The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Inc.: Challenges Facing a New Ceo Essay

Vermont Teddy Bears is a private company that specializes in the manufacture of novelty items based on an e-commerce business model. Company management aims to generate new revenue streams through modifications to the retail system and the

FLD’s 1985 market share was 32.7% with sales of $135 million in that year. Total sales for the industry topped $620 million. (Refer to Attachment 1)

Vermont Teddy Bear was founded by John Sortino, who began selling plush bears from a mall kiosk in Burlington and a few years later turned the company into a multi-million dollar business. Throughout the years, VTB has had some major successes, such as the implementation of its ‘Bear-Gram’ service, which allows customers to call a toll-free number and order a personalized bear. In addition, VTB has expanded beyond teddy bears and into other successful managed brands like flower delivery and clothing (pajamas). However, the company has also faced some adversity after going public including off-seasonal jams, partnership failures (Zany Brain), and a rise in competitors, which has reflected in VTB’s overall market share. Since then VTB has repurchased its stock.

By 1895, Sears’s mail order business was gaining market acceptance and the Sears catalog expanded to 532 items consisting of ‘soup to nuts’ products for their customers (Sears Archive, 2012), supporting the theory that early innovators do not have a restriction on what they bring to market (Innovation Zen, 2006). Sears’s core competencies are innovation, selling, advertising, and merchandising (Sears Archive, 2012).

Although Vermont Teddy Bear is a company with a rich track record in the business of "last-minute gifts", its mission statement lacked its basic goals and philosophies that aim to shape its strategic posture.

Large product offerings, with a recent increase of 40%. Majority of offerings are in high demand

Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB) has been found by John Sortino in 1981. This company has served as a gift delivery service with three main product lines: Bears (plush toys), PajamaGrams (apparel), and Calyx Flowers (gifts). All gift orders are made via four different channels (retail store, mail, phone, web order), each channel supported by different software. First, VTB’s customers design bears by selecting the colors and outfits from a menu of options.

growth rate. The first proposal is the Match My Doll Clothing line expansion, which is to expand a

bears on the streets of Burlington, VT. In the early years he opened a retail store in

In recent years, the company experienced a rapid growth and expects a substantial increase in sales in the spring of

| Initiative: Continue to increase in their market share expansion plans by growing revenues and profits compared to previous years. Budget: Moderate; BRF has been providing food materials to

We can already see that with their current expansion into the food delivery business. Instead of partnering with an already existing food delivery service, they are entering that market.

There is a personal interest in this company as they just recently ended their contract with Busch Stadium, which is my place of employment. Build-a-Bear was able to negotiate a year by year agreement and a possible sponsorship with the St. Louis Cardinals, LLC for the future and this is what sparked my interest in the company their financial security.

In the USA, the summer camp industry is booming; despite the economic downturn, millions of American children head to camp each year to gain new experiences and meet lifelong friends. Camp Caribou, an all-boy residential camp located in Maine, is no exception, with over three hundred boys aged seven to fifteen visiting each summer. Camp Caribou employs around 120 seasonal staff for 9 weeks to ensure that they provide “unforgettable summers” to their campers. With no dedicated HR department, it falls to the camp directors and management personnel to tackle human resource management challenges which, due to the nature of the business, may not be present in other organisations. This essay aims to identify and discuss these challenges and their impact on the way Camp Caribou functions as a business.

Feasibility : the projected cash generation from the increase in brand value can be mapped out in to see whether this will be appropriate