preview

Case Study : Rip Van Waffles

Good Essays

Rip Van Waffles was started by two Brown University students in 2010, today Rip van Wafels sells its breakfast wafels online, in coffee shops and in specialty retailers throughout America. The case study revolves around the decision regarding a growth strategy for Rip Van Wafels. The company is currently working on a controlled expansion strategy involving expansion to other regions, expanded sales to coffee shops, and expanded sales to corporations. However, besides from this controlled growth strategy two other opportunities for expansion have arisen. In this paper I will explore the two alternatives and make a recommendation on how should the company expand. Certainly, a slow and steady expansion strategy would continue to succeed but the two proposals are opportunities for global expansion that would speed the business’s development. The question is, should Rip Van Waffles pace itself or pursue a risky and ambitious growth strategy.

Rip Van Wafels initially saw business opportunity in the market research which showed that the Dutch alone consumed 320 million Wafels. Therefore, it could become an American trend given that Dutch waffles were an attractive product in an untapped market with no name brand that dominated the product category. In its current situation, there are other key trends affecting Rip Van Wafels. There were more specialty coffee drinkers. In fact, “overall trending suggests sustained momentum for specialty coffee growth in the last five

Get Access