...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
...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 and apparel expectations associated with the professional environment, while also maintaining brand longevity and product differentiation. Nevertheless, efforts to meet changing consumer preferences have resulted in the potential issue of minimizing Ann Taylor’s signature brand (AT Division) and cannibalization from other company offerings, especially from the more casual focused LOFT...
Words: 4663 - Pages: 19
...sales “as traditional Ann Taylor shoppers sought more relaxed, lower-priced merchandise, particularly during the recession.” Ann Taylor would be 59 years old in 2013 and needed to make sure it wouldn’t become a victim of a midlife crisis.3 Kay Krill, ANN’s CEO, had been reflecting on these issues for some time. Krill had been appointed president of Ann Taylor Stores Corporation (ANN) in late 2004, and she succeeded to president/CEO in late 2005 when J. Patrick Spainhour retired after eight years as CEO. Even back then, there was 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, elegant, and sophisticated occasion dressing.”4 Krill’s challenge was based on the ANN legacy as a women’s specialty clothing retailer. Since 1954, Ann Taylor had been the wardrobe source for busy, socially upscale women, and the classic basic black dress and woman’s power suit with pearls were Ann Taylor staples. The Ann Taylor client base consisted of fashion-conscious women from age 25 to 55. The overall Ann Taylor concept was designed to appeal to professional women who had limited time to shop and who were attracted to Ann Taylor stores by their total wardrobing strategy, personalized client service, efficient store layouts, and continual flow of new merchandise. ANN had two branded divisions focused on different segments of this customer base: • Ann Taylor (AT), the company’s...
Words: 8987 - Pages: 36
...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 Report CORPORATE BACKGROUND History Formation Rainforest Cafe, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota on February 3, 1994 to own and operate restaurant and retail facilities under...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...eCEMP: Corporate Environmental Program The University of Michigan Sustainable Enterprise Program A program of the World Resources Institute DEJA SHOE (A): Creating the Environmental Footwear Company Recognizing the changing role of the corporation in society, the University of Michigan’s Business School and the School of Natural Resources created the Corporate Environmental Management Program (CEMP). The program is designed to develop leaders, executives, and managers – whether they work in the private sector, public sector, or for an environmental non-profit – with the skills and knowledge required to create economically and environmentally sustainable organizations Permission to reprint this case is available at the BELL case store. Additional information on the Case Series, BELL, and WRI is available at: www.BELLinnovation.org. Julie Lewis’ interest in recycling began in the early 1960’s when recycling wasn’t fashionable. Recycling in her home was done out of necessity. She helped her mother crush aluminum cans and return them to the local recycling center. She became concerned with environmental issues as a high school student when national attention was focused on the first Earth Day and water restrictions made news in her native California. With the encouragement of her teacher, Lewis made a video on the “State of the Environment” for a class project. Combining her environmental awareness with her instilled habit of recycling, she endeavored to launch a program...
Words: 5358 - Pages: 22
...it was still dark, and before long, the performance hall was packed.1 As the crowd streamed inside, one team of Starbucks employees handed out cups of hot coffee, while another wrote down shareholders’ comments about the company on stacks of white cards.2 From the early morning Seattle skyline to the crew of green-aproned workers, the annual ritual was steeped in Starbucks tradition. But for the iconic coffee company, this had been no ordinary year. Starbucks got its start as a Seattle-based coffee roaster in 1971. At this time, the larger coffee market was dominated by supermarket brands such as Folgers and Maxwell House, and per-capita coffee consumption in the U.S. was on the decline.3 During the next two decades, however, sellers of specialty, high-quality coffee beans began to attract a niche following.4 In 1987, entrepreneur Howard Schultz bought Starbucks with an eye toward introducing European-style coffee culture to the American market. Under Schultz’s aegis, Starbucks spread the gospel of high-quality, customized coffee drinks to urban areas around the country. The enthusiasm of Starbucks customers helped the company grow its revenues from about $10 million in 1988 to more than $1.3 billion ten years later.5 By 2007, the coffee company earned $9.4 billion in revenues through a network of more than 15,000 stores worldwide.6 Starbucks performance record since its 1992 IPO made it, for many years, a darling of the investment community. Between 1995 and 2005, the company’s...
Words: 24348 - Pages: 98
...Marketing Channel Strategy This page intentionally left blank Eighth Edition Marketing Channel Strategy Robert W. Palmatier University of Washington’s Foster School of Business Louis W. Stern Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Adel I. El-Ansary University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montréal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editor in Chief: Stephanie Wall Acquisitions Editor: Mark Gaffney Program Manager Team Lead: Ashley Santora Program Manager: Jennifer M. Collins Director of Marketing: Maggie Moylen Executive Marketing Manager: Anne Fahlgren Project Manager Team Lead: Judy Leale Project Manager: Thomas Benfatti Operations Specialist: Nancy Maneri Cover Designer: Suzanne Behnke Creative Director: Jayne Conte Digital Production Project Manager: Lisa Rinaldi Full Service Vendor: Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. Full Service Project Manager: Anandakrishnan Natarajan/Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Courier/Westford Cover Printer: Lehigh-Phoenix Text Font: 10/12, ITC Garamond Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text (or on page xix). Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice...
Words: 236095 - Pages: 945
...Retailing in the 21st Century Manfred Krafft ´ Murali K. Mantrala (Editors) Retailing in the 21st Century Current and Future Trends With 79 Figures and 32 Tables 12 Professor Dr. Manfred Krafft University of Muenster Institute of Marketing Am Stadtgraben 13±15 48143 Muenster Germany mkrafft@uni-muenster.de Professor Murali K. Mantrala, PhD University of Missouri ± Columbia College of Business 438 Cornell Hall Columbia, MO 65211 USA mantralam@missouri.edu ISBN-10 3-540-28399-4 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York ISBN-13 978-3-540-28399-7 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress Control Number: 2005932316 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. Springer is a part of Springer Science+Business Media springeronline.com ° Springer Berlin ´ Heidelberg 2006 Printed in Germany The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not...
Words: 158632 - Pages: 635
...UNIT I INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------- Understanding Brand - What is a Brand? Brands are different from products in a way that brands are “what the consumers buy”, while products are “what concern/companies make”. Brand is an accumulation of emotional and functional associations. Brand is a promise that the product will perform as per customer’s expectations. It shapes customer’s expectations about the product. Brands usually have a trademark which protects them from use by others. A brand gives particular information about the organization, good or service, differentiating it from others in marketplace. Brand carries an assurance about the characteristics that make the product or service unique. A strong brand is a means of making people aware of what the company represents and what its offerings are.To a consumer, brand means and signifies: * Source of product * Delegating responsibility to the manufacturer of product * Lower risk * Less search cost * Quality symbol * Deal or pact with the product manufacturer * Symbolic device | | Brands simplify consumers purchase decision. Over a period of time, consumers discover the brands which satisfy their need. If the consumers recognize a particular brand and have knowledge about it, they make quick purchase decision and save lot of time. Also, they save search costs for product. Consumers remain committed and loyal to a brand as long as they believe...
Words: 34880 - Pages: 140
...thomas a . meyer How Great companies Get Started in terrible times Innovate! Innovate! How Great Companies Get Started in Terrible Times THOMAS A. MEYER John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2010 by Thomas A. Meyer. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose...
Words: 58226 - Pages: 233
...SRM UNIVERSITY (Under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956) FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT MBA FULL TIME CURRICULUM AND SYLLABUS - 2013-14 1 Code MB 13101 MB 13102 MB 13103 MB 13104 MB 13105 MB 13106 SRM University MBA - Revised Curriculum - 2013-14 Semester –I Thinking and Communication Skills (Practical) Accounting for Decision Making Philosophy for Management Economics for Managers Managerial Statistics Managerial Skills (Practical) Semester-II Financial Management Management Information System Marketing Human Resource Management Production And Operation Management Legal Aspects of Business Semester- III Summer Internship (8 weeks)(Practical) Entrepreneurship Strategic Management Business Analytics (Practical) Elective-1 Elective-2 Elective-3 Elective-4 Semester- IV Elective-5 Elective-6 Industrial Elective (Practical) Total Credit L 0 2 3 2 2 0 T 0 4 0 2 4 0 P 4 0 0 0 0 6 C 2 4 3 3 4 3 19 4 3 4 2 4 3 20 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 22 3 3 5 11 72 MB 13207 MB 13208 MB 13209 MB 13210 MB 13211 MB 13212 MB 13313 MB 13314 MB 13315 MB 13316 2 2 3 2 3 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 4 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 MB 13417 Functional Electives Marketing Finance Systems Human Resource Operations Vertical Electives Pharma Hospitality Enterprise Resource Planning Agriculture Hospital and Health Care Retailing Auto Industry Project Management Media and Communication Banking Financial Service Insurance 2 MB...
Words: 53231 - Pages: 213
...Licensed to: iChapters User Licensed to: iChapters User Essentials of Management, Ninth Edition Andrew J. DuBrin VP/Editorial Director: Jack W. Calhoun Editor-in-Chief: Melissa Acuña Executive Editor: Scott Person Developmental Editor: Jennifer King © 2012, 2009, 2006 South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means— graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, information storage and retrieval systems, or in any other manner—except as may be permitted by the license terms herein. Senior Editorial Assistant: Ruth Belanger Marketing Manager: Jonathan Monahan Senior Marketing Communications Manager: Jim Overly Content Project Management: PreMediaGlobal For product information and technology assistance, contact us at Cengage Learning Customer & Sales Support, 1-800-354-9706. For permission to use material from this text or product, submit all requests online at www.cengage.com/permissions. Further permissions questions can be emailed to permissionrequest@cengage.com. Media Editor: Danny Bolan Production Technology Analyst: Jeff Weaver Frontlist Buyer: Miranda Klapper Production House/Compositor: PreMediaGlobal Senior Art Director: Tippy McIntosh Permissions Acquisition Manager/Text: Mardell Glinski-Schultz Cover Designer: Stuart Kunkler, triartis communications ...
Words: 17447 - Pages: 70
...CONNECT FEATURES Interactive Applications Interactive Applications offer a variety of automatically graded exercises that require students to apply key concepts. Whether the assignment includes a click and drag, video case, or decision generator, these applications provide instant feedback and progress tracking for students and detailed results for the instructor. Case Exercises The Connect platform also includes author-developed case exercises for all 12 cases in this edition that require students to work through answers to assignment questions for each case. These exercises have multiple components and can include: calculating assorted financial ratios to assess a company’s financial performance and balance sheet strength, identifying a company’s strategy, doing five-forces and driving-forces analysis, doing a SWOT analysis, and recommending actions to improve company performance. The content of these case exercises is tailored to match the circumstances presented in each case, calling upon students to do whatever strategic thinking and strategic analysis is called for to arrive at a pragmatic, analysis-based action recommendation for improving company performance. eBook Connect Plus includes a media-rich eBook that allows you to share your notes with your students. Your students can insert and review their own notes, highlight the text, search for specific information, and interact with media resources. Using an eBook with Connect Plus gives your...
Words: 219639 - Pages: 879
...QUALITY MANAGEMENT DEMYSTIFIED Demystified Series Advanced Statistics Demystified Algebra Demystified Anatomy Demystified asp.net Demystified Astronomy Demystified Biology Demystified Business Calculus Demystified Business Statistics Demystified C++ Demystified Calculus Demystified Chemistry Demystified College Algebra Demystified Data Structures Demystified Databases Demystified Differential Equations Demystified Digital Electronics Demystified Earth Science Demystified Electricity Demystified Electronics Demystified Environmental Science Demystified Everyday Math Demystified Genetics Demystified Geometry Demystified Home Networking Demystified Investing Demystified Java Demystified JavaScript Demystified Linear Algebra Demystified Macroeconomics Demystified Math Proofs Demystified Math Word Problems Demystified Medical Terminology Demystified Meteorology Demystified Microbiology Demystified OOP Demystified Options Demystified Organic Chemistry Demystified Personal Computing Demystified Pharmacology Demystified Physics Demystified Physiology Demystified Pre-Algebra Demystified Precalculus Demystified Probability Demystified Project Management Demystified Quality Management Demystified Quantum Mechanics Demystified Relativity Demystified Robotics Demystified Six Sigma Demystified sql Demystified Statistics Demystified Trigonometry Demystified uml Demystified Visual Basic 2005 Demystified Visual C# 2005 Demystified xml Demystified QUALITY MANAGEMENT DEMYSTIFIED SID...
Words: 122414 - Pages: 490
...ROBERT F. HARTLEY • Cindy Claycomb 12th Edition T W E L F T H E D I T I O N MARKETING MISTAKES AND SUCCESSES Robert F. Hartley Late of Cleveland State University Cindy Claycomb Wichita State University VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER SENIOR EDITOR PROJECT EDITOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR PRODUCT DESIGNER SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION EDITOR COVER DESIGNER George Hoffman Franny Kelly Brian Baker Jacqueline Hughes Amy Scholz Kelly Simmons Marissa Carroll Harry Nolan Allison Morris Janis Soo Joel Balbin Eugenia Lee Kenji Ngieng This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara®, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Westford. The cover was printed by Courier/Westford. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of knowledge and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Our company is built on a foundation of principles that include responsibility to the communities we serve and where we live and work. In 2008, we launched a Corporate Citizenship Initiative, a global effort to address the environmental, social, economic, and ethical challenges we face in our business. Among the issues we are addressing are carbon impact, paper specifications and procurement, ethical...
Words: 180086 - Pages: 721
