American Home Products Case Study

1) It is obvious that when take on more debt, the risk of ability to service the interest payment is increased. However, in case of AHP they still have a certain level to absorb more debt into their balance sheet. Even at 70% Debt to Total Capital ratio, their interest coverage still better their competitor.

The threat that substitute products pose to an industry's profitability depends on the relative price-to-performance ratios of the different types of products or services to which customers can turn to satisfy the same basic need. The threat of

American Home Products offers a variety of products spread over 4 product lines. This allows the company to attract many consumers and if one product line does have a decline in sales, the company still has 3 other product lines to make up for the lost profit. The 4 product lines are prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, food products and housewares. These are very common

The retail market for home décor is very competitive. There are a variety of stores and catalog retailers that offer similar merchandise. Major players in the industry include Bed, Bath & Beyond, Cost Plus, World Market, and Williams-Sonoma. Specialty sections of large department stores also provide competition. Opportunities in retail home décor include attracting viewers from television networks, specializing in home décor. Home & Garden (HGTV) and the Do it Yourself (DIY) network are two examples of networks that encourage interior home design by the novice. Retail home décor products are often featured on television networks which provide a way to market their merchandise to consumers. Threats to the industry include an increasing number of home décor retailers that provide competition. In addition, wholesale clubs contain home décor departments which have a tendency towards lower prices. The current energy crisis, sub-prime mortgage debacle, and increasing unemployment rates also pose a threat to the industry.

In Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Father Greg Boyle organized a job and resource center for gang youth (Rodriguez, 2005), called Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit organization, has received international attention for its bakeries, cafes, tattoo removal, schooling, job referrals and counseling (Rodriguez, 2005). The organization also provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved, and/or previously incarcerated, men and women. Full-time employment is offered for more than 200 men and women at a time through an 18-month program, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of the community (Homeboy Industries, 2005).

Threat of Substitute Products and Rivalry Among Competitors- these two forces are closely related. In marketing, the word “product” means more than a good, service or idea. Product is a broad concept that also encompasses the satisfaction of all consumer needs in relation to a good, service or idea. All planning strategies have the goal of creating a sustainable competitive advantage in which other companies simply cannot provide the same value to their customers that the firm does, no matter how hard they try. When a national chain retailer has a competitive advantage with a product, it must take steps to safe guard that product to stay different and unique in the marketplace. For example, Macy’s is the exclusive retailer for Martha Stewart home lines and is currently in a legal battle with JCPenney who announced that they will carry that line as well.

This industry, although more attractive than the lumber industry, has its own inherent flaws . The Canadian retail hardware and home improvement industry can be characterized by high degree of rivalry, mainly due to a large number of players competing over products of low differentiation and incurring high fixed costs. Furthermore, due to low switching costs, high information, and price sensitivity, buyers are not loyal and have high bargaining power relative to retailers. Additionally, the medium threat and power of large new entrants and suppliers adds to the industry's unattractiveness.

new brands are at very high risk of failing, as the consumer is more reachable when

To analyze the home improvement warehouse store competitive environment, we use the Five Forces model to evaluate five crucial competitive aspects: selling rivalry, supplier resources, buyer power, outside industry substitutes, and the threat of new entrants to the marketplace.

By end of 90’s the company was dominant in many of the categories it competed in. The challenge was found in whether it can continue its dominance in it’s new, expanding product ranges and could maintain its dominance and synergy in its all categories on low and high price offering in hardware, home furnishings, office and house ware, while maintaining its management and corporate structures.

American Home Products currently has low business risk due to the conservative nature of their business. They piggyback on first movers to lower their research and development costs. They excel in marketing therefore they concentrate on outselling their competitors. Also, they have low business risk because they are diversified among four product lines: prescription drugs, over

As Mr. Laporte approaches retirement, American Home Products (AHP) has an important decision to make with respect to adopting a more aggressive capital structure policy. Use of debt carries with it advantages and disadvantages. In accordance with value-based management, we recommend that AHP adopts a capital structure consisting of 70% debt. The following points justify such action:

competitors in the at-home market. In my opinion, this is marketing-mix problem and the end goal

The main differences between Matsushita and Sony’s products are that, Matsushita product line is more involved in the household appliances market as it is the world leader in this category, while Sony strives to be the globe’s technological leader and has a product line that is driven by advanced consumer electronics. “While companies such as Matsushita concentrates on being customer intimate, Sony has differentiated itself by focusing on product leadership.” Matsushita is the largest home appliances and household equipment (HAHE) producer in the world. Some of Matsushita’s products include: microwave ovens, refrigerators, irons, fax machines, air compressors, automatic washers and dryers, vacuum cleaners, air

The threat of substitutes for the Household Products of the Nondurables Industry is high. As mentioned before, each company produces a product that is very similar to its competitors. Customers also have high bargaining power in that they can buy substitute products such as paper towels and disinfecting sprays. If a company does not spend time and effort marketing its products, consumers will not be able to differentiate them from a competitor.