As a rising star, The WhiteWave Foods Company has grown significantly in its short history. Today it is made up of four different groups of business, plus a joint venture in China (2013 Annual Review, 2014): Plant Based Foods (including the brands Silk®, So Delicious® and Alpro® brands), Coffee Creamers & Beverages (International Delight and Land O Lakes Half & Half and Mini Moo’s), Premium Dairy (Horizon Organic), Organic Greens & Produce (Earthbound Farm), and the joint venture with China Mengniu Dairy. WhiteWave has pursued a variety of strategies to support its unprecedented growth. Business-level Strategy Across its various business groups and within each of its brand, WhiteWave tends to follow a focused differentiation strategy to …show more content…
With a low level of diversity, not venturing out of the larger food and beverage industry, WhiteWave could take advantage of operational relatedness, allowing it to share operations if it is opportune. In addition, it has competitive advantages throughout its value chain that it can transfer across the company. According to its website, it has core competencies in identifying trends, developing products with staying power, introducing new categories and developing line extensions, and scaling up quickly, both in manufacturing and marketing ("WhiteWave Foods," 2015). Even in its short history as an independent firm, this claim has borne out: Earthbound Farms was acquired in 2013 and WhiteWave Foods was able to see a positive return the following year (Chen, 2014). Likewise, its investments in research and development in the United States and Europe have paid off, with the successful launches of Silk line extensions such as Almond Milk and refrigerated iced coffees (The Whitewave Foods Company, 2014). WhiteWave touts its strong portfolio of products, with its brands enjoying either #1 or #2 market share, all in high-growth markets (2013 Annual Review, 2014). It would most certainly rank as a star on the Boston Consulting Group portfolio analysis matrix. Merger & Acquisition Strategy WhiteWave follows a horizontal acquisition strategy to increase market power at the corporate level, with the
Kudler Fine Foods evaluation and examination of the market trends in the industry in which operates presentation takes special interest in this paper. How market trends play a role in the market structure, effect of new companies entering the market, prices, and technology, productivity, cost structure, price elasticity of demand, competitors, supply, and demand analysis, and effect of government regulations will show in following parts of this presentation.
Whole Foods Market is probably the world leader in retailing natural and organic foods, with over 433 stores in North America and the United Kingdom (Whole Foodsmarket.com). With a commitment to provide the highest quality of natural and organic foods at competitive prices; they steadily continue to expand globally. This paper will provide some insight on the advantages and disadvantages of perhaps why we should invest in this company’s stock.
PetSmart is one of the largest specialty pet retailers of service and solutions for the lifetime of pets. More than 1008 stores are open in the United States and Canada that provide pet foods and supplies that are priced reasonably. PetSmart provides all types of services for pets including pet training, pet grooming, pet boarding and adoption services. In addition to providing impressive value PetSmart has the broadest, deepest product range in the industry, including thousands of products exclusive only to PetSmart. Every year PetSmart takes care of the grooming for hundreds of thousands of pets in what PetSmart calls its PetSmart Salons. These animals are groomed and pampered by stylist who have
Each location is responsible for its own network and distribution. All products are sourced locally. WFM caters to the needs of its local market. WFM uses a team approach—each store is a team, each department within a store is a team, and each employee is a member of a team. Each location is responsible for their critical decision making, marketing activities and training of employees. WFM is certified organic and believes that it can cultivate customer loyalty by emphasizing the benefits of organic foods. Whole Foods Market is profit oriented—operating under the belief that everyone benefits from profits—team members profit from employment opportunities, customers profit by the in-store experience that profits provide, and shareholders enjoy large dividends derived from company revenue. Whole Foods feels that its customers know the value of its products; therefore the retailer is not focused on lowering prices to increase its competitive advantage. WFM relies on buzz marketing generated by its customers. (The Winning Ways of Whole Foods,
White Castle is known as the original fast-food hamburger chain. The first White Castle opened it 's doors in Witchita, Kansas, in 1921. White Castle (WC) has since grown to 393 restaurants in 11 states (White Castle hamburger..., 2004) and is now expanding internationally. By analysing White Castle 's internal strengths, internal weaknesses, external opportunities, and external threats, otherwise known as a SWOT analysis (Kerin, 2005), Learning Team B was able to exam market demographics, company needs, trends, and market forecast as they pertain to White Castle. During the SWOT analysis Learning Team B (LTB) discovered the primary strategic marketing issue is in order to
Whole Foods Market’s first retail location was in Austin, Texas. Today there are 342 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The growth of this health conscious conglomerate happened over the years by strategic acquisitions of profitable independent stores throughout United States. Mackey’s idealism and respect is exhibited in his openness about the contributions of these retailers to the success of WFM, as the website provides an in depth summary of each acquisition and its contribution to promoting healthier food choices (Whole Foods Market History, 2014). After four years in Austin, Texas WFM branched out into the city of Houston when it purchased the Whole Foods Company, and shortly after, on the west coast, a new store was built in Palo Alto, California. Subsequently WFM began aggressive acquisitions over the next few years, which help to accelerate the growth rate of WFM in other geographical locations. In 2002 WFM opened in Canada and in 2004 through the acquisition of United Kingdom’s grocery chain Fresh & Wild, it opened seven stores. Holistic eating is a worldwide affair that WFM is taking advantage
The company’s mixture of collective knowledge and core capabilities in the natural food industry has allowed Whole Foods the competency to not only establish a solid brand recognition in this market, but has afforded them the opportunity to remain competitive in the grocery industry. Their effective organizational development, integrated with the team of five senior executives, who function as a CEO team, collaboratively make decisions in all facets of the company’s strategic initiatives.
OnSite Marketing, Inc. (OMI) aims to provide advertising, marketing, and public relations services to targeted business environments in the Automotive Aftermarket industry. OMI intends to leverage the thirty plus years that co-owner Steve Crain has in the automotive arena, especially as it related to his position as the Director of Marketing for SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) where he helped SEMA, the non-profit organization that is the core of the Automotive Aftermarket, market and grow their trade show into the industry’s largest trade only show. SEMA afforded Steve Crain the networking goldmine that continues to follow and serve him today. OMI’s plan seeks to generate company sales and
Whole Foods’ incredible rise over the past 34 years serves as evidence of their considerable ability to create a strategy and successfully execute it. Whole Foods differentiated itself by becoming the first Certified Organic grocer in the United States (1) and has stuck to the strategy of selling consumers organic and natural products. The successful execution of this strategy has allowed them to charge a premium for their products giving them higher net margins than nearly all of their competitors. (2) Their ability to earn such premiums has attracted the attention of industry incumbents who are now attempting to lure the increasingly health-conscious consumer with their own expanded offerings of organic and natural foods. For Whole Foods Market to retain their ability to earn such impressive premiums and sustain their growth they will have to execute on their strategy with even greater precision. “No firm can succeed for long without an intense focus on execution. Average executors are average performers, and poor executors risk decline and failure.” (3)
There are over 1.1 million men and woman amateur and pro bodybuilders alone in the United States. The IFBB has competitors age ranges from as young as 16 years to as old as 83 within a range categories for competition, The NutiBullet Pro is a necessary tool to assist the competitors in preparing for competitions fulfilling a need for a quick, convenient and easy way for bodybuilders to create their protein shakes, whey smoothies or one of their required 6 to 7 meals a day.
Environmental Protection Agency) for failing to properly identify or handle hazardous waste at several of the company’s stores in the southern part of the United States. The investigation and its results (“EPA Offers”) accomplish more than suggest that Whole Food Markets was in fact, not partaking in particularly “Wise Environmental Practices”. Therefore, I am able to conclude that while WFM does not track the company’s core values, it does not necessarily defy any of the listed values to such extent that one could claim the list irrelevant to WFM’s business. Furthermore, the same magazine that featured WFM on its list over the best workplaces – Fortune Magazine –, also included WFM on its list over the most admired companies in the world. On this list, the company is ranked the highest in its industry, mainly due to being ranked the highest in four out of nine key reputation attributes that are all highly correlated with WFM’s core values: innovation; people management, social responsibility; and quality of products/services (“World’s Most”). Therefore, one can determine that WFM’s core values do play some part in the company’s
Whole Foods Market has expanded by a mixture of opening its own new stores and acquiring already existing stores. Today WFM does not follow this strategy, instead their motivation is to open its own large stores. This is due to noticeable sales differences in larger stores as opposed to smaller stores. WFM locates these newer stores in upscale areas of urban metropolitan centers and high-traffic shopping locations. Not all WFMs are isolated structures; some are located in strip malls. WFM offers a larger selection of natural and organic foods than any other grocery store. WFMs marketing expenditure is extremely small. They spend a measly 0.5% of their revenues on advertising. Their chief marketing strategy relies on word-of-mouth. WFM strives to meet or exceed customer expectations. This is so customers receive competent, knowledgeable, and friendly service and become advocates of WFM. The employees here have a decentralized team approach for store operations. This is so some personnel, merchandising, and operating
Whole Foods Market began in 1970 as a local supermarket. Over the past 31 years, Whole Foods Market has grown from a single store in Austin, Texas, to becoming one of the worldwide leaders in providing consumers with natural and organic foods. They have grown to over 300 stores in both North America and the United Kingdom. (Whole Foods Market, Inc., 2011) This report examines the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market has put into place. Also, it uses past financial data to provide an assessment of the condition of the company going forward. Those assessments include recommendations of future actions, along with concerns I have about the way the company is currently operating and some difficulties that may be on the way.
The mission of WFM is to “promote the vitality and well-being of all individuals by supplying the highest quality, most wholesome foods available.” The company provides and empowers the work environment of its members and commits to a sustainable agriculture. The aspiration of WFM is to be a global brand that is not limited to natural and organic foods but also become the best retailer in every community in which they locate (WFM, 2009). Another strategy that works well for the company is its foods. WFM obtains its products locally and from all part of the world and have uniquely dedicated food artisans. It strives to provide high quality, least processed and naturally preserved foods. The company believes that food its unaltered state is the best tasting and most nutritious food.
Thesis Statement: The economy is for ever changing toward what has control of demands, the environment of entrepreneurship is high on the charts, however the small business are surviving equally with the large businesses.