Marketing and Pottery Barn Essay

Bath & Body Works (BBW) enjoyed a successful decade after its inception in 1990. However, over time their limited offering of products was sending their customer base to other retail chains - either trading up to better brands or trading down to cheaper prices. As demand for their product seemed to dwindle, they needed a way to increase their customer base. An increase in

8. How well is Costco performing from a strategic perspective? Does Costco enjoy a competitive advantage over Sam’s Club? Over BJ’s Wholesale? If so, what is the nature of its competitive advantage? Does Costco have a winning strategy? Why or why not?

Based on the opportunities shown by the SWOT analysis, and the factors presented in the Porter Five Forces, as well as the rivalry the company faces from other competitors in the industry Target needs to have a future plan. Some of the recommendations for the company includes expansion into new attractive markets with good income based and substantial population. According to Hahn Kwak, and Palys (2005), the company needs to expand its operations in the South and Northeast metropolitan regions in the US. In addition, the company needs to focus on gaining market share in the market the company already operates. This implies that the company needs to consider expanding its retail channels in grocery stores, stationary, and drug stores. The company also needs to establish its retail stores near the center of major cities in order to gain a market share against its rival Walmart. The company is normally viewed as an urban brand and therefore placing store in major cities gives the company the ability to attract and retain more urban customers as well as middle-class customers. Urban residents will readily accept the

If I were the CEO of William-Sonoma I would have to follow in line with the way today’s economy is. I feel strongly about lowering prices on items to reflect customers’ situations. I’d definitely research what my competitors were doing with their pricing. I’d keep it competitive enough to where I’d still be gaining a profit, but where pricing is somewhat equal to theirs. Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, etc. would be my best friend. I’d use the social websites for advertisement, which should broaden my consumer base. There are many avenues I would consider with technology. I would even have an app for my stores, which allows customers to shop more easily online. I’d possibly look into outlet malls to sell the products from previous years at a discounted price. I would lastly look at stores which doesn’t have a lot of consumers walking through the doors, and close them. With the internet and online shopping,

While I neither personally know nor got a chance to interview any Home Depot managers at local stores or corporate headquarters, Home Depot’s eroding market share is a clear indication that management is no longer well aligned with consumer’s perceptions, expectations and beliefs about The Home Depot brand. A May 4, 2008 article in the investor website SeekingAlpha.com entitled “Home Depot Slows Down: Still Losing Customers to Lowe’s” argues that for several years The Home Depot management invested heavily in new store openings (capital spending) at the expense of employee training, store upkeep and inventory. As a shopper I have experienced this classic compromise of quality for the benefit of top-line revenue growth. I witnessed the degradation of store caliber as my local Home Depot store became progressively dirtier and more

15) Which of the following is an example of a competitive strategy employed by a firm?

This case study about J. C. Penney Co. is about how a company is trying to increase profitability by attracting the best assets in business – customers. Lowering prices and clearly marking down prices, and offering standardized products rather than unique and designer ones are what this company strategy

I’ve selected The Home Depot store for this discussion. The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer with reported sales of $24.8 billion for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. (The Home Depot, Inc. 2015). In 2014 the sales growth in the year was $4.4 billion, and store sales were up 5.3 percent. The digital channel accounted for over $1 billion of the stores total growth. In 2014 the store achieved the highest net earnings in the Company’s history. The company’s growth is due to a renewed focus on internal initiatives concerning store associates and excellent customer service. One environmental factor that has positively affected the company’s increased sales in the U.S. economy’s recent improvement. Another environment

In the following I have considered that they’re holistic approach to their marketing is their strongest point, and that the way they deal with their competition in the marketplace is their worst point.

5. If you were to be asked, What explains the success of Costco Wholesale Corporation?, what

3. What is your assessment of the competitive strength of Kraft Foods’ different business units?

Soper (2017) suggested that competitors change and withstand a comparative advantage to gain market share. California Closets must emphasize on strategies of the company, as innovation, customer satisfaction and understanding employee’s needs. By lower burdens and taxes, decreasing labor, power, financing, and organization costs can improve the company’s cost attractiveness and in all areas of an industry information technology must improve. Lastly, by the distinction of practices, quality and prices the company brand can increase customer awareness.

Papa John’s has employed a strategic plan that has set them apart from the completion focusing on the advantages of clarity of product and sound business practices. Based on Papa John’s actions over time it is evident that Papa John’s believes in expansion based on practical return on investment that eliminates debt. Where the completion tends to expand, mounting huge debt opening stores just to develop market dominance in a region. Papa John’s also believes that the quality of their products are paramount to accomplishing the success necessary to minimize failures focusing on successful products that meet their customer’s needs. In the text, the author discusses this business strategy when it is exposed that “Papa Johns has closed unprofitable

Sears Holding Corporation (SHLD) is in need of a marketing innovation. SHLD’s nine straight quarterly losses is a prime example of how their lack of marketing contributes to their lack of profits (Elejalde-Ruiz, 2014). It is clear that SHLD’s prices are significantly different than their competitors. In some cases, SHLD offers prices that are 50% higher than Wal-Mart and Target (Matarese, 2013). The high level of competition and pricing may cause SHLD to lose business and lose control of their bargaining power. SHLD’s current marketing scheme (loyalty program) seems to be working; however, in order to accurately access SHLD’s marketing needs, a survey has been dispersed. In addition to the survey, research has been completed

(4) Absent any resource constraints, which of the four departmental directions do you think is the most viable? Which is the second best strategy? Which is the least viable? In my humble opinion the most viable option would be to follow Eric Stanger’s advice to go ‘back to basics’. In order to underwrite the new line of LR trademark and experiment with more new products, they had in effect been milking the OM lines. Their price increase on several of our more critical items had outpaced those of their key competitors, in order to always deliver more bottom line profits. They had shaved their A&P budgets for the same purpose and this was resulting in slippage in value and trust among our consumer franchise thus the declining sales and share. They thus needed to cut on