...Table of Contents Major Problems or Issues…………………………………………………………Page 2 A. Organizational Purpose, Objective, and Current Strategy…………………………..…...Page 3 ANALYSIS B. SWOT Analysis…………………..………………………………………………………Page 3 C. Competitive Analysis………………………………………………………………….…Page 5 D. Financial Analysis…..……………………………………………………………………Page 7 E. Implementation Issues/Problems………………………………………………………..Page 10 F. Evaluation/Control Procedures……………………………………………………….…Page 14 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS /ISSUES………………………………Page 15 RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION/JUSTIFICATION…………………………..Page 17 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN………………………………….…………………………..Page 18 MAJOR PROBLEMS OR ISSUES Ann Taylor (NYSE ticker = ANN) was founded in 1954 based upon the corporate mantra of providing professional, yet fashion conscious, business women access to quality, yet affordable, attire. During the last fifty-four years Ann Taylor has become very well known for its offerings, especially “the classic basic black dress and women’s power suit”, and has maintained itself as a leader and innovator within the specialty retail sector. Ann Taylor’s strategic management has maintained its comparative advantage by successfully and accurately predicting client fashion preferences and meeting these preferences through three, diversified, retail divisions (AT, LOFT and FACTORY). The instigation of each division was an effort to meet the broader specialty retail challenge that accompany changing consumer demographics, buyer habits...
Words: 4663 - Pages: 19
... | |Strategic Management 21705 | |Summer 2014/2015 | | | | | |Individual Report on the | |Ann Taylor Case Analysis | |Survival in Speciality Retail | | | |[pic] | | | |...
Words: 3261 - Pages: 14
...Ann Taylor Stores Corporation International Management Project Management 4900 – International Management and Globalization Executive Summary As an opportunity to apply concepts of international management, the following analysis evaluates issues and provides recommendations for the Ann Taylor Corporation. The retail apparel industry as a whole has rapid business cycles because fashion and consumer tastes changing constantly. The already fiercely competition for market share is amplified by the declining economy. Like many apparel companies, Ann Taylor creates the designs and outsources the manufacturing process. Ann Taylor sells women’s apparel and accessories and targets affluent career-minded women. One of the company’s strengths is brand equity. Every aspect of the Ann Taylor brand supports corporate social responsibility. Any association with a supplier or manufacturer that doesn’t support CSR and environmental sustainability will tarnish the Ann Taylor brand and risk losing brand loyal customers. With dependency on over 150 suppliers around the globe, communication and culture awareness is required of all Ann Taylor management. Lack of culture understanding will put business partnerships at risk. Although Ann Taylor doesn’t have ownership rights in China, understanding what drives and motivates Chinese workers will help Ann Taylor management collaborating more effectively with the managers of the outsourced manufacturing located in China. The need for strategic...
Words: 4213 - Pages: 17
...Ann Taylor (based on an earlier version of the case) 1. Consider the performance of A nn Taylor. How well is the present strategy working? Ann Taylor compared to the industry: I n fiscal year 2005, Ann Taylor was number six in the Women’s Wear Daily’s top twenty of the publicly traded retailers specializing in women 's wear. ANN maintained this position from the previou s fiscal year 2004. Ann Taylor compared to key rivals: Several retailers that target the same or similar demographic of the 35-year old woman include Talbots, Chico's, and Coldwater Creek. Talbots maintained its number seven position with $1.81 billion in sales, and a seven percent increase in volume over the previou s year. Coldwater Creek also maintained its number 18 position with $780 million in sales and a staggering 32 percent increase in volume. Chico's moved up three positions from number nine to 12, also with a 32 percent increase in volume, and $1.4 billion in sales. ANN saw a 12 percent increase in volume over the previou s year and had sales of $2.07 billion. ANN is maintaining its position in the standings, but with a 32 percent growth rate, Chico's may be an even greater threat to ANN in the years to come. Ann Taylor's past performance: Ann Taylor has seen some up years and some down years, but overall seems to be growing each year. In fiscal year 2002, the company as a whole (Ann Taylor and LOFT) experienced a negative sales percentage of 3.9%, but in 2003, they achieved...
Words: 3263 - Pages: 14
...ASSIGNMENT: CASE 1 TITLE/ CASE Ann Taylor OVERVIEW Ann Taylor was founded in 1954 as a wardrobe home for busy, socially upscale women by Robert Liebeskind. Its first stand-alone clothing store was started in New Haven, Connecticut. Ann Taylor was never a real person; it was a brand identity or a personality within the retail clothing industry. Kay Krill, the current president/CEO, has been the leader of the company since 2004 and has faced many issues and challenges with the ANN legacy as a women’s specialty clothing retailer. PROBLEM The 2008 economic downturn had a profound effect on the retail industry as a whole. One industry group estimated that over 6,000 retail stores had closed in 2008 which was a 25% increase from the previous year. Macroeconomic conditions were worsening and the entire retail environment was threatened by less consumer demand. • Also, Ann Taylor was a women’s specialty retailing store which engaged in retailing a specific line of women’s clothing. This single product focus includes a high risk for the company, because any loss in sales could not be recovered in another product area. • Ann Taylor over the course of a few years had many different store concepts underneath the one defining Ann Taylor brand. At one point in its history the company had five separate store concepts. Cannibalization between the brands was disrupting overall sales volume. There was too much going on at the same time and analysts...
Words: 1526 - Pages: 7
...Company Strategy e. Functional Value Chain f. Geographical Value Chain g. Core Competencies External Audit a. External Forces b. Customer Trends c. Porters Five Forces d. Competition SWOT Analysis Size ANNspansion Ann Goes Technical Financials a. Sales Forecast b. Net Income c. Inventory Turnover 3 Final Report I. Executive Summary Ann Taylor was founded in 1954, when Richard Liebeskind opened his first shop called Ann Taylor. Back then Ann Taylor represented a best- selling dress style that had been gifted to the store owner by his father. The company began its story in the retail industry by opening up stores in which their designs embodied the well-dressed woman. By 1983 Ann Taylor had grown from a regional brand to a national brand with 47 stores across the United States. Today Ann is represented by two brands, with multiple channels of distribution. They operate 907 Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT and LOFT Outlet stores in 46 states along with e-commerce websites anntaylor.com and LOFT.com. They rely on a large base of third-party producers and distributors. Ann Taylor is now a one-stop shop for high quality and fashion-forward women’s apparel, accessories, and footwear. Though Ann Inc. has a strong brand recognition in the women’s retail industry, it faces threats that they must overcome in order to continue their success. Ann Inc. competitors are companies such as Talbots and Coldwater Creek as well as smaller high end women’s stores. Ann Taylor has the...
Words: 10774 - Pages: 44
...Journal Volume 5, Issue 2 (Spring 2009) Ann Taylor: Survival in Specialty Retail Pauline Assenza Manhattanville College Alan B. Eisner Lubin School of Business, Pace University Jerome C. Kuperman Minnesota State University Moorhead In the summer of 2008, headlines announced that the declining economy was generating a “wave of retail closures” among many well-known companies, including Home Depot, Pier 1 Imports, Zales, Gap, Talbots, Lane Bryant, and Ann Taylor. The Chief Executive of J.C. Penney’s called the 2008 situation “the most unpredictable environment in his 39-year retail career”. i One industry group forecasted that nearly 6,000 retail stores would close in 2008, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. A representative from the National Retail Federation (NRF) suggested that these businesses should “look at where they’re underperforming and how can they change their operations so that they have a little bit more power in another area, or a little bit more growth potential.” ii Kay Krill, President and CEO of Ann Taylor Stores Corporation (ANN), was already considering this advice. Krill had been appointed President of ANN in late 2004, and succeeded to President/CEO in late 2005 when J. Patrick Spainhour retired after eight years as CEO. At that time, there had been concern among commentators and customers that the Ann Taylor look was getting “stodgy”, and the question was how to “reestablish Ann Taylor as the preeminent brand for beautiful,...
Words: 11348 - Pages: 46
...Essays, Term Papers & Book Notes Essays Book Notes AP Notes Citation Generator More Case Analysis Of Ann Taylor Survival In Specialty Retail Essays and Term Papers Search Advanced Search Documents 1 - 20 of 1000 Book Review of Business Policy and Strategy: an Action Guide Book Review of Business Policy and Strategy: An Action Guide Submitted in partial fulfillment of B.S. in Business Administration Century University, New Mexico Grade = 95% {A} Business Policy and Strategy: An Action Guide, by Robert Murdick, R. Carl Moor and Richar Premium 4514 Words 19 Pages Burger King and Its Advertising Campaigns Burger King and Its Advertising Campaigns Burger King is a reliable burger company which has had its ups and downs. In 1974, it came out with a slogan of "Have it your way" and at this time it also had a 4 % market share. Burger King's idea was to have the customer have their burger done their w Premium 1694 Words 7 Pages Foreign Aid Foreign Aid There are two words that many politicians like to shy away , and those two words are, "foreign aid." Taking a firm stand on either side of this topic is usually side stepped by decision makers. Their opinions are usually based on a case by case analysis. This extremely controv Premium 1773 Words 8 Pages Rainforest Cafe, Inc: Outline to Rainforest Cafe Research Report Rainforest Cafe, Inc: Outline to Rainforest Cafe Research...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...thinking coping, anxiety and depression as predictors of coursework stress. ANN-MARIE ROY Contact: aroy11@caledonian.ac.uk COURSEWORK STRESS STUDY ANN-MARIE ROY ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate students’ perceived university coursework stress and whether the use of wishful thinking or problem-focused coping was related to anxiety and depression levels. The method of investigation was a four-part questionnaire. Participants were 81 Glasgow Caledonian University students. There were two hypotheses: 1) problem solving copers will score lower on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. 2) Those high in perceived coursework stress and who reveal wishful thinking strategies will have higher anxiety and depression scores. A multiple regression revealed partial support for both hypotheses – problem strategies had no relationship to coursework stress but wishful thinking and anxiety were both positive predictors of stress; however, contrary to hypothesis 2 depression revealed a strong negative association with stress. The conclusion from this study is that wishful thinkers are also more likely to be anxious; problem focused copers are not anxious, depressed or stressed; stressed students do not suffer from depression. The last finding is possibly because coursework stress is a transient stressor not severe enough to trigger depression. 2 COURSEWORK STRESS STUDY ANN-MARIE ROY INTRODUCTION Why study stress? Bartlett (1998) points out there...
Words: 4770 - Pages: 20
...visit my office on the St. George Campus) This course introduces students to the study of advertising as social communication and provides a historical perspective on advertising's role in the emergence and perpetuation of “consumer culture.” The course examines the strategies employed to promote the circulation of goods as well as the impact of advertising on the creation of new habits and expectations in everyday life. Required Course Texts: Juliet Schor and D.B. Holt (eds), The Consumer Society Reader Joseph Turow and Mathew Mcallister, The Advertising and Consumer Culture Reader *Additional PDFs posted on Blackboard Assignments and Grade Distribution: Participation, Reading Quizzes, and any In-Class Assignments 10% Essay One: Ad Analysis 15% Midterm Exam 20% Essay Two: Branding 25% Final Exam 30% Essay One: Ad Analysis This short essay (500-800 words; 12 point font, double spaced) will offer an analysis of a single print advertisement of your choice. You must situate your discussion of the ad within a historical context (what are some historical trends that set the stage for this form of commercial text?). You must then identify the central trope or strategy being used and explain its rhetorical function. A strong essay will begin to suggest what is meaningful about the advertisement: does it suggest a notable change in how consumers are being “hailed,” does it target a specific audience in a way that might be culturally...
Words: 1235 - Pages: 5
...such as Carroll’s four part model of CSR and stakeholder analysis. It has become a vital concern for the firms like shell to conduct CSR activities as they have to operate in an environment where they have to be economically viable as well as conforming to the legal laws, rights and obligations of the society. Not only the corporate social responsibility but also the stakeholder’s satisfaction can influence a great deal in the firm’s success. So, the stakeholder’s theory means a lot to the firms. Stakeholders can be internal as well as external. For applying those approaches, shell has to consider several analysis like cost benefit, life cycle analysis, environmental impact analysis, stakeholder matrix , segmentation analysis and so on. Finally, the company will get findings of taking one approaches as per the analysis to implement for being sustainable. * Contents Executive Summary 1 1 Introduction 3 2 For effective management of sustainability, these two approaches can be considered by the Shell Group as prescribed. The approaches are 4 2.1 Carroll’s four part model of CSR and Sustainability 4 2.1.1 Economic responsibilities 5 2.1.2 Legal responsibilities 5 2.1.3 Ethical responsibilities 5 2.1.4 Philanthropic responsibilitites 5 2.1.5 Criticism 6 2.2 Stakeholder theory 6 2.2.2 Criticism 8 3 Analysis for the application of chosen approaches for sustainable management 9 3.1 Analysis for Carroll’s four part of CSR...
Words: 4511 - Pages: 19
...Social care governance is a framework for making sure that social care services provide excellent ethical standards of service and continue to improve them. Culture values, behaviours, decisions and processes are open to scrutiny as people develop safe and effective evidence-based practice. Good governance means that people recognise our accountability, people act on lessons learned and they are honest and open in seeking the best possible outcomes and results for society. Social Care confronts enormous changes as local authorities and the efforts of health authorities have to deal with the heavy challenges of the Personalisation programme. Though, how can it be taken ahead in the present circumstances of important cuts in people’s financial support? All have responsibility for the quality of the social care they provide. Achieving quality is a combination of individual, team and organisational responsibility. Organising that effectively is the purpose of social care governance. Evidence-based practice tells us that this is best achieved by teams reflecting in a structured way on the service they currently provide and then on how it could be developed. Social care is in the process of changing working methods, organisational systems and culture to achieve the range of intentions around creating a more personalised care for older people in our regions social care system. For example Personal budgets comprise funding from different agencies whilst individual budgets just comprise...
Words: 2506 - Pages: 11
...ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS METHODOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS Edited by Kenji Suzuki Artificial Neural Networks - Methodological Advances and Biomedical Applications Edited by Kenji Suzuki Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2011 InTech All chapters are Open Access articles distributed under the Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike Attribution 3.0 license, which permits to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt the work in any medium, so long as the original work is properly cited. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published articles. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Ivana Lorkovic Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer Martina Sirotic Image Copyright Bruce Rolff, 2010. Used under license from Shutterstock.com First published March, 2011 Printed in...
Words: 43079 - Pages: 173
...KASNEB RECOMMENDED READING LIST FOR THE CERTIFIED INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGISTS (CICT) EXAMINATION CICT PART I |SECTION 1 | |PAPER NO. 1 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTING | | |TITLE |AUTHOR(S) |PUBLISHER |EDITION | |1. |Fundamentals of Computers |V. .Rogerman |PHI Publishers |Latest edition | | | | | | | |2. |Principles of Computer Science |Carol Reymolds | |Latest edition | | | |Paul Tyman | | | |3. |Computer Fundamentals |Pradeep Sinha | |Fourth edition | |4. |Essential Computer Mathematics |Seymour Lipschutz |McGraw Hill |Latest edition | |PAPER NO....
Words: 1075 - Pages: 5
...Introduction The use of computers to control a particular process in order to increase reliability and efficiency, often through the replacement of employees. For a manufacturer, this could entail using robotic assembly lines to manufacture a product. Automation is the use of control systems (such as numerical control, programmable logic control, and other industrial control systems), in concern with other applications of information technology (such as computer-aided technologies [CAD, CAM], to control industrial machinery and processes, reducing the need for human intervention. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization. Whereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation greatly reduces the need for human sensory and mental requirements as well. Processes and systems can also be automated. Automation plays an increasingly important role in the global economy and in daily experience. Engineers strive to combine automated devices with mathematical and organizational tools to create complex systems for a rapidly expanding range of applications and human activities. Many roles for humans in industrial processes presently lie beyond the scope of automation. Human-level pattern recognition, language recognition, and language production ability are well beyond the capabilities of modern mechanical and computer systems. Tasks requiring subjective assessment...
Words: 3283 - Pages: 14
