares Outstanding 283,380,000 3-month Avg. Daily Trading Volume 2,332,640 Institutional Ownership 83.40% Insider Ownership 3.70% Book Value Per Share (mrq) $9...
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...Can Information Systems Restore Profitability to Restoration Hardware? Restoration Hardware is a retailer of furniture, hardware, and home accessories such as bathroom fixtures and decorative furnishings. The company is based in California; it started operations in 1979 and incorporated in 1987. The company sells through multiple channels: a network of 103 retail stores across the United States and Canada, a print mail-order catalog, and its RestorationHardware.com Web site. Restoration Hardware is a major player in an industry that includes competitors such as Pottery Barn, Pier 1, and Williams Sonoma. Restoration employs 3,500 workers, 1,400 of those full-time. Restoration’s business strategy puts the company in a unique sector of the marketplace. Restoration focused from the start on merchandise that honors classic America. The company’s original furniture and fixtures were designed to match the décor and form of older houses. Today, when you walk into a Restoration Hardware store, the merchandise clearly evokes images of the past. Many products, such as portable record players or wooden toys, are intent on inspiring feelings of tradition, if not nostalgia, in older generations of customers. The younger generations may recognize these products from reruns of old television shows and movies set in the times of their parents and grandparents. Many of these products are difficult to find elsewhere and they are very appealing. Up front, the company knows what it wants to do and...
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...1 Cases, 14th Edition case 36 Cases, 14th Edition case 36 Benziger Family Winery Murray Silverman San Francisco State University M att Atkinson, ranch manager at Benziger Family Winery (BFW), was overseeing the development of the winery’s environmental management system (EMS). Matt was working with Chris Benziger, partner and national sales manager, to ensure that development of the EMS was consistent with BFW’s operational and strategic direction. It was February 2003 and Matt and Chris had already invested countless hours in the EMS, which was being developed with assistance from the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). Through its EMS winery pilot project, Cal/EPA hoped to design an EMS template that eventually could be made available to other wineries. Furthermore, Cal/EPA was attempting to develop a template that was consistent with ISO 14001, an internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems. Cal/EPA had selected BFW in June 2000 as one of two pilot wineries because of the winery’s proactive commitment to environmental policies and the significant environmental advances it had already made. Matt believed that considerable progress had been made on the company’s EMS. With Cal/EPA’s assistance, BFW had developed a formal environmental policy, identified and prioritized its environmental impacts, and established objectives and targets. However, there were still many steps to be carried out in establishing a full-fledged...
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...Thompson−Strickland−Gamble: Crafting and Executing Strategy: Concepts and Cases, 14th Edition Benziger Family Winery Case © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 1 case Benziger Family Winery Murray Silverman San Francisco State University 36 Tom Lanphar California Department of Toxic Substances Control had been the primary participants developing the system, the rest of the organization would have to become involved and staff training would be required. In light of the financial investments and time that would be required from management and employees, Matt and Chris had to decide whether to aggressively pursue ISO 14001 certification. The alternative was to continue to develop an EMS as time and resources permitted, leaving open the possibility of eventually pursuing ISO 14001 certification. M att Atkinson, ranch manager at Benziger Family Winery (BFW), was overseeing the development of the winery’s environmental management system (EMS). Matt was working with Chris Benziger, partner and national sales manager, to ensure that development of the EMS was consistent with BFW’s operational and strategic direction. It was February 2003 and Matt and Chris had already invested countless hours in the EMS, which was being developed with assistance from the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). Through its EMS winery pilot project, Cal/EPA hoped to design an EMS template that eventually could be made available to other wineries. Furthermore,...
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...Kremed! The rise and fall of Krispy Kreme is a cautionary tale of ambition, greed, and inexperience. What could be more perfect than a Krispy Kreme doughnut? Hot from the fryer and loaded with sugar, the Original Glazed is practically irresistible. For a time, Krispy Kreme's stock seemed irresistible, too. When the company went public in April 2000, at the peak of the Internet whirlwind, investors flocked to buy into a business they could understand. An old-fashioned franchise based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. boasted solid fundamentals, adding stores at a rapid clip and showing steadily increasing sales and earnings. But Krispy Kreme also had a mystique. Its doughnuts, available for many years only in the Southeast, had attracted a devoted, even fanatical, customer base. When the company decided to go national, it opened franchises in locations guaranteed to generate buzz — Manhattan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas — and customers lined up around the block. By August 2003, KKD was trading at nearly $50 on the New York Stock Exchange, up 235 percent from its initial public offering price of $21 on Nasdaq, and Fortune magazine was calling Krispy Kreme the "hottest brand in the land." For the fiscal year ended in February 2004, the company reported $665.6 million in sales and $94.7 million in operating profit from its nearly 400 locations, including stores in Australia, Canada, and South Korea. And then, just as rapidly as its popularity spiked, Krispy...
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...obliged to be candid. She said: Do No I believe we need to be bolder with our price promotions. The number one complaint that my sale force hears from the trade accounts is the lack of consistent and meaningful price discount events. Providing a 30% discount promotion will increase commitment and support from the trade and will boost our overall brand awareness. It’ll also provide us with new customers who would otherwise not purchase because they feel the suggested retail is too high and encourage current customers to immediately purchase additional pieces. And yes, I think if the data in the consulting study is re-examined, you’ll see the 2004 price promotion was actually very profitable. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor John A. Quelch and Heather Beckham prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or...
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...OXO Kitchen Gadgets – Developing marketing strategy on a budget 1. SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is the cornerstone of any successful strategic plan. A business should be evaluated from all angles before mapping its future and a good way to do that is by looking at its internal and external resources and threats. Identifying the positive and negative influencing factors inside and outside its business, will help navigate and implement a sound marketing strategy. Figure 1.1 shows the internal and external factors affecting the marketing opportunities for OXO International. Pairing external threats with internal weaknesses highlights the most serious issues OXO faces. After identifying risks OXO can decide whether to use company resources to eliminate the internal weakness or reduce the external threat by abandoning that area of business until the company is stronger (Kotler and Armstrong 55-57). 2. OXO target market. Before targeting comes market segmentation – dividing an entire market up into customer segments. There are various variables used in segmenting consumer markets (Kotler and Armstrong 193). In a marketing strategy video, Larry Witt, Senior Vice President of Sales and Market Development for OXO International said while they skew toward older consumers, OXO also attracts younger consumers with their design and innovation. Here the demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation variables are discussed in relationship to three of OXO’s U.S. market segments:...
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...DCS5138 Management Information Systems CASE STUDY 1 Flexible Scheduling Good or Bad for Employees? With nearly 1.4 million workers domestically, Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, Wal-Mart is also the nation’s number one retailer in terms of sales, registering nearly $379 billion in sales revenue for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2008. Wal-Mart achieved its lofty status through a combination of low prices and low operational costs, enabled by superb continuous inventory replenishment system. Now Wal-Mart is trying to lower costs further by changing its methods for scheduling the work shifts of its employees. In early 2007, Wal-Mart revealed that is was adopting a computerized scheduling system, a move that has been roundly criticized by workers’ rights advocates for the impact it may have on employees’ lives. Traditionally, scheduling employee shifts at big box stores such as Wal-Mart was the domain of store managers who arranged schedules manually. They based their decisions in part on current store promotions as well as on weekly sales data from the previous year. Typically, the process required a full day of effort for a store manager. Multiply that labor intensity by the number of stores in a chain and you have an expensive task with results that are marginally beneficial to the company. By using a computerized scheduling system, such as the system from Kronos that Wal-Mart adopted, a retail...
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...Journal of Business Case Studies – April 2008 Volume 4, Number 4 Lessons From Krispy Kreme J. Richard Anderson, Stonehill College ABSTRACT The recent decline of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. raises a natural question: shouldn’t investors (and auditors) have been more wary of this Wall Street darling? Weren’t there tipoffs that would have allowed investors to avoid another franchisor “crash and burn” situtation like Boston Chicken or TCBY frozen yogurt? This paper traces the meteoric rise and fall of Krispy Kreme and discusses a number of advance indicators of future problems: insider share-dumping, conflicts of interest within the Board of Directors and senior management, turnover in the CFO position, the use of synthetic leases, repurchased franchises, disappointing join venture results, and the problems of earnings management in the quarterly reports of a fairly small publicly-owned business. Keywords: Corporate Financial Reporting, Investor Awareness, Reading Financial Reports INTRODUCTION S hould we be surprised when a Wall Street darling like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts crashes and burns? Shouldn’t there be warning signals when a company ranked as the best IPO of the 2000-02 period with a 711% stock price runup in three years loses all of that appreciation over the next 18 months? What causes a company to go from a market capitalization of just under $3 billion to little more than $300 million in such a short period? This paper argues that there were numerous...
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