Background of Voici Brands

Businesses especially those that operate in the same industry always try to emerge the best in the market by adopting different strategies so as to become more competitive. In the retail industry where goods move in volumes, proper management of the inventory can make a big difference by making a company to be more competitive as compared to the others. In most retail business, manipulation of the supply chain functions is one of the strategies that are used to give a retailer a competitive edge over its competitors. This research paper will compare how TJ Maxx and Ross manipulate their supply chain functions to gain a competitive edge over each other. Based on the available facts, the paper will make a determination on which of the companies

Westminster Company is a giant Global manufacturer of health products whose brand has been recognized by the world. As the company they have three different operations which produce and distribute different product lines. Their main strategy on which they are working and which is a major success for them is decentralized management. Now they are re-evaluating their traditional supply chain strategy because the company is getting too much pressure from their large domestic’s customers and global customers. Now the company has to study on

It is becoming apparent that the ever changing environment in the global marketplace requires a swifter response time from businesses and their supply chains. The era when production was moved overseas, so businesses can take advantage of low-cost labor is coming to an end, because businesses are not only competing on price but also on time. The owner of Zara, a Spanish clothing store knows this first hand, and has turned supply chain management on its ear, making his company the “envy of the industry” (Ferdows, Lewis, & Machuca, 2004).

The supply chain management is considered as a management concept from past two decades as the customers are concerned about timely and safe delivery. The competitiveness has been increasing among the companies to deliver the products as quickly as possible to the customers all around the world. This has made the supply chain management as a vital tool for the management. This is also measured as a competitive parameter for the companies.

A supply chain is a net work of firms. Thus, each firm in the chain should build its own supply chains to support the competitive priorities of its services or products. Two distinct designs used to competitive advantage are efficient supply chains and responsive supply chains. Efficient supply chains work best in environments where demand is highly predictable. The focus of the supply chain is on efficient flows of services and materials keeping inventories to a minimum. The firm’s competitive priorities are low-cost operations, consistent quality, and on-time delivery. Responsive supply chains designed to react quickly in order to hedge against uncertainties in demand. Work best when firms offer a great variety of services or products and demand predictability is low. Typical competitive priorities are development speed, fast delivery times, customization, variety, volume flexibility, and top quality. Tables below show the environments and design features that best suit each design.

In the firms purchasing strategy, Ross Dress for Less obtains high-quality close-out products resulting from errors of judgment, overproduction, miscalculations, canceled orders and liquidation. The products are purchased in large quantities allowing the company to access them at rock-bottom prices (Bischoff, 2011). The company has to apply cost leadership to keep competitive rivalry at bay.

The apparel store industry within the USA is a highly competitive market, consisting of number of companies that are willing to fight for their share of the market. To remain afloat in this business, corporations must be highly innovative, price-conscious, knowing the trend, and with great responses to consumer needs. Each company within this industry must be aware of the competitors’ move, trying to match every trends and benefits offered by another, in order to steal the average consumers. Market-alertness is the key to survival; each company must balance marketing strategies and customer-service, responding to consumer demands within the shortest processing time

The suppliers get the advantages of making their products be showcased for the consumers thru these retailing outlets. A wider scope of retail outlets could mean wider scope for the brand recognition of the seller’s products, that is why these retailing giants has more power than suppliers. But when it comes to distribution, having a strong supplier is important, the company be better over competitors when it comes to qualitative factors such as on time deliveries on their branches and wider network of

In a typical supply chain, raw materials are procured and items are produced at one

However, in the past three years sales have been down and the company is suffering. The women’s clothing industry has

The value delivery option is another component that supports the supply chain. Providing attention to the changes within consumer demands that will aid in rapid production of consumer products. In order to gain a larger view of the said component it is vital that the value-based method must be clearly understood. Based on the findings of (Feller, A., Shunk 2006).the ability to realign the structure of the supply chain, this process will allows the supply chain to sustain its effectiveness by adopting to changes in consumer necessities with merchandises of larger value. A diversified supply chain is constructed to match the overall components of the chain with customers need in mind. But if this construction of the supply chain doesn’t match the needs it will make nearly impossible for the organization to provide said products and services to the consumer.

This case is an unintentional, product failure crisis. The initial crisis was handled by using the compensation strategy, where Lululemon offered full refunds on their product. The company was active in answering customer concerns and inquiry; however, despite these messages, it was not effective enough for the customers (Hansen, 2016). Lululemon appeared to be evading responsibility, thus discrediting the brand. Through various sources, the company had initially put the blame to their suppliers without further discussing with them prior to their announcement. Their denial approach, that this crisis was not the fault of the company, may have resulted in a decrease in the organization’s credibility and increased hostility of the stakeholders.

Supply Chain Management : The vertical integration in the supply chain led them to achieve shorter time frame of release and also helped them to

Even though direct competition has decreased, the tendency of retailers to get their products directly from manufacturers puts the company in a position of relooking its competitive edge as a distributor. The marketplace is shifting from an individuality to supply chain performance – the ability to meet end-customers needs through product availability and responsive and on-time delivery. Supply chain performance crosses both functional lines and company boundaries. Brunswick must change their way to fill customer orders faster and more efficiently than the competition.

In the clothing industry there is a threat for substitute products. With the wide variety of brands and quality of goods provided by the companies consumers can easily substitute the one company’s clothes or goods for another company’s. The preference of the consumers for the brands and quality of clothes or goods they are looking for increases the threat of substitutions in the