...Department Stores are Struggling! Ashley Pearson FYS: History of Providence Professor Hughes December 17, 2012 In 2012 department stores in Providence are struggling. When one takes a drive through Providence the main retail stores are in the Providence Place Mall. From an outsider’s point of view it doesn’t look like these stores are struggling. After all, everyone in Providence knows where this tremendous mall is. What people do not know is that in reality they are headed downhill. These stores are department stores. A department store is a large retail store carrying a wide variety of merchandise and organized into various departments for sales and administrative purposes.[1] In the past, stores like The Outlet, Gladding and Shepards had trouble keeping up with modern times and eventually this led them to close down. If a department store cannot keep up with this modernization it is in danger of failing. Department stores overall, start to fail due to the social and economic problems that occur in Providence. This paper, therefore will investigate the rise and the fall of these three department store retailers as well as taking a look at why these more modern department stores are struggling to this day. The Outlet is a department store that was built in 1891. It was built under the two brothers Leon and Joseph Samuels and was located on Weybosset Street.[2] Immediately after being built, The Outlet started...
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...After joining the Fire Department in 1986, I took many fire service protection classes, and obtained many certifications (see list). In ’92-93, I joined the hazmat team. In 1997 I was appointed lieutenant. Some of the responsibilities included supervising crews at incidents, managing routine maintenance on apparatus, equipment, building and grounds. I also assisted in the recruiting, selecting, hiring and training new firefighters. I also assisted in supervising and conducting drills. In 1998, I was appointed to the position of Captain. I was given the additional duties of supervising the Lieutenant’s and firefighter’s assigned to my district, being responsible for operational and administrative issues. I also supervised the safety and training of the firefighter’s assigned to my district, planning and instructing during drills. Also as Captain I served periodic weekend duty, where I responded to the other districts and supervised firefighters from other districts during incidents. I have acted as Incident Commander as well as other positions at numerous incidents directing and supervising firefighter’s from Maple Grove as well as other Departments requiring mutual aid. On the training side in 1999-2000 recognizing a growing difference in the levels of training between the firefighter’s that have been on the fire department for 10 years or more and the newer firefighter’s I was allowed to implement a competency based training plan at my station. The goal was to make sure that...
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...Problems Another huge problem we encountered in our research was that Wal-Mart’s services departments are nor living up to its potential. When we think abut Wal-Mart, we think about a huge retail store that offers a variety of things such as electronics, furniture, groceries etc. We often forget other services Wal-Mart has to offer. Such as the tire center, pharmacy, photo center and a financial service. Although Wal-Mart has a clear upper hand on retail and groceries sales, other competitors are beating Wal-Mart when it comes to service departments. Costco is a great example of one of those competitors. They have similar services to offer and have better customer service ratings according to numerous websites. Wal-Mart’s major problems when it comes to service departments are poor customer service, lack of knowledge, and not having enough employees working in each department. Having great customer service is a must in any business. When customer receive terrible or unsatisfying customer service, they’re going to look at other places such as Costco. Too many employees in the service department lack knowledge in their work field. Lots of complaints suggest that the employees in the pharmacy department didn’t know how to work around the application they use. This causes a lot of stress on the customer because now they have to go out and find a new pharmacy. Even in the auto service department, employees didn’t know how to work on a particular car or even broke something in...
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...Norton’s Department Stores Case Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction3 Case Findings4 Evaluations of Alternative Solutions5 Conclusion7 Recommended Plan of Action8 Evaluation of Recommended Solution9 References10 Appendices10 Executive Summary The Norton's chain of department stores has a long and tumultuous history, characterized by their early rise as an industry stalwart in the early twentieth century, to their current state on the brink of bankruptcy. The factors that coalesced to their fall from grace are numerous in nature. Yet one singular factor constantly resurfaces: the mismanagement of the firm stemming from the authority from birth-right exercised. Whatever course of action is taken; whether it is downsizing current locations, creating an e-commerce marketplace, or creating a new pricing strategy, one thing is clear: the main problem of management needs to be addressed first. Introduction Norton’s Department Stores was founded in 1869 by Thomas Norton, in a less than desirable area of Toronto. Since it humble inception, Norton’s have been instilled with certain characteristics conducive to success: “long hours, high quality, and friendly staff (Das, 2005)”. Norton’s has always been a private firm, run exclusively by the Norton family. In its early history, Norton’s experienced exponential growth and came to be known around Canada as a “dependable and customer-friendly merchandising empire (Das, 2005)”. At its height, the firm had...
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...Denver Department Stores, a Colorado retail store chain, is an entity that was suffering from the effects of decreased sales volume. Jim Barton, the supervisor of four departments within the main location in Denver, was struggling with developing a process to improve the store’s sales. Barton identified with the notion that the decrease in sales volume was a simple matter of a slowdown in the economic landscape, and that the downturn would effect all stores in the retail business. However, Barton’s superior, Mr. Cornwall, the general merchandiser of Denver Department Stores, told Barton that some stores have experienced a 15% gain in recent sales. Cornwall made it clear that he expected Barton’s segments to have sales equal to the other departments within the company due to more aggressive salespeople. As a result, Cornwall proceeded to employ a tally card system that would keep track of each employee’s sales as a method of evaluation. It should be noted that Denver Department Stores employs part-time clerks, those responsible for the majority of sales within each department, and head clerks, the superiors to the part-time clerks. The head clerks are responsible for organizing the stock room, training part-time employees, and maintaining the positive appearance of the store. Cornwall concluded that the tally card system would allow the company to eliminate the weak salespeople and replace them with people that possess stronger sales skills. Ultimately, the tally card system did...
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...McGregor’s Ltd. Department Store | To: | Staff members | From: | President James McGregor | Date: | 10/22/2012 | Re: | New discount program | Comments: | McGregor’s Ltd. Department Store in this year has increased in sales, and sales are above the average for retail stores; However, it has acquired the image of being old fashioned and traditional. I would like to change the image of the Store and to achieve higher efficiency and profitability by creating more business sense in the policies of the store. The outdated employee discount program is the place to start. Under the current employee’s discount program which is complex and in egalitarian, the size of the discount depends on the position of an employee, and there are six possible discounts existed. Some discounts are eating into profit margins such as major electrical appliances, calculators, cameras, and typewriters. In the other hand, salespeople, maintenance workers, and clerks are not getting a fair shake; therefore, new policy, which is more generous for most employees would encourage spending on high-profit-margin goods and increase the involvement of employees in the store and should lead to a significantly greater volume of sales. The new policy is based on simplicity, equality, and profitability. The discount would vary according to the goods purchased, not the status of the purchaser. There are three tiers in this program: 1. 10 percent discount would be given on low margin goods, such as large electrical...
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...Violence Against Nurses in the Emergency Department Kimberly L. Kirk Professional Nursing Practice of the Baccalaureate Nurse August 8, 2014 Violence against Nurses in the Emergency Department According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence is defined as “an act of aggression directed toward persons at work or on duty, ranging from offensive or threatening language to homicide” (Wolf, Delao & Perhats, 2014, p.305). Workplace violence (WPV) can include verbal, physical, and emotional abuse, or any type of threatening behavior that can cause physical or emotional harm. According to the Emergency Nurse’s Association Position Statement (2010), “workplace violence is a serious occupational risk for the emergency nursing workforce and has been recognized as a violent crime that requires targeted responses from employers, law enforcement, and the community.” Due to the lack of research concerning workplace violence and other barriers such as underreporting, failure to prosecute, and lack of management support the enormity, of this issue is grossly underrepresented. Individuals who assault ER nurses should be prosecuted. Without increased and consistent prosecution for assault on emergency nurses, patients and families will still think it’s acceptable to physically or verbally assault a nurse. As the ENA position statement (2010) proposes, stronger legislation is necessary to help decrease the view that violence...
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...Freestanding Emergency Departments(FSED) are another health care services options for individuals that need quick, effective and urgent services. Health care services are growing retail revolution, providers are faced with a variety of possible facility investments at location convenience for patients, provide footprint expansion, fully equipped to deal with emergent cases, and may be profitable with the right payer mix. Freestanding Emergency Centers are required to provide the same level of care as the basic emergency room, except for a trauma care unit. Freestanding Emergency Centers are usually closer to one’s home and the waiting time for treatment is shorter than that of a hospital emergency room. Unlike urgent care centers, FSEDs are required to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and must have around the clock lab and...
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...engaged in the performance of the 2010 annual audit of United Department Stores Inc.(henceforth UDS) UDS is the second largest retail department store in the US with projected 2010 consolidated total assets of approximately 18 billion and projected consolidated sales of 7 billion. Consolidated Net income for the year ended January 31, 2010 is currently projected to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $ 150 million. You are currently performing pre-closing audit field work during the last week of January 2010. In the course of performing your field work you discover the following circumstance: UDS proposes to suspend $28 million of 2009 depreciation charges applicable to its new discount department store chain, Details underlying this proposal are as follows: UDS acquired all of the net assets of Worthless Stores Inc. on July 31, 2008 for $ 850 million. Worthless had been a moderately successful national retailer that owned and operated 60 relatively modern stores. These store facilities were located in major cities in 25 of the 50 States. Cost assigned to the 60 stores acquired was $ 425 million. Land acquired was valued at $ 40 million. From July 31, 2008 until March 30 2009 UDS wound down the operations of the Worthless Stores and sold-off most of the existing inventories. On March 31, 2009 UDS closed the Worthless Stores and began a program to re-decorate and re-equip them for a new Discount Retail Department Store Operation. This plan had been contemplated at the time...
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...External Analysis for Macy’s Departmental Stores Inc. Introduction Macy’s Department Stores Incorporated or Macy’s is an American based retail chain of departmental stores. It is currently operating under two brand names the Macy’s and Bloomingdale in over forty five states of America. The company specializes in the range of products including jewelry, furniture, house hold items, footwear, clothing and other related items.It also offers online shipping services to the clients in large numbers of countries. The company currently operates in four business segments including Macy’s, macy.com, Bloomingdale’s and Bloomingdales.com (one source, 2011). The company’s stocks are listed in the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol M (Macy’s Inc, 2011). The current market capital of the company is over thirteen billion US dollars and holds second position while Kohl’s Corporation has over sixteen billion US dollars market capital holding first position in the markets (NYSE:M, 2011). SWOT Analysis SWOT Matrix Strengths • Market position • Business operations • ecommerce Weaknesses • Legal issues • Geographic concentration Opportunities • Business expansion • Expanded product lines • mergers Threats • Competition • Regulations • Economic conditions Strengths Macy’s Inc. is among the largest retail outlets operating in the United States that deals in the diverse range of products like apparel, households, jewelry etc. The...
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...Comments of all the departments of your company • President. Responsibilities of a president are creating, communicating, and implementing the organization's vision, mission, and overall direction. Leading, guiding, directing, and evaluating the work of other executive leaders. Evaluating the success of the organization. I think the president is the top person in command in an organization and has specific responsibilities. So to me, I really do think that our company’s president didn’t do well at communicate with each organization. He didn’t show any management skills also. He usually just gives out orders, but didn’t tell us how to do it and how he expects to be. No leadership skills at all. Don’t know what each department’s leader is doing. Feel like he is not in the game. • Production. Responsibilities of production are needs to closely maintain standards in quality, and ensure that there are no slips. Make sure that the manufacturing is timely. Oversee the repair and maintenance of all the production equipment and ensure that it is completely hazard-free. Training the production team members and updating the company's production facilities to maximize the output. I think our production team did a pretty good job. We did a detailed surveys before we sale our commodity also production team teach us the production process. So it will be a smooth functioning. Good communication with other departments. Always have our supply ready, don’t have to wait. Know what we are doing...
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...Memo of Macy’s Department store repositioning Case Synopsis The traditional department store was the dominant player in the American retail industry in the first half of the 20th century, which was designed to provide a unique shopping experience for consumers. However, only 50 years later, this mainstay of retail world was experiencing declining sales and serious questions were being raised as to whether its demise was imminent. Firstly, this case gives us a brief introduction of Macy’s, which is consolidated by 15 regional department stores with 810 store locations across the country. The company repositioned the consolidated Macy’s in the overall retail landscape in an attempt to differentiate the new company from its competitors. Secondly, the case provides a situation analysis of the factors Macy’s is facing, which includes the general economic environment, industry (product and services and segments), competition and consumers. Last but not the least, the case details not only Macy’s 2005-2006 consolidation and repositioning strategy but also Macy’s 2006-2011 post-consolidation. Questions 1. Complete a situation analysis of the traditional department store industry and of Macy’s as of 2005. Which factors in the external environment could (positively or negatively) affect the success of Macy’s new strategy? Which internal factors could affect the success of the company’s strategy? I think the following external environment factors could affect the success...
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...Hightower Department Stores: Imported Stuffed Animals Executive Summary On the morning of January 17, 1993, before the annual buying trip to Germany for the 1993 Christmas season, the toy buyer for the chain of Hightower Department Stores named Julia Brown was reviewing the performance of some models of stuffed animals tested for sales during 1992. Every time Julia’s on the trip, she would buy some stuffed animals for testing. Fifty was the minimum amount the manufacturers require. Based on Julia’s years of buying experience, the tested result would give Julia a clear estimation about how many new stuffed animals she needed to order. Figure 1 in below shows the timeline of how Julia buys the toys for the company: 1992 January 1993 December 1994 50 of Each Tested for sale: Evaluation Test Results then Order Estimated Number of Bear, Pig, Bear, Pig, & Raccoon & Buy Test Toys for 1994 Christmas & Raccoon for Christmas Season Figure 1: Timeline of how Julia buys the toys for the company Decision Problem During last year, three stuffed animals were tested for sale, including a bear, a pig, and a raccoon. The result shown there were 10 out of 50 bears, 4 out of 50 pigs, and 32 out of 50 raccoons sold. Julia was faced with a decision to make about whether she should import the toys from Germany or but the toys domestically...
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...Kerstin Duncan NRS-433V Introduction to Nursing Research July 7, 2012 Professor Maria Baptiste Violence in the Emergency Department Reference: Gates, D., M., Gillespie, G., L., & Succop, P. (2011). Violence against nurses and its impact on stress and productivity. Nursing Economic$, 29(2), 59-67. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010999034&site=ehost-live&scope=site Abstract: XXX The purpose of this study was to examine how violence from patients and visitors is related to emergency department (ED) nurses' work productivity and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). XXX Researchers have found ED nurses experience a high prevalence of physical assaults from patients and visitors. Yet, there is little research which examines the effect violent events have on nurses' productivity, particularly their ability to provide safe and compassionate patient care. XXX A cross-sectional design was used to gather data from ED nurses who are members of the Emergency Nurses Association in the United States. Participants were asked to complete the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and Healthcare Productivity Survey in relation to a stressful violent event. XXX Ninety-four percent of nurses experienced at least one posttraumatic stress disorder symptom after a violent event, with 17% having scores high enough to...
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...Service? The United States secret service is a federal law enforcement agency in one of the department of homeland security.(1) The United States secret service is one of the oldest departments in homeland security. The secret service was formed 150 years ago back in the 1865. The secret service division and the primary mission and responsibilities was to protect the us government from fraud and abuse for us the government money the wrong for as gambling it over money laundry things of that nature (2). Over the course of the years from 1865 to 1867 the secret service division moved from Washington D.C back to New York back to Washington D.C reason being because the division needs stability and a city to put their headquarters. (1)After the assassination of President Williams McKinley in 1901 that’s when the division of secret service changed to The United States Secret Service, with that event happening it changed the primary mission of the secret service to protect our President of The United States then everything thing else but the President First. Today the United States (4) Secret Service has over 6,750 employees and annual budget of 1.8 billion dollars which is subject to change during each fiscal year. (4) The United States service also has over 4,400 sworn members and two parent agencies the first one is the U.S Department of Homeland Security and the second one is U.S Department of the Treasury. United States secret service is one that really stood out to me because of...
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