...A case study on Marks and Spencer which includes: The company at present, Background of the Study, Case Background, Problem, SWOT Analysis, Alternative Courses of Action, Recommendation, Conclusion. A Case Study on Marks and Spencer The Company at Present Marks and Spencer has over 450 stores located throughout the UK, this includes the largest store at Marble Arch, London. In addition, the Company has 150 stores worldwide, including over 130 franchise businesses, operating in 30 countries. Background of the Company * Marks and Spencer (M&S) of Britain (often referred to as Marks & Sparks by locals) is a general retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishings, and foods under the St. Michael trademark in the UK, Europe, the Americas and Far East. * The company also operates financial services segment, which accounted for about 3% of the company’s 1998 profits (Dow Jones Industrial 1999) * Marks & Spencer started as a stall in 1884 by Michael Marks in the Leads market using an L5 loan from a wholesaler * Its philosophy is to sell durable merchandise at a moderate price. It has merchandise made to its specifications. * By 1901, the company acquired 35 Outlets as well as a new partner, Tom Spencer * By 1949 all the company’s stores carried mostly private label (St. Michael) products produced by British suppliers (De Nardi-Cole 1998). Case Background * Britain has often been called a country of shopkeepers, and Marks & Spencer...
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...INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT MFP/MBA NOVEMBER 2012 – MARCH 2013 SEMESTR MARIA LEBEDINSKAYA STUDENT ID: B0274MAMA1112 28 JANUARY 2013 COURSE LECTURER: DENVER REYNOLDS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND LAW B. Gates: ".The most reliable way to distinguish your company from competitors -Is to organize the work with information …". ABSTRACT In this work the hierarchical structure of the company is considered and the analysis of requirements to the information at each level of decision-making is made. Three levels are considered: the strategic, tactical and operational. Recommendations about the use of information systems at each level are made. The option of the information system for the chosen company is offered. Necessary security measures for information systems are discussed. The analysis of the use of Cloud Computing of systems is made. For the analysis the JSC «Nordelectroprom» company was chosen. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………2 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..4 Task A…………………………………………………………………………………………...9 Task B…………………………………………………………………………………………..23 Task C…………………………………………………………………………………………..25 Task D…………………………………………………………………………………………..28 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………....29 References……………………………………………………………………………………....30 INTRODUCTION Business of our century characterizes the rapid development of information technologies. The major factor of success...
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...http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2003/jul/19/shopping.features 17/03/13 11.52am The card up their sleeve It sounds good - loyalty cards entitle us to freebies or cash simply for shopping at our local superstore. Of course, retailers get something in return: a heap of information about us we might prefer them not to know. That's before they get started on the new tags that track you and what you buy. Rachel Shabi investigates Every time you reach the checkout in the two biggest supermarket chains, it's the same question: have you got a card? It can get irritating, but nonetheless we have willingly signed up to their reward schemes - in droves. According to market researchers TNS, around 85% of UK households have at least one loyalty card. We've accepted the membership rules of these innocent-looking, points-mean-prizes clubs: you show us some loyalty, say the retailers, and we'll give you nice bonuses in return. That loyalty, on the face of it, is based on how much you spend with one particular retailer. Sure, the rewards aren't huge but, as Tesco likes to put it, "Every little helps." Besides which, we in the UK love bargains, and getting something for nothing even more. But the question is: how much does the nothing really cost? It is not simply a matter of choosing to be "loyal", now synonymous with "open your wallet", to one supermarket over another - the cost is in having your purchases scrutinised and analysed in staggering detail by the loyalty card retailers...
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...Consumers’ Attitude towards Online Shopping Factors influencing Gotland consumers to shop online Online Shopping Högskolan på Gotland VT2011 Master Thesis in Business Administration Authors: Muhammad Umar Sultan and MD Nasir Uddin Department of Business Administration Supervisors: Per Lind and Mr. Sjostrand Fredrik Abstract In the era of globalization electronic marketing is a great revolution. Over the last decade maximum business organizations are running with technological change. Online shopping or marketing is the use of technology (i.e., computer) for better marketing performance. And retailers are devising strategies to meet the demand of online shoppers; they are busy in studying consumer behavior in the field of online shopping, to see the consumer attitudes towards online shopping. Therefore we have also decided to study consumer’s attitudes towards online shopping and specifically studying the factors influencing consumers to shop online. The population selected for the research is Gotland, and narrowed down to Gotland University students, University cafeteria and Gotland Public library, the sample size selected for this research is 100 and we have used convenience sampling technique. Our findings indicated that among the four factors selected for this research the most attractive and influencing factor for online shoppers in Gotland is Website Design/Features, following convenience the second most influencing and thirdly time saving. Results have also showed...
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...IBUS%3100%–%TEXTBOOK%NOTES% CHAPTER%1%–%GLOBALIZATION% WHAT%IS%GLOBALIZATION?% • Globalization:+ shift% towards% a% more% integrated% and% independent% world% economy% –% away% from% distinct% national% economic%units,%towards%one%huge%global%market% Merging%of%historically%distinct%and%separate%national%markets%into%one%huge%global%marketplace% Argument%–%tastes/preferences%of%consumers%in%different%nations%beginning%to%converge%to%some%global%norm%% Standardized%products%such%as%CocaTCola,%McDonald’s%and%iPods%help%create%a%global%market%% Significant%differences%still%exist%between%national%markets%along%many%dimensions,%i.e.%tastes/preferences,%distribution% channels,%value%and%business%systems,%and%legal%regulation% Most%global%markets%–%markets%for%industrial%goods%and%materials%that%serve%universal%need% Sourcing%of%goods/services%from%locations%around%the%globe%to%take%advantage%of%national%differences%in%cost%and%quality% of%factors%of%production%+ Aim%is%to%lower%overall%cost%structure%of%an%entity%and/or%improve%quality/functionality%of%product%offering%+ Impediments% to% global% production% include% –% formal/informal% barriers% to% trade,% barriers% to% foreign% direct% investment,% transportation%costs,%and%issues%associated%with%economic%+%political%risk+ Regulation,%management,%and%policing%of%global%marketplace%necessary%as%markets%globalize%further% General+Agreement+on+Tariffs+and+Trade+(GATT):+international%treaty%that%committed%signatories%to%lower%barriers%...
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