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What Is Crocs Competitive Advantage

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Crocs’ Strategy for Competitive Advantage
With revenue from Crocs shoe sales reaching to $680 million in 2007, it is clear that the company has developed a successful strategy. Not all of the success can be contributed to the design of the product. Although their products were in high demand, there are more underlying factors that have paved the way for Crocs to be competitive in the shoe market. Crocs’ supply chain design and use of vertical integration revolutionized speed and quality of order fulfillment.
Traditionally, the shoe industry was seasonal and based on projections of future trends. Retail stores would need to place orders several months before the shoes would even hit the shelves. As orders were made early in the year, manufacturers would begin production for shipment later in the year. Since inventory supply depended on expected sales, stock could not be quickly replenished as it ran out. The executives at Crocs decided to branch out from the traditional production schedules and develop a lean production model. As sales increased or decreased, Crocs managed to speed up and slow down production throughout the year to quickly replenish depleted inventory. Since the shoes were easily made with the foam mold design, rapid production and order fulfillment came easily for Crocs. This approach attracted the attention of many footwear retailers. With Crocs shoes being made to order, stores could more easily control inventory without worrying about a
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