...shopping platform that offers rewards). • Leading retailer in home appliances & tools, lawn & garden, fitness equipment, automotive repair & maintenance. • Nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 13M service & installation calls made annually. Strengths &Opportunities: • Having Super Centers operate 24 hours a day that have a full-service grocery along with a merchandise selection of a discount store. • Sears Auto Centers operating in association with full-line stores • Offering its Sears collection through the use of sears.com website • Option of buying through a mobile app or online & picking up merchandise in one of the Full-line or Kmart stores. • Purchase leased operating facilities, as well as offers to sell owned, or assign leased, operating & non-operating properties. • Transforming into an integrated retail strategy. Strengths &Threats: • Selling Sears merchandise, parts & services to commercial customers through the business to business Sears Commercial Sales & Appliance Builder/Distributor businesses. • Sears Commercial sales providing appliances...
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...International Business Planning & Marketing MNM41 A Business Strategy Review and a Marketing Review of Sears 1st submission Date Due in: April 19, 2012 Number of pages: 23 Word count :3,281 Table of Contents sEARS bUSINESS STRATEGY REVIEW i Executive Summary 2-3 introduction brief history and background of sears 4 mission & obJECTIVES II evaluation of sears existing mission and objectives 5-6 External analysis IIi Competitors 7 PEST 8-9 Five forces Analysis 10-11 Opportunities & Threats 11 InternaL aNALYSIS iV Strenghts & Weaknesses 12 Financial ratios analysis 13-14 Past and current strategies 15 Sears current strategic position v Sears current strategy Balance Scorecard 16-17 Porter’s Generic strategies 17 rEcommendations vi Objectives and strategic actions 19-21 Evaluation 22- 23 Conclusion 24-26 Bibliography Executive Summary Sears, once the leader of the retail industry, is now facing financial troubles and is relegated to the 10th position in the market (Store org, 2011). Even after the merger with K-Mart, the retail conditions have not seemed to improved, but in fact, Sears Holding’s financial reports continued to reflect loss. Investor confidence in Sears Holding and its SBUs...
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...Writing a business essay is an integral part of student’s life in the university. There exists a number of sources available on this topic. The literature review is very important in business essay to understand what aspects to cover, what sources to select. Business analysis of the company you research should be mentioned in your essay. The analysis does not refer to large companies only. In the current market conditions it has become important for every organization. In your business essay you need to identify the needs for company survival and decision-making for successful problem solving. The most widely used parts included in this type of essays are: business plan, financing strategy, organization of the company, business project, competition, strategic planning. The rapidity of business development requires the knowledge of all processes associated with leading companies in Canada and the United States as well as in the rest of the world. This is a free extract from business school essay created by one of our writers. This sample is the property of Essay-Paper.net. If you use this paper, you should cite it properly. [...] The Kmart Holding Corporation informed about its intention to acquire Sears and all business publications all over the country reported on the outcomes on the retailers, the real estate implications and the resolve of this step. It is clear that the acquisition of Sears by Kmart Holding Corporation may change the course of future corporation’s actions...
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...The Target Corporation: Strategic Analysis A Comprehensive Report By: Nick Gysberg Kelsey Lee Richard Cline Table of Contents: Target Analysis 3 Wal-Mart Analysis 18 Sears Holdings Analysis 27 Moderate Growth Strategy 39 International Strategy 42 Financial Data 43 Appendix 46 References 50 Strategic Profile The Target Corporation, founded by George Dayton, is now one of the top general merchandise retailers in the United States. The company’s mix of stylish products and everyday essentials at low prices give it a unique strategy; it is one of the only companies to simultaneously incorporate price leadership and differentiation as its strategic business model. Strong private label brands have allowed Target to capture high profit margins. The company also utilizes its large size to achieve economies of scale so as to better compete with merchandising giants such as Wal-Mart, one of Target’s main competitors. PESTL Analysis Political The ever changing international political situation affects both domestic and international firms. International trade policies, political movements and global events all affect the manner in which firms operate within the market. The general retail industry has greatly benefited from the liberalization of international...
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... Prepared for [SEARS] By: [Maria Quinonez] Date: [October 29, 2014] Table of Contents Starting an e-business in the Electronic Global Marketplace: Completing an Integrated e-Marketing Plan 1 Executive Summary 3 Selection of the e-Business for the Project 4 Environmental Analysis of the Marketplace 6 Targeted Market Segmentation 8 Consideration of Placement Decisions 10 Consideration of Product Decisions 13 Considerations of Pricing Decisions 16 Analysis of Innovative Promotional Communication Tools 18 Implementation and Measurement of Strategic Goals 23 Conclusions and Recommendations 25 Appendices 26 Executive Summary Sears was founded in the 1800’s and it was one of America’s largest retailers at one point. However, competition, and evolution took place and left this company struggling to make profits. This forced Sears to come up with a new innovative idea and they created online website/sales. With that idea they needed an e-marketing plan, which is proposed below. Section I: Firm details- This section describes the company and its history. It specifies the success and its struggle, and where the company stands today. It explains the main reason for and e-marketing plan as well as why it would benefit from this plan. Section II: Environmental analysis-Environment plays a big role on every business in the world and for sears it is not an exception. This...
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...is a return on their investment, cash flow is up, and net sales are up but equity is down. The long term debt increased from 2010 to 2011; this is not a major concern because of where the United States economy is and was over the past few years. Companies have taken on more debt because of the economical climate of the country. Moving forward management should place emphasis on the profit gains and not the profit loses, show that... [continues] Business Analysis Part II This business analysis will compare the financial strength and wellness of Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears. The income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports for Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears have been researched to complete this analysis. The analysis will cover the period from 2008 to 2011. Some reports were unavailable because the final quarter of the year for Target ended January 31, 2012. Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears have long been icons in the retail industry. These stores have outlasted other stores such as Burdines’s, Mervyns’, and Zayer’s. Granted Sears has been around more than 100 hundred years, but one does not have longevity without knowledge to...
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...Critical Analysis # 3 The Plan to Rescue Sears The article “The Plan to Rescue Sears” by Miguel Bustillo, analyzed the business recovery strategies that the company plans to implement under CEO Lou D’Ambrosio. D’Ambrosio plans to counteract Sears’ business downturn through a blend of technology and loyalty-reward program. Although this plan might have positive effects, it will only put Sears on the same level with its competitors not ahead of them. Stores such as Macy’s and Target already offer this loyalty-program. In order to reassert its dominance in retail industry, Sears should develop three new strategies including: maintaining capital investments, hiring more experience leaders, and lowering product prices. In order to reassert itself in this industry, Sears needs to maintain its capital investments. Currently, Edward Lampert, the Chairman of Sears Holding, a company created by Lampert through K-Mart-Sears merger, is selling struggling Sears stores. Majority of Sears decision came from Lampert. This action is a bad strategy because in retail business, one of the keys to succeed is expansion. As an article from Forbes describes, “Upon taking ownership, Lampert merged Kmart and Sears into Sears Holding as a new entity. Since then, Lampert has sold some of the Sears properties. Today both Kmart and Sears lack direction and have become irrelevant on the retail scene.” Furthermore, Sears needs a CEO and Chairman who understands the retail industry. As Mark Cohen a professor...
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...We are proposing that Sears Holding Corporation (SHC) divest its subsidiary Kmart Corp. Sears was once a retail giant that offered home appliances, clothing, and hardware. Kmart Corporation acquired Sears, Roebuck and Co in 2005 in the optic of accelerating their process of expansion as Sears targeted several Kmart locations. The merger of those corporations was also made to facilitate the access of branded products to their respective customers. They kept their own specific brands to continue focusing on their customers. By sharing their intelligence data they wanted to improve their revenues and minimize their overall annual costs. However now because of the recession, Sears is becoming less viable as time goes on and it stays alive by shutting down over a hundred storefronts across the nation. Kmart wanted to compete with large discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target so they acquired Sears which now seems to be their downfall. Kmart sales have gone down tremendously because it has not successfully anticipated consumers’ needs. The immediate response of the merger was a decline of 84% in income and later on a net of $170 million loss during the first quarter of 2011. Even if the company’s profit has been positive this year, it seems that it is not at its fullest capacity. Sears’s problem is that it needs to focus more on their own identity and help its own brand image. By dropping Kmart, they can revamp their old fashioned image and give consumers what they want. By...
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...CASE STUDY III FAIRHOLME Ignore the crowd. Fairholme Ignore the crowd. This presentation uses Sears Holdings Corporation (“Sears” or the “Company”) as a case study to illustrate Fairholme Capital Management’s investment strategy for the Fairholme Fund. In the pages that follow, we show Fairholme Fund shareholders why we “Ignore the crowd” with regard to our portfolio positions that are currently out of favor in the market. However, nothing in this presentation should be taken as a recommendation to anyone to buy, hold, or sell certain securities or any other investment mentioned herein. Our opinion of a company’s prospects should not be considered a guarantee of future events. Investors are reminded that there can be no assurance that past performance will continue, and that a mutual fund’s current and future portfolio holdings always are subject to risk. As with all mutual funds, investing in the Fairholme Fund involves risk including potential loss of principal. Opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Fairholme Capital Management, L.L.C. and should not be considered a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice. The Fairholme Fund’s holdings and sector weightings are subject to change. As of May 31, 2012, Sears securities comprised 10% of the Fairholme Fund’s total net assets. The Fairholme Fund’s portfolio holdings are generally disclosed as required by law or regulation on a quarterly basis through reports to shareholders...
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...Competitive analysis A SWOT analysis of Wal-mart indicates the strategies that have seen the company remain at the top. The company has a global presence, which enhances its market share (Ross, 1984). The company is one of the greatest employers in the United States, where people with no college education can get decent jobs. Computerization of its operations has enabled it to strengthen its market share (Ross, 1984). However, Wal-mart has been accused of discriminating against female employees and being insensitive to the environment. Their large buildings have been blamed for congestion and traffic pollution. Wal- mart has numerous opportunities at its disposal with several products to introduce to the market. Introduction of musical products would bring the company enormous profits. The invention of the dollar general discount stores, which offer discounts, was a significant threat. An analysis of Sears Holdings shows that it has strength and leading market position as well as strong retail network. A main weakness is low store sales coupled with lax quality control. Sears Holding has the opportunity of expanding its market to the internet phase to enhance online sales (Ross, 1984). Low consumer confidence and intense competition are the main threats. When Sears started as a mail order catalogue company, its success would not be overlooked. They offered almost everything to their customers including clothing, jewelry, appliances and sewing machines. The company’s success...
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...Acquisition of Sears and Kmart The rapidity of development of businesses today requires the knowledge of all processes associated with leading companies in Canada and the United States as well as in the rest of the world. This is a free extract from business school essay created by one of our writers. This business essay sample is the property of Essay-Paper.net. If you use this business essay paper, you should cite it properly. [...] The Kmart Holding Corporation informed about its intention to acquire Sears and all business publications all over the country reported on the outcomes on the retailers, the real estate implications and the resolve of this step. It is clear that the acquisition of Sears by Kmart Holding Corporation may change the course of future corporation’s actions and plans. The Kmart is presently number three retailer after Wal-Mart and Target in the country. An academic analysis that was conducted on this event states the positive and negative results of the acquisition. [...] Tom Speh, the Rees Distinguished Professor of Distribution at Miami University, thinks the acquisition is a wrong step in this situation: "I do not think these companies have clear aims and will fit each other," he states. "It is not a similar situation with a merger of Kraft and Nabisco where one takes present opportunities and sells more product to reach the greater benefit. Until this moment, I do not see a weighty reason for acquisition." [...] The next problem is whether...
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...sold items for $1 or less. Ten years later, he opened a store in a shopping center in Kansas City, Missouri (Sears Holdings, History). In 1968, Kmart begin to air television commercials to entice shoppers to the stores. Harry B. Cunningham became president in 1959, and developed a new strategy for the organization. While Cunningham was president, Kmart opened their first discount department store in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan; that same year seventeen more stores were opened. In 1976, Kmart made history by opening 271 stores in one year. In 1977, the company changed its name to Kmart Corporation. In order to fully focus on discount merchandising, Kmart sold the remaining Kresge stores (Sears Holdings, History). In 1990, Kmart took on a new logo and a new plan. As part of the plan, Kmart opened the first Kmart Supercenter in Medina, Ohio in 1991. Kmart was totally redesigned in 1996 and became known as Big Kmart. In 1999, Kmart launched a Internet presence, BlueLight.com; it offered free internet services (Sears Holdings, History). In 2002, the company filed Chapter 11 in the US Bankruptcy Court. Julian Day was promoted to CEO in January of 2003. Under his leadership, the company emerged from the Chapter 11 reorganization process (Sears Holdings, History). Strategic Direction Mission Statement The mission statement is a very important element in the business model of an organization. It is established that it should be clearly defined and capture the eight primary...
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...Sears Canada, Inc. (SCC) - Financial and Strategic Analysis Review Reference Code: GDRT32835FSA 290 Yonge Street, Suite 700 Toronto, ON M5B 2B8 Canada Phone Fax Website Exchange +1 416 3621711 +1 416 9414793 www.sears.ca SCC [Toronto Stock Exchange] Revenue Net Profit Employees Industry Publication Date: AUG 2010 5,201 (million CAD) 290.70 (million CAD) 11,240 Retailing Company Overview Sears Canada Inc. (Sears) is a multi-channel retailer. The company engages in providing a variety of merchandise ranging from apparels to electronics to house wares. Its product line includes apparels, footwear, jewellery, home improvements, furniture, appliances, electronics and several others. The company offers its merchandise through specialty stores, including department stores, outlet stores and other store formats; catalog and website. It offers various private label and national brands. Sears is also engaged in real estate business through joint venture interest in shopping centers. The company principally operates in Canada and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Key Executives Name William C. Crowley Dene L. Rogers Deidra D. Cheeks Merriwether R. Raja Khanna Jon Lukomnik Chairman Chief Executive Officer Director Director Director Title SWOT Analysis Sears Canada, Inc., SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong Foothold in Canada Specialized Services Declining Market Share Dependency on Leased Properties Source: Annual Report, Company Website, Primary and Secondary Research...
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...SEARS Marketing Plan Executive Summary Sears Holding Corporation is the fourth largest retailer in the United States and Canada. Its subsidiaries include Sears, Roebuck and Co. as well as K-Mart. The closing of the merger between Sears and K-Mart took place on March 24, 2005. Sears has more than 4,000 retail stores across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Sears offers products and services through over 2,700 branded and affiliated stores. Sears operates 894 broad-line stores and 1,354 specialty stores. Sears’ broad-line stores are mall-based locations. The specialty stores include Sears Hometown Stores that are mostly independently owned, Sears Home Appliance Showrooms, Sears Hardware Stores, Sears Auto Centers, and The Great Indoor Stores (Community, n.d.). Sears is the leading retailer in home appliance, tools, lawn and garden, electronics, and automotive repair and maintenance. They are also the largest home service provider and answers over 11 million service calls a year (About, n.d.). Sears’ values are built upon customer service and the company is committed to quality service and products. Sears aims to build lifetime relationships and trust with its customers. The Company prides itself on having a diverse customer base and values the customer’s individualities. As stated on the corporate website “Everything we do starts and ends with the customer.” (Diversity, paragraph 3). Sears also holds expectations from their employees. The Company values...
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...Quality Management at Sears Holding Corporation Felicia J Town Keller Graduate School of Management Managing Quality GM588 Professor Taylor October 10, 2011 Quality Management at Sears Holding Corporation Richard Sears, a Minneapolis railway station agent, sold lumber and coal to the local residents to make extra money. One day he received an unwanted shipment of watches from a neighboring jeweler and the light bulb in his head lit up, he was ready to start his own watch company. In 1886 Richard W. Sears began Sears Watch Company with the watches that he purchased for resale. In 1887 he teamed up with a watchmaker Alvah C. Roebuck, a young Indiana native to later form the firm Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1893. In 1896 the first general catalog was created. By 1945, Sears had opened a retail store on the west side of Chicago and sales exceeded $1 billion. Sears continued to expand and offer a variety of services. It was until the early 1990s that Sears noticed a significant blow to its sales. 1992 was the start of the retail giant’s culture shift from senior management down to the hourly sales associates (Sears, 2011). A deliveryman, clerk, bookkeeper and teacher- these were all the hats worn by Sebastian S. Kresge. His ambition to succeed and his penny-pinching attitude led him to become a successful businessman. Through five and dime stores to Kmart stores, he became a millionaire. In 1966 sales topped the $1 billion mark. Kresge once said, "I think I was successful...
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