...of the historiography of technology. Following Langdon Winner’s classic lead (1), they see politics as embodied in the modern kitchen, helping to bolster traditional women’s roles at time of challenge by feminism and other historical forces. Rebutting any presumed unilinear account of the transatlantic diffusion of this particular set of innovations, they define the modern kitchen as a culturally and ideologically laden technological artefact in its own right – one moreover that needs to be set within an array of large technological systems: electrical grids, gas networks, water systems and the integrated food and transport chain. They insist that a ‘host of social actors’ shape all these technological components: ‘kitchens are as deeply social as they are political’ (p. 3). They invite us to view the kitchen as a ‘mediation junction’ between producers and consumers, extending Ruth Schwartz Cowan’s influential call to attend to the ‘consumption junction’ in any analysis of the social relations of a given artefact.(2) In the work as a whole there are frequent citations of the notion of the...
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...Critical Analysis: Best Buy When Best Buy first opened it was an event that an electronics store could hold such a variety of products, have knowledgeable employees, and offer competitive prices at the same time. Although in 2012 it was reported that revenues for Best Buy increased, the company still fell victim to the problems of having a decrease in net income and operating cash flow. “The company reported revenues of (U.S. Dollars) USD 50,705.00 million during the fiscal year ended March 2012, an increase of 1.93% over 2011. The operating profit of the company was USD 1,085.00 million during the fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 54.30% from 2011. The net loss of the company was USD 1,231.00 million during the fiscal year 2012, as against a net profit of USD 1,277.00 million during 2011 (Strategic Analysis 1).” It is obvious by these numbers that Best Buy, a company that has been historically successful, has been running into some recent troubles. In this report I will identify all of the potential reasons for Best Buy’s recent poor performance, as well as offer my opinion for the primary reasons for Best Buy’s recent sub-par performance. As a company, Best Buy can be held at fault for some of its performance struggles purely from an internal point of view. Best Buy is categorized as the “leading global electronics and appliance specialist retailer (Passport 4).” They have obtained such success from their warehouse type stores, with specific services offered inside (Geek...
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...Best Buy has experienced poor performance in three areas: declining sales, declining net profits, and poor cash flow. Best Buy’s revenue decreased 4.7% during the 2010 fiscal year, and fell 2.4% in 2011. The company lost $1.23 billion, or $3.36 per share in 2011 (Savitz, 2012). “During the fiscal year ended 2011, the company’s cash and short term investments reduced to $1,125 million, as compared to $1,916 million in fiscal 2010” (GlobalData, 2012, p.2). This report will conduct a situation analysis of Best Buy, assess the internal and the external environment, and summarize key issues that can explain Best Buy’s declining sales, disappointing profits, and poor cash flow. Six potential causes of Best Buy’s declining sales are: 1. Ineffective strategy from the management board While e-commerce is booming and Internet sales are flourishing, Best Buy has not developed its Internet retailing operations aggressively, and is falling behind other virtual retailers. From 2006 to 2011, online sales of consumer electronics have seen overall value growth of $9 billion (Euromonitor International, 2012). One of Best Buy’s competitors, Amazon, is a profitable e-commerce business. It has captured many customers with its cheaper options, fast shipment, and convenient way to shop. Euromonitor International (2012) asserts that although Best Buy’s Internet retailing operations have a significant growth rate of 17%, Internet sales account for only 5% of the company's total sales...
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...Buy Brooke Martin Date: Executive Summary (5%) Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology, electronic and entertainment products and services, with locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, China and Europe. Best Buy operates roughly 4,000 stores in Canada, US, Mexico, China and Turkey, and they represent about 19% of the market. Best Buy as a company has expanded from what was a small retail operation to include many subsidiaries including Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales and Future Shop. Best Buy needs to be aware of their competition not only in terms of other large retail electronic stores, but their competition now also includes such big box stores as Walmart and on-line retailers such as Amazon.com. Best Buy has a few major challenges that they must be aware of, and continue to improve upon. Firstly, with the downturn of the economy and the consumer cut backs on spending, they must deal with consumers spending less on the products that Best Buy offers. They must focus on differentiating themselves from both physical and online retailers. This is where their customer commitment is vital to their success. Secondly, Best Buy must continue to place a large focus on their customer service, and the knowledge of their staff. Even if customers aren’t buying new products, they continue to have previously purchased products that will need to be serviced. Best Buy needs to offer a unique “shopping experience” to customers whether they are purchasing...
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...identified. Policy makers should pay special attention to those sectors that are expected to be most affected, while measures must also be developed to protect vulnerable sectors. In order to maximize the expected benefits of the border opening, the government should also facilitate improvements in the overall competitiveness of Armenian companies by investing in infrastructure in the border regions, such as railways, roads, warehouses and providing transparent, fair and effective public services, in particular customs and tax service, as well as favorable conditions for investment in those sectors of the economy holding competitive promise. Keywords: Trade, Export, Import, Policy, Economic Relations 1 Introduction Armenia and Turkey are two neighboring countries located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Since 1993, and due to a number of historical and political reasons, 328 km...
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...Table of Contents 1) Executive Summary 4 2) Company Background 4 2.1) Company Prospect 4 2.2) Market Leading History 5 3) Competitors Analysis 6 3.1) Industry Perspective 6 3.2) Market Leader -- Broadway (in 4P points of view) 6 3.3) Market Challenger -- Gome (in 4P points of view) 6 3.4) Company Review 6 4) External Environment Analysis 7 4.1) Geographical view 7 4.2) Demographical 7 4.3) PEST Analysis 7 a. Political 7 b. Economic Environment 8 c. Social Environment 8 d. Technological Environment 9 5) Consumer Review 9 Dissonance-reducing buying behavior 10 6) SWOT Analysis 10 a. Strengths 10 b. Weaknesses 11 c. Opportunities 12 d. Threats 13 7) Conclusion and Recommendations 13 7.1) Target Market and Positioning Strategies 13 7.2) Marketing mix programs 14 a) Product 14 b) Price 14 c) Place 15 d) Promotions 15 1) Executive Summary This marketing report is aimed to analyze the electrical appliance retailer, Fortress, and provide(provides) several recommendations to improve its market positioning that can achieve its targets and objectives. After investigating the current situation and external environment, it is suggested to launch a new promotion campaign that allows Fortress to gain more attention from consumers and succeed in the industry. It is found that the trend of collective purchasing is significant on the internet. Also, the number of marriage increased with the economy rebounded. In the...
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...establish Sound of Music, Inc., a home and car stereo store in St. Paul, Minnesota. 1971 Richard Schulze buys out his partner 1982 Sound of Music Inc. expands to include household appliances. 1983 Sound Of Music Inc. becomes Best Buy Co. Inc. 1985 Best Buy Co. Inc. goes public, with an initial offering of $8.3miilion. New symbol is witnessed on the New York Stock Exchange. BBY 1989 Company introduces its Concept II stores, which have a warehouse format and no commissioned sales help 1992-1993 Best Buy surpasses the $1 billion mark in annual revenues 1994 Concept III stores, with hands-on information displays introduced 1999 Revenues surpass $10 billion 2000 Website www. Bestbuy.com is launched; Acquires Magnolia Hi-fi Inc. for $88 million , adding 13 more stores to the West coast Fundamentally, Best Buy's strategy is to reduce square footage, increase margin, reduce costs, and grow standalone businesses By 1993, Best Buy had become the United States second-largest consumer electronics retailer, breaking into Fortune magazine’s annual ranking of top 500 companies two years later at number 373. A partnership with Microsoft in 1999 help to boost the company’s profile and lead to the opening of its first retail store in Shanghai which was followed by stores in Canada, Mexico, Turkey, and nine European countries (Lowe, 2008 May 8). Best...
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...MGT403 Strategic Management Prepared for Tanvir H DeWan Coordinator of College of Business IUBAT Prepared by Serial Number | Name | ID | 01 | Shahriar Rawshon (Group Leader) | 09102095 | 02 | Md. Zakiruzzaman | 09102151 | 03 | Suchona Akter Swarna | 09102163 | 04 | Shahara Akter Eva | 09102156 | 05 | Kanij Fatama | 09102165 | 06 | Ruksana Aktar | 09102130 | 07 | Md. Al Amin | 09302012 | Section: B International University of Business Agriculture and Technology Date of Submission: 29th May, 2012 Current Situation: Best Buy was a specialty retailer of consumer electronics. It operated over 1,100 stores in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. With approximately 155,000 employees, it also operated over 2,800 stores in Canada, Mexico, China, and Turkey. The company’s subsidiaries included Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, and Pacific Sales. In Canada, Best Buy operated under both the Best Buy and Future Shop labels. From a strategic standpoint, Best Buy moved from being a discount retailer (a low price strategy) to a service-oriented firm that relied on a differentiation strategy. In 1989, Best Buy changed the compensation structure for sales associates from commission-based to non- commissioned-based, which resulted in consumers having more control over the purchasing process and in cost savings for the company (the number of sales associates was reduced). In 2005, Best Buy took customer service a step further by moving from peddling...
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...Figures in tables and analyses are calculated from unrounded data and may not sum. Analyses found in the briefings may not totally reflect the companies‟ opinions, reader discretion is advised. Non-Store Retailing Internet Retailing Non-Grocery Retailers Electronics and Appliance Specialist Retailers Apple Inc, goes from strength to strength thanks to unparalleled consumer loyalty and brand equity, superlative store experiences, a strong portfolio of products and a customer service strategy that sets it apart from its rivals. Lacking strong leadership store sales have struggled - sales per store in 2013 were flat. Appointment of ex Burberry CEO as new VP of Retail and Online is expected to provide much needed boost to Apple retail operations – both in store and online. STRATEGIC EVALUATION COMPETITIVE POSITIONING GEOGRAPHIC STRATEGY AND OPPORTUNITY CHANNEL STRATEGY AND OPPORTUNITY BRAND AND PRIVATE LABEL STRATEGIES OPERATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS Apple Inc Headquarters : Regional Cupertino, California, USA Apple Inc, the consumer electronics giant, is also the operator of a substantial retail division. This includes 416 (and rising) stores in the US and 13 other markets,...
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...Unit 6 Assignment 2 Capella University 3/28/2013 Nasir Khan Best Buy Company Analysis | Best Buy Co., Inc. is a multinational retailer, which provides consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment products, appliances and related services. The company operates through two business segments: Domestic and International. The Domestic segment is comprised of the operations in all states, districts and territories of the U.S., operating under various brand names, including but not limited to, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, and Pacific Sales. The International segment is comprised of all operations outside the U.S. and its territories, which includes Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey. The company also markets its products under the brand names: Best Buy, Audio visions, Best Buy Mobile, The Carphone Warehouse, Five Star, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster, Pacific Sales and The Phone House. The company changed its name from Sound of Music, Inc. to Best Buy Co., Inc. in 1983. Best Buy was founded by Richard M. Schulze in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, MN (BestBuy.com). Through its different brands, Best Buy has offerings in 6 different revenue categories: consumer electronics, home office, entertainment software, appliances, services, and other. Best Buy is considered a Oligopoly. A market where a very few large sellers dominate an industry and they each know how the other will react to changes...
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...IRON & STEEL SECTOR ANALYSIS General View of World Economy The world economy changed especially after the global crisis in 2008 . Advanced economies known as the giant economies of western countries affected very deeply by the crisis. The results of the crisis affected particularly in Europe.Today, many European countries came to the brink of collapsefinancially especially Greece and Portugal.On the other hand, China and India continued to grow without experiencing any problem. For about 10 years, these two giant countries continues to grow were successful in the crisis period. According to official data from 2010,China became the world's second largest economy. India became one of the top 10 economy.In addition to this, Far Eastern countries such as Korea, Thailand, Vietnam were not affected by the crisis as much as European countries . According to IMF Report, In 2009 the total global GDP at current prices fell from $ 61.2 trillion to $ 57.9 trillion. Contraction in the world economy remained in a low level with 0.6% in constant prices. Downsizing is mainly originated from developed countries. In 2009, economies of developed countries shrank 3.2%, developing countries grew 2.4%.The growth of developing countries were originated by mostly Asian countries. Asian countries grew 6.6%.Middle and Eastern European countries shrank by 3.7%. The growth of China 8% and India 5.7% pulled down the global recession. European heavyweights, Germany's growth fell from estimate ...
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...the leadership of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Mr. Zhang Ruimin, Haier manufacturers home appliances in over 15100 varieties of different specifications under 96 categories. There have over 100 countries that selling Haier products around the globe. According to the Haier Group official website, Haier now has over 240 subsidiaries companies, over 110 design centers, plants and trading companies and over 50,000 employees throughout the world. Besides doing home appliances business, Haier’s also focused on technology research, manufacturing, trade and financial services. Eventually, the global revenue of Haier for 2005 was RMB 103.4 billion. 1.1 Ownership of The Company According to Financial times, as far as transforming moments in a CEO’s Career, Mr. Zhang Ruimin is the chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Haier Group. Mr. Zhang’s current goal is to further enhance Haier’s leadership in Chinese and global markets and strengthen the reputation of Haier’s brand worldwide. In 1984, Zhang Ruimin was appointed as the director of the Qingdao Refrigerator Factory, a small, ailing collectively-owned factory in the Shandong province of China. Under his leadership and unique management philosophy, the company has since grown to become the Haier Group as now to be the China leading’s home appliance brand, and one of the world’s largest home appliances makers with the distribution presence over 100 countries. Mr. Zhang’s management philosophy is a blend of...
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...2012 Assignment -1 Havells Submitted By:Kinjal Mittal (211067) Mohit Malik (211076) Nitish Dhaiya (211085) Nitish Singhal (211087) Pooja Gupta (211094) Priyanshu Aggarwal (211103) Rishi Kad (211112) INTRODUCTION Havells India Limited is a $1.3 Billion leading Fast Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) Company and a major power distribution equipment manufacturer with a strong global footprint. Havells enjo ys enviable market dominance across a wide spectrum of products, including Industrial & Domestic Circuit Protection Devices, Cables & Wires, Motors, Fans, Modular Switches, Home Appliances, Electric Water Heaters,Power Capacitors, CFL Lamps, Luminaires for Domestic, Commercial and industrialApplications. Havells India Ltd. was founded in 1958 by Qimat Rai and since then it is powering the smiles of people like none other electrical brand in the country. Its global network constitutes of 7000 professionals across 91 branches & representative offices in over 50 countries. Its fourteen state-ofthe-art manufacturing plants in India located at Haridwar, Baddi, Noida, Sahibabad, Faridabad, Alwar, Neemrana and seven world class manufacturing plants located in Europe, Latin America & Africa are manufacturing globally acclaimed products, synonymous with excellence and precision in theelectricalindustry. Today, Havells owns some of the most prestigious global brands like Havells, Crabtree, Sylvania, Concord, Luminance and Standard.Today, Havells alongwith its brands...
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...Wal-Mart to Turkey TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 Wal-Mart 4 - 5 Location Turkey 5 - 8 Economic Situation 8 - 10 Political Situation 10 - 11 Competition 11 - 12 Target Market 12 - 13 Global Market Participation 13 Marketing Research 14 - 15 Trading 15 - 16 USA vs. Turkey 16 - 17 Wal-Mart Failure in Germany 17 - 18 S.W.O.T. 18 - 21 Marketing Strategies 22 - 25 Conclusion 26 - 27 Exhibits 28 - 30 References 30 - 32 INTRODUCTION Wal-Mart has dominated the retail industry globally. From it’s humble start in Bentonville, Arkansas it has strived to improve the standard of living throughout the world. Wal-Mart is aware of the risks expanding into relatively underdeveloped countries, but they have not allowed any aspect to hinder their confidence. Expanding internationally will increase its global market share, and they understand the need to address cultural barriers within each market to succeed. Turkey has experienced tremendous growth in the retail sector, adding to its appeal and readiness for the Wal-Mart invasion. Can Wal-Mart succeed in a place like Turkey? We look at the economic, political and cultural environment of the country; what kind of competition will they be looking at and who is the target market. How did Wal-Mart get their start and how did they succeed in other countries other than their home base? The actual location is important to look at, as we analyze the country we look at the GDP, possible Pro’s/Con’s and the...
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...some expertise in the configuration, fabricate and supply of world driving innovations, smart and vitality proficient electric warming items. The organization manufactures scopes of more than ten innovative warming items. The companies’ products were among the winning products in the year 2014. The products include the winning Heat radiators, convective and brilliant panels, and wine tank warmers. Other quality products from the company are wall controllers, Envirotouch controllers, specially crafted components, pet warming, and propagation warmers. Thermofilm exports products to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain. Other countries include France, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Japan, the United States of America, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand (KOTLER & KELLER 2009). Advancement, quality, and administration are the key drivers of this market leader. All Thermo film items are composed and developed by a designing group who enjoy a wealth of experience in research, testing, approval and items supports in the more extensive worldwide business sector. Thermofilm was the first organization to add to a wall controller that is electrical and not mechanical. His innovation proved to the accuracy and electrical effectiveness through a diminishment in the warmth produced. With proceeded with an examination of materials and outline applications, the scope of radiators keep on enhancing in functionality and efficiency. The headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia;...
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