...Dixons Retail PLC Planning for a Multichannel Future Dixons has grown from a one-man band into a fully orchestrated international retail and service operation, which attracts over 100 million shoppers to its stores and online businesses. How did the company get started and then develop into Europe’s leading specialist electrical retailers? This case explores the significance of adopting a market-orientated approach to planning in developing a family of successful international retail brands. Background: start-up to market leader Dixons started out in the photography business during challenging trading times in the early 1940s. By the 1960s the original photographic studio had developed into a relatively large public limited company, with an expanding mail order business and high street retail operation. The business continued to grow in the UK, by opening high street stores selling photographic equipment, computers and other high-tech gadgetry. In the 1990s, the acquisition of PC World, opening tax-free travel stores in airports (Dixons Travel), and expansion into European markets with the acquisition of Elkjøp, a leading Nordic retailer, enabled the business to grow further and more rapidly. More acquisitions in Italy (UniEuro), Russia and the Ukraine and expansion into Ireland, Greece and the Czech Republic enabled Dixons Retail plc to become Europe’s largest specialist electrical retailer and services company, which employs over 38,000 people spread over 26 countries...
Words: 2545 - Pages: 11
...In its quest to spread its stores around the world, Apple is reaching over the Atlantic to snatch the CEO of a British electronics chain to head its retail operations. Apple Inc. said Tuesday that Dixons Retail PLC's John Browett will become its top retail executive on April 20. He will report directly to CEO Tim Cook. Browett, 48, fills a job that opened when Ron Johnson left to become the CEO of J.C. Penney Co. in November. Johnson pioneered Apple's highly successful retail stores, known for their stark design and their Genius Bar, where Apple customers get technology advice and support. About two-thirds of Apple's 361 stores are in the U.S. However, of the 40 stores Apple expects to open this fiscal year, three-quarters will be outside the U.S., with China being a major focus. Apple currently has stores in only 12 countries, including the U.S. Browett has served as CEO of Dixons since 2007. During his tenure, the company continued an aggressive expansion in Europe. It has about 1,200 stores and is Europe's second-largest electronics retailer, after Germany's Media Markt. Dixons' brands include Currys in the U.K., Elkjop in Norway, Kotsovolos in Greece, Unieuro in Italy and Electro World in Turkey and the Czech Republic. Analysts give Browett credit for improving customer service at Dixons. "Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we've met," Cook said in a statement Tuesday. The chain hasn't seen much financial...
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...Dixons Retail PLC Planning for a Multichannel Future Dixons has grown from a one-man band into a fully orchestrated international retail and service operation, which attracts over 100 million shoppers to its stores and online businesses. How did the company get started and then develop into Europe’s leading specialist electrical retailers? This case explores the significance of adopting a market-orientated approach to planning in developing a family of successful international retail brands. Background: start-up to market leader Dixons started out in the photography business during challenging trading times in the early 1940s. By the 1960s the original photographic studio had developed into a relatively large public limited company, with an expanding mail order business and high street retail operation. The business continued to grow in the UK, by opening high street stores selling photographic equipment, computers and other high-tech gadgetry. In the 1990s, the acquisition of PC World, opening tax-free travel stores in airports (Dixons Travel), and expansion into European markets with the acquisition of Elkjøp, a leading Nordic retailer, enabled the business to grow further and more rapidly. More acquisitions in Italy (UniEuro), Russia and the Ukraine and expansion into Ireland, Greece and the Czech Republic enabled Dixons Retail plc to become Europe’s largest specialist electrical retailer and services company, which employs over 38,000 people spread over 26 countries...
Words: 2360 - Pages: 10
...England An attempt by Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone to shake up the wider electronics retail market has ended in failure with the company forced to admit it is closing the 11 stores it operates in the UK with the American chain Best Buy. Best Buy Europe was formed in 2008 when Best Buy paid £1.1bn to buy a 50% stake in Carphone Warehouse's retail division. In the face of mounting losses, the joint venture had already scaled back its ambitions in June. The original plan was for 200 out-of-town "big box" shops around Europe by the end of 2013, selling everything from washing machines to laptops. That was reduced to 100. Now the entire venture has been cancelled. Carphone Warehouse Group said it would seek to redeploy more than 70% of the 1,100 staff. Problems: · Brand recognition Best Buy is a major retailer in the United States. In the UK, some shoppers think it is a discount grocer, according to research by one rival retailer. Awareness has spread slowly, perhaps because while most people shop at supermarkets every week, they buy an electrical item only two or three times a year. The advertising may not have helped. The latest TV spot, narrated by an actor with a US accent, led to comments like "Why is it so American?" · Too few stores Dixons Retail operates more than 600 stores under brands including Currys and PC World. Comet has about 250. With just 11 stores in out-of-town locations with no passing trade, Best Buy was slow to make an impact. · Over-ambitious...
Words: 630 - Pages: 3
...------------------------------------------------- business enviroment ORGANIZATIONAL AND PURPOSE OF BUSINESSES TASK 1 CONTRAST OF TWO MARKETS FOR DIXONS CARPHONE COMPANY TASK 2 December 7, 2014 December 7, 2014 Contents Executive summary 2 Carphone Warehouse 3 Mission 3 Vision 3 Purpose 3 Stakeholders 4 Dixons Carphone plc (Currency GBp) 4 Director Shareholdings 5 Hill Farm Furniture 6 Purpose 6 Mission/Vision 6 Stakeholders 6 CONTRAST OF TWO MARKETS FOR DIXONS CARPHONE PLC 7 Free Market X Command System 7 Competition Policy 7 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Executive summary As the world changing quickly in term of political, economic, social, technological, environment and legal (PESTEL), its happen due many influences either internal or external of the business, if the company do not stay update it can fail, that is important the study of Business Environment. Each country has its own way to control the economy; there are four types of economy such as: command, free market, mixed and transitional. A command economy is “a socialist economic system in which production and distribution of goods and services are controlled by the government and industry is mostly owned”. (Dictionary.com, 2014) A free market economy is “an economy in which the allocation for resources is determined only by their supply and the demand for them. This is mainly a theoretical concept as every country, even capitalist ones, places some restrictions...
Words: 2171 - Pages: 9
...Harvard Business Case 10-16-07 The Overhead Reduction Task Force: A Case Analysis The Facts Central Foods Corporation just hired a new General Manager, Georgia Dixon, to run the deteriorating Countertop Appliances Division. This new division was formed after Central Foods acquired Kitchen Help, Inc. six years ago. With sales decreasing quite dramatically over the past three years and overhead costs at their peak, Dixon is in charge of implementing positive changes in her department. For one of her first moves she appointed Larry Williams as head of the new Overhead Reduction Task Force. This task force is being formed to decrease overhead costs by 20% in the next four months while also increasing sales. External Factors Affecting CFC There are three main external factors that are influencing the overall sales production in this case. First off, one of CFC’s major competitors introduced a new household coffee maker that sold at the same retail price as CFC’s coffee maker, but CFC did not have the same innovation incorporated into their product. Secondly, another main competitor of CFC launched a new and improved microwave oven, which severely hurt Countertop’s sales of the same product. CFC’s product line still has not made a comparable substitute for this newly designed microwave oven. Finally, competitors’ pricing of the kitchen products was 10% lower than CFC’s pricing for the same products. CFC believed that these competitors would eventually have to increase...
Words: 2152 - Pages: 9
...Sir Richard Branson’s setbacks: from Virgin Cola to Virgin Brides The demise of the domestic carrier Little Red joins a string of the entrepreneur’s failures from makeup to bridalwear to alcohol • Virgin Atlantic axes Little Red * Share * * * inShare0 * Email * ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Gwyn Topham, transport correspondent * ------------------------------------------------- The Guardian, Monday 6 October 2014 18.19 BST Sir Richard Branson hands out free cans of Virgin Cola in downtown Tokyo. Sales of the brand lost fizz against the might of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.Photograph: EPA Sir Richard Branson has made a fortune from a string of business ventures that bear his signature brand, including Virgin Trains and Virgin Media. But Little Red joins a series of failures that have seen Branson fail to break into lucrative markets including soft drinks and alcohol. Virgin Cola Launched in 1994, Virgin Cola was initially available only on Virgin planes and in Virgin cinemas before Branson sought wider distribution. “It tasted better than Coke. For one wonderful year we had the dream of Virgin Cola being the brand on everyone’s lips.” Instead, Branson claimed, “swat teams and bagfuls of money” sent from Coke’s Atlanta headquarters gobbled up his drink, whose market share peaked at 0.5% in the three years it was on sale in the US. In 2012, the UK producer went bust and no one else...
Words: 8829 - Pages: 36
...SWOT and Strategy Paper PHL/320 6/8/2015 SWOT and Strategy Paper Retail companies, like other businesses, often use SWOT analysis to evaluate their companies. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis for retail is a detailed look at the retailer’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats vs. there competitors. The internal factors that affect company’s success and failure are the Strengths and Weaknesses of a company. Opportunities and Threats are external factors that show a firms growth. The success or failure all depends on how well the customers see the products being. There are many positives and negatives that retail stores face all the time with product, quality, and customer service. The first step in doing a SWOT analysis for an online retail is indentifying certain strengths that the company has. The strengths a lot of online companies have are unrestricted services/24-7 operation, Labor and time saving, less cost/affordable. On-line shopping can be accomplished without any restrictions. The way technology is with online shopping, gives the consumers the ability to select and purchase whatever at anytime and anywhere. Online gives the ability for the business to offer anytime service which helps for people that can’t make store hours and don’t have an efficient and effective location to go to. Labor and saving time is a big strength for online companies because consumers can save the cost and time. The customers...
Words: 1194 - Pages: 5
...to our forecast for UK retail in 2013 UK retailing is set for another year of tough trading as the hoped for economic recovery is put back further and austerity continues to reign. This Verdict/SAS research shows those sectors and retail channels best placed to weather the storm, and those that will struggle and sets the scene for retail in 2013, highlighting the strategies, trends and innovations that will best ensure survival and aid growth. For more information contact: Cindy Etsell Industry Marketing Manager – Commercial SAS UK & Ireland Wittington House Henley Road Marlow SL7 2EB Tel:: +44 (0)1628 490 929 ■ Mobile 07918 724 381 cindy.etsell@suk.sas.com www.sas.com/uk Maureen Hinton Practice Leader UK Retail Verdict Research 119 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3DA Tel: +44(0) 207551 9423 maureenh@verdict.co.uk www.verdict.co.uk About SAS SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. About Verdict Verdict Research is the leading authority on retailing. Its research and publications provide executives in a wide range of business sectors with unrivalled independent analysis of retail sectors & trends. SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY UK retail in 2013 – summary of key points UK retail set to grow by 1.8% in 2013 to £300.7bn – the highest rate of growth since the recession began Larger growth in food retail (2.9%) compared to non-food retail (0.8%) but this is being...
Words: 5839 - Pages: 24
...Sebastian James said he agreed with the views of John Lewis boss Andy Street who warned on Wednesday that rivals such as Amazon would be able to use their tax position to “out-invest” and “out-trade” UK companies. Dixons has 1,200 stores, including PC World and Currys, and Amazon is a major rival. Writing on Twitter, Mr James said: “I agree with Andy Street: retailers making profits in the UK should pay tax in the UK.” The comments from the British retail bosses come after Amazon, Google and Starbucks appeared in front of MPs in the Public Accounts Committee. Amazon has warehouses in the UK and employs 15,000 people but diverts its UK sales to Luxembourg. Related Articles John Lewis blasts 'mad' OFT over warranties 29 Jun 2013 Comet: OpCapita deal 'structurally unsound' 29 Nov 2012 Hancocks sold in sweet deal for family firm 23 Nov 2012 Poor grape harvest to raise wine prices 20 Nov 2012 Majestic Wine benefits from hotels and restaurants 19 Nov 2012 OFT looks at loyalty cards in personal pricing probe 15 Nov 2012 GE Capital: tailored business solutions GE Separately, supermarket group Asda defended its tax payments as “significant”. The company, which is owned by US retailer Walmart, said it paid £163m in corporation tax last year and £886m over the past five years. Business secretary Vince Cable said yesterday that the Government could take action to tackle the problem in the Autumn Statement. "Some of them seem to be avoiding tax systematically and this is deeply...
Words: 281 - Pages: 2
...or colleges. Microsoft product and services are divided into three groups: Productivity and business processes, intelligent cloud, and private computing. Productivity and business processes include Office 365, outlook.com, SharePoint, Skype for business, etc. Intelligent cloud includes server products, cloud services, enterprise services, etc. private computing includes devices, games, phones, etc. Place Microsoft Company sells its products and services into three different locations: the official website “www.microsoftstore.com/store”, Microsoft stores, and authorized distributors. - The Official website: Microsoft online store is a general store that has many products that a customer needs and chooses them according to their need for the product. These products are divided into many sections like devices, software, entertainments, games, and apps etc. The online store also put sales of some of their products to let their customers ordered online and to fulfill all organizational goals. - Microsoft stores: Microsoft stores are available in some countries but it is mostly located in the United States. In worldwide, there are 116 Microsoft stores. There are 106 stores in the United States, 8 stores in Canada, 1 store in Puerto Rico, and 1 store in Australia. - Authorized distributors: Distributors of Microsoft products and services comprise selling outlets, such as Wal-Mart, Dixons, and Microsoft retail stores, in addition to, authorization solutions partners, web activities, and...
Words: 1120 - Pages: 5
..................................... 2007-2011 London Metropolitan University BHs (Hons) in Biomedical Science 2.2 . Data analysis . Clinical Biochemistry . Microbiology 2005-2006 Birmingham College, Hall Green, Birmingham Studied Access to Science Brass Language Centre, Birmingham, studied As and A2 level in Dutch : B 2003-2004 City college, Bordesly Green Woman’s Centre Studied for GCSE’s in: Biology, Chemistry and English 2000-2002 George Dixon School, Edgbaston, Birmingham achieved 2 GCSE’S Dutch A* and Mathematics C . 1999-2000 Groene Hart College, Alphen a/d Rijn, Holland. Attended majority of formal secondary schooling within the Dutch education system. ......................................................................................................................................................... Employment...
Words: 540 - Pages: 3
...and admired businesses in the world’ (Mellahi et al 2002). The company had enjoyed a great success in the retail sector. Marks and Spencer commenced its business activity in Leeds in the late 19th century, as a family-run shop, with strong values. Since then and for many years after, it became popular for its alternative way of business, in comparison to other British retailers (Mellahi et al 2002). It established a good relationship with customers based on loyalty and trust. The firm also gained high respect from the British people; it was considered the biggest corporate charity donor within the UK (Mellahi et al 2002). Not only consumers, but staff and shareholders could share this great success. According to Wallop (2012) the company has been the most important British clothing retailer for decades, and also the first retailer in the UK to publish annual profits of £ 1bn. Lately Marks and Spencer has undergone a difficult period. The latest management changes have once again disrupted stability. In July 2012, M&S announced widespread changes across the company, including a new head of general merchandise, style director and a new head of food. A number of external and internal factors explain these changes. External Factors Consumer spending & Competition External factors can be described as things affecting the company beyond its control. Firstly, the retail industry in which M&S operates has weakened as a result of low consumer spending. Research by Ernst...
Words: 1312 - Pages: 6
...Walgreens: Strategic Evolution 1 America’s largest drugstore chain, Walgreens, had 8,210 locations by 2011, including 7,761 drugstores. Almost 75 percent of Americans lived within five miles of a Walgreens pharmacy, and more than 6 million customers were served each day. Walgreens issued more than 800 million prescriptions annually, representing 20 percent of the U.S. market. Its online business, Walgreens.com, had almost 17 million visitors per month. Walgreens’ strategy had evolved for more than a century in business. By 2012, the company faced a number of major strategic questions, including international expansion and a changing health care environment. History of Pharmacy2 People have been trying to create remedies for illnesses and ailments since the beginning of time, but most historians credit Babylon with the first organized apothecary. This was followed by the Romans, who created a system of pathology and therapy that became standards for Western medicine for more than 1,000 years. For the most part, though, pharmacy remained a sketchy and shadowy business for centuries, practiced by (among others) witch doctors and alchemists. Advances in medicine and the Renaissance era led to more structured and scientific approaches. In 1240, German Emperor Frederick II issued a proclamation establishing the practice of pharmacy along three tenets: (1) separation of the pharmaceutical profession from the medical profession; (2) official supervision (regulation) of pharmacy; and...
Words: 11802 - Pages: 48
...adopt a customer-relationship system. Riordan’s HR reward and compensation policy program needs to be revised to deal with the existing problem. HR professionals over the world know that their toughest job is recruiting and retaining top-notch employees for their companies. With unemployment at its current rate, expanding businesses search for qualified workers like big-game hunters stalking the most elusive prey. Compensation plans and benefit plans are two compensation packages companies are using to invest in its employees. To assist Riordan Manufacturing in changing its sales process, Team D has chose the following companies to use as a benchmark: Liz Claiborne, QUALCOMM, Home Depot, Hertz, Coke Cola, Lafarge, Ford and The Container Store. Team D will then analyze each company by providing key concepts such as designing the elements of an effective employee relations program, create a career development planning model that will incorporate attention to key development success factors, evaluate compensation and motivation practices as they relate to organizational strategy, and discuss the impact of ethics on the determination of compensation and rewards systems. Effective Employee Relations Programs. "Success requires satisfied, loyal employees," as stated by Dreher and Dougherty (2001). Employee performance increases when employees are happy and satisfied not only in what jobs they perform but with the company they are working for, the atmosphere in which the work is...
Words: 5242 - Pages: 21
