Top 10 Movies Set in Sicily

The Inclusiveness Of The Place Dimension - 1587 Words

3.4. Discussion (the inclusiveness of the Place dimension): A tension has always existed in architectural theories between art, social, and rational notions. The inception of the Bauhaus based mainly on the notion of unifying all the aspects of art under the wing of architecture. This art-driven perspective derived architectural practice to the creation of the international style. Modernism was founded on the unity, the whole, and the progress of humanity, as in Marxism. This was done regardless of the sensibility of social and environmental needs on the local scale. It lost any continuation with the existing social and constructed values. Socially and contextually correspondent architecture were the main driving forces behind the revolute architectural theories that substituted modernism. Art always persists along architectural movements, either as the main driving force or as a guaranteed consequent that is achieved in the background, as is the case for the rational perspective. In the foreground or the background, it comes with different f lavors that is affected with or affects the principles of these theories. This existential property of art can be deducted by reviewing the aforementioned architectural theories. The different relations between the art, social, and rational motives would be comprehended better after discovering more urban dimensions by the end of the coming chapter. The aforementioned different types of places exhausted a fair amount of known placeShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Bc Hydro s Diversity And Inclusiveness Strategy1245 Words   |  5 PagesDiversity Initiatives The foremost step of BC Hydro was all about developing a strategy to advance the workplace diversity and inclusiveness based on leading research. Some fundamental elements of BC Hydro’s diversity and inclusiveness strategy that are viewed to be essential for success include: †¢ Clearly defined diversity goals including accountabilities, reporting, dimension and schedule. †¢ A sustaining business case for diversity which helps in accomplishment of goals. †¢ Effective recruitment strategiesRead MoreCultural Differences Between Hofstede s Six Dimensions1356 Words   |  6 PagesCultural Differences in Hofstede’s Six Dimensions In a global economy, the way employees interact within the workplace is critical to the way that business is conducted and is ultimately successful. Leaders and managers who interact within the global setting need to understand differences between each person’s culture, regardless of whether or not the interaction is amongst employees or clients. These differences can include mannerisms or methods of etiquette that may seem strange or unique toRead MoreDefining Diversity: the Evolution of Diversity1435 Words   |  6 Pagesrecognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical ability, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity within each individual (cited from http://gladstoneRead MoreCompetitive Authoritarianism And Political Authoritarianism869 Words   |  4 Pagesregularly misuse state resources while oppressed are denied simple liberties. Anyone who is opposed is often killed or jailed. Competitive Authoritarianism is not an authoritarian and is not quite a democracy, but it has democratic institutions in place and incumbents cannot reduce them. 2. perils of presidentialism and democratic failure Juan Linz Presidentialism can increase democratic failure by promoting zero-sum politics, it has potential to become a divided government or dictatorship, potentialRead MoreAnalysis Of Hofstede s Dimension Of Culture1420 Words   |  6 Pages Question 1. How might the troubles with the tourism company be explained by Hofstede’s dimension of culture. Make sure to look at both Japanese and American cultures. Table 6.1 Show Japan and the United States rank on the five dimensions of culture. Individualism- Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Power Distance Masculinity- Femininity Long-Term and Short-Term Japan Both Extremely high Moderate Extreme masculinity Long term United States Extreme individualismRead MoreA Diverse Work Environment The Management Of A Company Or Firm Is A Crucial Role1147 Words   |  5 PagesWork becomes more enjoyable when the environment is equal and differences/similarities of individuals are valued. A current study examines the potential barriers to workplace diversity and suggests strategies to enhance workplace diversity and inclusiveness. It is based on a survey of 300 IT employees. The study concludes that successfully managing diversity can lead to more committed, better satisfied, better performing employees and potentially better financial performance for an organization. Today’sRead MoreBuilding an Innovative Workplace –New Strategies in Gen Y Recruitment1457 Words   |  6 PagesBuilding an Innovative Workplace – New Strategies in Gen Y Recruitment Executive Summary 2. Implementation – Three Steps in Global Diversity Recruitment Step 1: Identify Top 3 Diversity Dimensions Per Region †¢ Align with global diversity recruitment strategy with current diversity focus dimensions: Gender, Race/ Ethnicity/Nationality, LGBT, etc. This ensures a â€Å"local† approach to global diversity recruitment efforts – not US-centric. †¢ Choose 3 local demographic focus groups in each regionRead MoreAdaptation Of Dantes Inferno914 Words   |  4 PagesAdaptations are form of art, like video games, that open up dimensions for makers to transcode them while giving them new meanings, in this way keeping them intriguing. In any case, when the same poem, or a component of a poem is utilized in a new way, it will spark debates on which one is superior. Mary Jo Bang gives an innovative, new interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, represented with illustrations by Henrik Drescher. Dante’s epic lyric and Mary Jo Bang’s translation of the Inferno are both extraordinaryRead MoreStrategic Thinking : A Coherent, Integrative And Unifying Framework For Mak ing Decisions1452 Words   |  6 Pagesperspectives and experiences that arise from having different races, religion, age, gender, physical abilities and sexual orientation. These dimensions have the potential to affect success, performance, motivation, and the way in which the organization interacts with other people. It is, therefore, important for the organization to understand the dimensions of diversity to be more successful in this new environment. The organization needs to affirm, recognize and value social diversity and the richnessRead MoreTechnological Pessimism Essay1194 Words   |  5 PagesMarx, fit the new reality â€Å"in which the boundary between the intricately interlinked artifactual and other components — conceptual, institutional, human — is blurred and often invisible.† Marx goes on to add, â€Å"by virtue of its abstractness and inclusiveness, and its capacity to evoke the inextricable interpenetration of (for example) the powers of the computer witht eh bureaucratic practices of large modern institutions, ‘technology’ (with no specifying adjective) invites endless reification.† The

E-Retail Industry †The Uk Internet Grocery Market Free Essays

This study aims to understand the competitive environment of some of the main retailers within the UK market and to demonstrate the different elements of the e-environment that impact on the retailer’s business and marketing strategy. Furthermore this study will assess the impact of many factors and constraints surrounding the e-retail industry and specifically the grocery sector of the retail industry. It is known globally that the UK has the most developed grocery e-tailing sector in the world and that is increasingly appearing specially after the failure of many business models which have adopted the internet for distributing and selling there products This study will exclude B2B sector and will focus on B2C sector in the retail market I will be focusing on the online grocery market and the main British players leading this market. We will write a custom essay sample on E-Retail Industry – The Uk Internet Grocery Market or any similar topic only for you Order Now I have selected this industry because recently, it has caused a noise globally, and many interested people are wondering whether this industry has reached the mature level or it is still growing or it is only a noise which will lose its importance later. The UK Grocery Market it is estimated that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½105 billion of groceries are sold in Britain each year, (MINTEL Nov, 2002) , that shows a noticeable increase in sales over the period since 1999 until the end of 2002. The Total retail sales through specialist and non-specialist food retailers were worth some à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90 billion in 1999 and many specialists predict this market to continue growing to reach 120 billion by 2005 (MINTEL, Nov. 2000) Within the food market itself, fruit and vegetables represent the largest market, with high demand within the sector for fresh produce. Convenience foods – fresh and frozen ready meals – are also highly demanded, as are products which generally fit well with the needs of the much maligned ‘cash rich and time poor’ consumer. Key debates within the market surround the use of genetically modified (GM) produce, and this has helped to create niches in the retail market for suppliers of GM-free or organic ranges. The major supermarkets have been moving quickly into the organic sector, in which higher margins can be found. (Key Note) The UK grocery market is driven by economic factors, population structures, household size employment pattern and lifestyle patterns whose impact is shown below as macroeconomic factors: Economic factors – Although consumer expenditure is predicted to continue to grow by 12.6% to 2004, with personal disposable income expected to also grow steadily, it is unlikely that this will impact strongly on spending on food for in-home expenditure; As personal wealth has grown, spending on food has decreased as a proportion of total expenditure, with leisure activities, including eating out, taking most of the surplus. Some premium categories of food, such as organic produce, will benefit. As a result the focus of promotional strategy is moving away from price competitiveness towards other aspects of the retail offer. The population structure – Food expenditure and the overall market size is directly related to the size of the population but the long-term outlook for the British population is for very low growth, implying that the food retailing sector is likely to find domestic profits hard to grow. Household structure – Over the period 1999-2004, an increase of 830,000 (3.4%) (MINTEL, Nov 2000) household is anticipated. This is due to factors other than an increase in population; the growth is coming from one- and two-person households, due to rising divorce and separation rates, getting married later or not at all and the elderly living longer These trends disrupt the economic logic of the superstore model which is designed to offer large families convenient means to buy large volumes of food in one place, relatively infrequently, during the daytime, and to transport that shopping home by private car. Yet only 20% of adults have children under 16 living at home with them. All the major grocery retailers are competing to grow their share of this crucial segment of the population. Smaller households equate to more frequent shops for a few items at a time, often at unsociable hours, a considerably more expensive retailing proposition. Changing employment patterns and practices, with increasing frequency of part-time working, mean there are fewer families in which one partner has the time to shop at relative leisure during the day, and more for whom shopping is a shared duty, carried out whenever busy schedules will allow. In turn, time-pressured shoppers will often want to use a variety of shopping patterns according to circumstance, with retailers being required to offer more channels to market in order to compete. This cannot be done without cost implications. Changes in consumer tastes and lifestyles have an influence on grocery demand patterns. Healthy-food fashions and food-safety scares cause people to change what they eat, while there is a strong trend towards snacking and convenience eating – which involves an increasing proportion of food being bought through channels other than grocery retailers.(MINTEL) Internet adoption in the UK retail Sector Retailers generally begin on-line activities by providing information and interactive communication. Their site may develop into an electronic shop almost mirroring their offline activities A study by the department of trade and industry (DTI) called, ‘E-Commerce Impact Study: Retail Overview’ (www.dti.gov.uk 29 July 2002) shows that: More than 75% of retailers are adopting e-business technologies, Nearly a quarter of retailers surveyed, and more than 56% of micro firms in the convenience store sector, have not thought about the benefits of the e-commerce. This report provides a detailed look at a number of key retail sector, and shows how UK retailers are getting to grip with e-commerce and that modern technologies are helping to change the way they do business. The report mentioned that: – 77% of companies are adopting e-commerce technologies – 71% of businesses use external e-mail – 53% of firms have a website More British food shoppers have converted to online grocery shopping than in any other country. However, Internet sales still represent a tiny, although growing, percentage of the overall UK grocery market. Most people use the Internet as a way of gathering information on products and making price comparisons before visiting their local store.(Key Note) Despite these statistics are showing quite positive numbers, some experts and specialists state that this field needs further research to determine the extent to which the web is likely to promote long term changes in the retail sector . Table 1 A classification of online retail activit 1 Food and consumables: Grocery, including supermarkets and hyper-markets 2 Convenience stores 3 Specialists food retailers, e.g. bakers and confectioners 4 Alcohol retailers, including off-licences 5 Clothing and accessories: Clothing retailers, including female, male and children 6 Footwear retailers, including fashion and work wear 7 Jewellery retailers, including accessories 8 Home: Furnishings retailers, including hard and soft furnishings and Textiles 9 Electrical goods, including brown and white goods and Computers 10 DIY, including gardening 11 Leisure and entertainment: Sports retailers, including sportswear and equipment 12 Toys retailers, including games, hobbies and crafts 13 Books, music, stationery and video retailers 14 News, including newsagents and CTNs 15 Health and beauty: Health and beauty, including chemists and opticians 16 Home shopping: Home shopping, including catalogues and mail order Directories 17 Mixed stores: Mixed stores, including department stores and variety retailers Source N.F. Doherty, F. Ellis-Chadwick and C.A. Hart. 1999 .Cyber retailing in the UK: the potential of the Internet as a retail channel Online Grocery UK Market In the UK online market there are four main grocery retailers dominating the market those are (Tesco, J Sainsbury, Asda, and Iceland.co.uk) According to the researchers the UK leads the world in online grocery shopping. â€Å"Chains like Tesco and Iceland have been much faster than their US counterparts in exploiting the immense potential of new virtual shopping markets.† They estimate that the online grocery market is already worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200m a year and will reach à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1bn within two years.(Guardian Friday February 4, 2000 ) The online grocery market is characterised by many of the features of the traditional grocery market. Big supermarkets have woken up to the Internet as a distribution channel and are gearing up to dominate the market. Smaller suppliers, using the Web as another side of their portfolio, are sure to lose out in this area. Smaller niche suppliers make up a large element of the market in terms of numbers of firms. In fact, there are so many companies, many of which operate on a very local delivery basis, that it is almost impossible to calculate their actual number. MARKET SIZE Online shopping grew 19 times faster than traditional brick-and-mortar retailing in December 2002, and increased a further five percent in January 2003 to represent six percent of all UK retail .(www.nua.com) Various reported predictions suggest the online grocery market will be worth around up to 10 % of 120 billion which is the predicted grocery market size by 2005 (MINTEL Nov, 2000) The current size of the UK online grocery market has been estimated to be worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.2bn. (Key Note 2001), while Tesco reported 446 million sales during 2003. Sainsbury’s the second market leader announced annual sales of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½110 million during 2002 (MINTEL Mar 2003) More than half the UK population will have bought something online by the end of 2003. Online shopping will represent 7% of all retail sales in the UK, accounting for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 billion a month.(MINTEL Apr 2003) The total size of the UK grocery market has been estimated at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100bn per year. To support the market, the UK has 5.9 million online shoppers, growing to a predicted 8.5 million over the next 5 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500m of turnover, that suggests that average spending per user in 2000 was in the region of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½83 per head, suggesting that the Majority of users are not regular consumers of online services.(Key Note) Market size is difficult to determine, as figures for turnover from Internet sales are often included in total sales figures. Companies that are struggling to perform in the market may be taking a rather flexible view in how they present figures that may disappoint shareholders. However, Key Note’s assessment is that the size of the true online market is currently à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½465m (lower than many estimates suggest). Within this, Tesco claims 64.5% of the market, Sainsbury’s 9%, ASDA 7.5%, Iceland 4.7%, , with the balance held by a range of independents, small suppliers and niche companies. Table:2 The UK Online Grocery Market by Online Sales by Supermarket (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m and %), 2000 Online Sales (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m) % of Total Tesco 300 64.5 J Sainsbury 42 9.0 ASDA Wal-Mart 35 7.5 Iceland.co.uk 22 4.7 Others 66 14.2 Total 465 100.0 Source: Key Note Macro Environment To understand the macro-environment a technique called a PEST (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, and Technological) analysis is usually undertaken. The PEST analysis identifies all external factors that affect the way a business can operate. What follows is a PEST for the E-grocery industry PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The UK government sets itself as the target of making the UK the world’s best place for e-commerce by developing public internet access and e-commerce awareness among UK businesses To trade in the UK there are 40 different laws that a company may be subject to (chaffey) Stephen Timms, e-commerce Minister, said: â€Å"The UK’s retailers are making progress in adopting e-commerce and developing e-business solutions. But there clearly is room for improvement, and we cannot afford to be complacent. â€Å"E-business technologies offer a wealth of benefits. In order to exploit these we must help create the right culture throughout the business community so that UK firms of all sizes can seize the competitive advantage. â€Å"UK online for business is leading the way in getting business online, and the Government’s aim to make the UK the best place in the world for e-commerce.†( http://www.gnn.gov.uk) The first Annual Report on the strategy was launched in September 2000. The UK strategy for online development is laid down in the UK Online Action Plan, which details 94 recommendations for action in 25 areas of priority. One specific goal is to develop the UK as the world’s best environment for electronic trading by 2002. This, it is stated, will be achieved in four specific ways: * Encouraging competition in Internet access markets * Establishing a new regulatory framework for converging telecommunications and broadcasting markets * removing regulatory obstacles to electronic ways of working * Co-operating with international partners to develop a ‘global framework for e-commerce’. Oftel (Office of Telecommunications) is one of the tools for achieving this strategy, and, as such, has been charged with driving competition in the areas of dial-up access and delivering high-speed access routes to the Internet , specifically the encouragement of adoption of Broadband technology, and NPD (new product development) in the mobile-phone and fixed-wireless markets. Government strategy is to put as many UK consumers as possible online. Those responsible for driving this strategy are aware of consumer concerns about the Internet that must be addressed if the Government’s objective is to be secured.(Key Note) ECONOMICAL FACTORS The innovation in information technology (IT) and new business practices facilitated by IT are forming a â€Å"new† economy, Electronic commerce and the IT innovations fuelling it are supposed to be fundamentally changing the logics of business practice, forming new social realities, and new business models. Traditional â€Å"old economy† firms and organizations are busy building bridges to the new economy. A stable rate of economic growth is one way in which the Government hopes to guarantee macro-economic stability, which can assist firms when assessing the risks associated with innovative practices. This, combined with the factors outlined below, has an influential effect on the rate of growth of the online grocery market. Low Cost of Internet Access One of the main drivers encouraging the use of Internet access and e-grocery in the UK is the relatively low cost of time spent online. The UK is the cheapest off-peak location in the world from which to surf the Internet, peak rates have has been dropped. This advantageous position benefits consumers, and the state of competition within the market is strong, with a large number of good quality Internet service providers (ISPs) available and eager to serve the public demand. Levels of Disposable Income The greater the levels of PDI consumers have, the more likely they are to be tempted towards higher margin products. Such high-margin products can make the difference between a profitable online transaction and a loss-making one. Table: 3 Index of Personal Disposable Income (1995=100 and %), 1995-2001 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Disposable Income index 100 106 113 116 122 127 132 % change Year-on-year – 6.0 6.6 2.7 5.2 4.1 3.9 Source:National Statistics Table 3 shows that levels of disposable income are rising, and have risen by 32% since 1995. The indications are that the upward trend will continue to apply, suggesting that this economic indicator will contribute to growth within the market in the short term. Rate of Change of Prices The change of prices gives a good sign of the stability of the economy. The UK has a low rate of inflation, and this is confirmed by an assessment of the RPI in Table 4 Table 4: Retail Price Index for All Items and Food(1995 =100 and %), 1995-2000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 RPI (all items) 149.1 152.7 157.7 162.9 165.4 170.0 % change Year-on-year _ 2.4 3.3 3.3 1.5 2.8 RPI (food) 151.4 154.9 160.5 166.5 169.4 175.2 % change Year-on-year – 2.3 3.6 3.7 1.7 3.4 RPI – retail price index Source: National Statistics It can be seen from Table: 4 that the rate of change in the price of food between 1995 and 2000 has been roughly in line with the general rate of change in the RPI. Similarly European Currency and Simplification O European Trading Laws The advance of the European currency and the simplification of European trading laws will mean that Consumers will find it increasingly easy to trade with European retailers. The Internet offers International retailers a great opportunity to attack the UK marketplace. British shoppers are already prepared to go Euro to get what they want online. â€Å"Big brand names are in the best position to immediately exploit e-commerce but if they don’t start moving soon the threat from foreign competition is real.† (Jolanta Pilecka, E-commerce Marketing Manager, Hewlett-Packard). In future a number of important factors might affect the economic state of the UK and inevitably supermarkets. The first is the possible introduction of the Euro. The Euro has been introduced in various European countries, but most notably France. The introduction of the Euro in France has pushed up weekly shopping bills for the average French household by 10 per cent. Could the same be expected to happen in Britain should the Euro SOCIAL FACTORS To know the barriers to consumer online purchasing adoption it is useful to understand the different factors that affect the level of internet access. Value proposition ease, Security and fear of unknown are the main factors affecting the internet adoption (Chaffey) Over the period July to September 2002 an estimated 11.4 million households in the UK could access the internet from home, that amount 46 percent of all households. This is over twice the number three years earlier and is an increase of 7 percent from 39 percent reported in the third quarter of 2001. (www.nua.com ) Evidence suggests that household formation will continue to grow, but that the profile of home size as mentioned at the first of this paper will stay strongly biased towards homes with one or two people. Table 5: Changing Household Numbers in the UK (million and %), 2000 and 2005 2000 2005 Million % of Total Million % of Total One person 7.3 29.1 8.0 31.1 Two persons 8.9 35.5 9.0 35.0 Three persons 3.7 14.7 3.5 13.6 Four persons 3.5 13.9 3.5 13.6 Five or more persons 1.7 6.8 1.7 6.6 All households 25.1 100.0 25.7 100.0 Source:National Statistics An estimated 62 %of adult in the Great Britain have accessed the internet some time according to figures from the October 2002 national omnibus survey. This is equivalent to approximately 28.6 million adults in Britain having accessed the internet. In the month prior to the survey 52 per cent of adults had accessed the internet. Differences between the countries and regions of the UK Levels of access vary greatly between different parts of the UK. In October 2001 to September 2002 the proportion of households with access was lowest in Northern Ireland (30%), Wales (31%) and the West midlands (34%). It is noticeable that the proportions were highest in the East of England (52%), London (50%) and the South East (50%) were around half of households had access to the internet. Table:6 Households with home access to the Internet by Government Office Region UK country: October 2000 to September 2001 and October 2001 to September 2002 Oct 2000 Oct 2001 to to Sep 2001 Sep 2002 Per cent North East 26 36 North West 35 41 Yorkshire and the Humber 32 39 East Midlands 40 46 West Midlands 35 34 East 40 52 London 46 50 South East 46 50 South West 38 41 England 39 44 Wales 27 31 Scotland 30 40 Northern Ireland 26 30 United Kingdom 37 43 Source: national statistics According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (www.itu.int ) it is shown that in the UK 36.62 per 100 own a PC Table 7: Internet Estimated PCs Hosts total 2002 Hosts per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Users (k) 2002 Users per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Total (k) 2002 Per100 Inhab. 2002 2`865`930 485.03 24`000.0 4`061.74 22,00 36.62 table 7 , shows that a large proportion of the UK population own a PC that makes accessing the internet easer than going to the work place or other places Legal and ethical concerns It is argued that people do not change as quickly as may be believed. They still do not like parting with personal details, especially to those that they do not trust. Firms that request data from consumers need to make supplying information optional and allow users to change and delete the information provided. Crucially, they need to convince consumers that they will treat all information confidentially. Firms that are recognised as ‘good citizens’ and with a high reputation in this regard are well placed to ease the anxieties of consumers scared of fraudulent use of details. Smaller companies with an Internet-only presence will find it hard to build up this trust. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS E-retailing can be seen as an innovation in retailing that in turn is built around a technological innovation Many reports have summarized technological problems as: The complexity of the user interface bandwidth restrictions and access connection speeds and security concerns A wide range of new technologies have enabled companies to create better and more efficient relationships with consumers as e-retailers: – provide more information in the pre-shop experience; – increase the number of access points to meet customers needs; – offer a wider choice of products than can be held in-store; and, – improve the overall service provision, for example through better stock management. www.gnn.gov.uk Technological breakthroughs are some of the key drivers in building the right conditions for online grocery to thrive. The main technological factors influencing the market include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The expansion of broadband Internet à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The introduction and growth of DTV (digital television) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ M-commerce (mobile-commerce) and WAP (wireless application protocol) phones à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated reordering systems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Systems offering defence against fraud à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated customer service. (Key Note 2001) Broadband Internet One of the problems many consumers have when dealing with the Internet is the speed of access. Many consumers connect using 56K modems, although the majority never achieve this speed, perhaps because they live a great distance from the central phone-exchange routes or because their phone lines are too old. Broadband connections can alleviate this problem. Broadband connections come in two basic types: digital subscriber line connections (DSL) and cable modem connections In the first quarter of 2001, the number of DSL lines grew by 90% in the UK This market is likely to experience high growth in the coming years.(www.itu.int) Digital Television Advancements in television are running parallel to other Internet-enabled technologies 4.4 million households had DTV in 2000, and the figure is now probably in excess of 5 million. Not all DTV services are fully Internet-enabled, but there are plans to achieve this. The growth rate in subscription to DTV services is believed to be higher than the rate of new subscribers to ISPs. It has been suggested that more than 45% of homes will have digital satellite TV by 2008 (generating revenues for the communications companies of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.4bn per year). One of the major barriers to e-grocers is the high costs charged to the suppliers by the DTV companies. Tesco reported to have found Open Digital’s charges too expensive to make a venture worthwhile, however, the majority of the large supermarkets are signing up to the service may have very severe consequences in the long term. M-Commerce and WAP Phones M-commerce for all markets in Europe is forecast to reach levels of around $38bn by 2004.(Key Note) with over half of European companies planning to offer some form of service via mobile phones (particularly in the banking and service sectors). Major multiples are increasingly active in the service sector, and their online successes in other areas could well spill over into m-commerce activities, Mobile communications company Ericsson has estimated that, by 2004, there will be more than 600 million people using mobile Internet services in Europe. In 2000, the market for subscriptions to mobile-phone services grew by 67% and by 84% in 2002 .(www.itu.int ) However, WAP phones, currently the only method of accessing Internet via a mobile, have been relatively slow to catch on in Europe and make up only 15% of overall handset sales globally. Automated Re-ordering Systems All the technologies so far discussed require a conscious effort on the behalf of the consumer. In the future, it is possible that automated re-ordering systems will mean that the retailer is automatically notified when products are being used up within the home and need replenishing. There are two enabling technologies currently under development that may make this less fictional and more everyday. Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is one of these technologies. Another enabling technology in the same area is radio frequency identification technology, also known as RFID. This improves on VMI by using radio waves to scan all products in the fridge at any one time. Those kinds of technologies build and grow up the relationship between the consumer and the supplier learns more about the consumer behaviour to satisfy his demand Also they can create a competitive advantage for the business Systems Offering Defence Against Fraud Concern over fraud continues to scare many consumers away from using the Internet as a route for purchasing items and services. Credit-card companies are already making changes to their services to ease these concerns, but longer-term solutions may be found in encryption technology. Technology is being developed that adds digital signatures to a purchaser’s Web browser which may help fight fraud. Such services can only be developed and provided by strategic partnerships between online retailers and Web security corporations such as Inktomi, Ariba, Broadvision, Vignette and Verisign (all leaders in secure-payment processing solutions). INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Porter’s 5 forces analysis Michael Porter’s five forces is The model that widely used for competition analysis in business strategy formulation, states that an organisation exists within an industry. To succeed it must deal with the competitive forces that exist within that industry: (1) Entry of new competition. (2) Threat of substitute products. (3) Bargaining power of buyers. (4) Bargaining power of suppliers. (5) Rivalry amongst existing competitors. THE GROCERY E-TAILING MARRET As an industry in the early stages of its life cycle, the online grocery market is currently very fragmented, with a growing number of competitors. The reasons for this fragmentation lie in several factors: relatively low entry barriers, high transportation costs, the perish ability of grocery items, nontradable goods and services industry, and the ability to specialize in geographic regions and reap the benefits of economies of scale. Much like traditional bricks-and-mortar supermarkets, online grocers are highly localized except for a few that operate nationally or internationally by delivering only non-perishable goods. (Success factors) Barrier to entry Compared to building traditional supermarkets, the barriers to entry in the online grocery market are relatively low, since most online grocers are localized. Set-up costs include establishing the computer system, creating logistics and warehousing capabilities, building brand awareness, and having the necessary alliances with local grocers in place. Many online grocers have already established partnerships or alliances. Entry into the industry is currently relatively easy, because no one has inherent advantages. Innovation and competitive moves, which can be easily replicated, have not prevented new firms or substitutes from entering the market. However, entry barriers may rise in the future as consolidation likely occurs. Market such as groceries, barriers must be built on differentiation through brand recognition by achieving superior customer service and responsiveness. One attraction for the recent surge of Internet startups in the grocery business is that online grocers require less capital and have lower variable costs than bricks-and-mortar stores. Fixed costs are high, but the potential for big returns is great if a large sales volume can be generated. Exit barriers can be moderate to high, depending on the amount invested in logistics and warehousing, the Web site, computer systems, and marketing. PPOWER OF SUPPLIERS Retailers have high bargaining power when they purchase a large volume of goods from their suppliers. Unlike huge supermarket chains, the smaller online grocers typically possess a lower level of bargaining power than their suppliers. But traditional grocers that decide to branch out onto the Net have the advantage in this regard, buying in bulk and enjoying established relationships with suppliers and customers. This allows them to price their goods competitively, deterring new entrants or forcing inefficient incumbents out. POWER OF BUYERS The bargaining power of buyers or consumers is very high in this industry. With many substitutes and competitors to choose from, dissatisfied customers can simply switch to a competitor. Groceries are commodities, so consumers can be sure to purchase the exact same products elsewhere. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS The threat of substitutes is undoubtedly high for two reasons: Firstly, the products and services offered online to customers are extremely similar. So similar in fact that supermarket’ often have to lower their prices to give them more appeal. Secondly although there is a certain degree of brand loyalty, it can’t be relied on, as customer loyalties tend to change when they find they can obtain better value for money elsewhere. E-grocers understand that the threat of substitutes is high, and this then is the main reason for supermarkets branching out and pursuing a broader product line, as a means of calming the intense competition with their competitors. However, in pursuing broader product line grocers open themselves up for further competition from experienced players in other non food retail markets. RIVALRY AMONGST EXISTING COMPETITORS Competitors will do everything in their power to increase their market share. Supermarkets also have high fixed costs due to the sheer number of stores they have open. They must make a sufficient amount of sales to cover their costs and generate profit. As discussed earlier there are a variety of substitute products and services that are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate thus custom is very much determined by price. This situation is further aggravated because switching costs are difficult to impose, as food is an everyday necessity, many customers will happily forget any loyalties if they really need to obtain it. Conclusion The environment in the online grocery industry is growing more and more competitive as new firms continue to enter. Grocers which established its online purchasing site first is gaining the benefits of the first-mover advantages such as Tesco.com E-grocery has become a considerable industry sector each main player in this industry is trying to create a competitive advantage to attract more numbers of spoiled customers trying to satisfy there demands. The UK e-environment is one of the best e-environments globally that ease the entrance to this industry and generate the potential for more and more customers to buy grocery on line. This industry sector is a quite new industry that makes the flow of information about its success and pitfall factors relatively not enough to know every factor influences this industry We can’t say that e-grocery sector has reached the mature level since there are more and more numbers of customers and rivals are entering this sector. How to cite E-Retail Industry – The Uk Internet Grocery Market, Papers

Strategic Marketing Plan Relationship Marketing

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Marketing Plan for Relationship Marketing. Answer: Introduction This report is based on the marketing plan conducted for Grandmas Little Bakery. Grandmas Little Bakery is a small company having branches in Rosemary, Alexandria and Rosemary. They have been in this business for past seven years who have expertise in bakery products such as traditional breads, sweets, cakes and pastries. If offers the facility of both take away and dine-in (Grandmas Sydney - Bakery, Cafe Restaurants, 2016). The scope of this marketing plan seeks to analyze Grandmas Little Bakerys business on the basis of product life cycle, BCG matrix and Ansoff matrix and develop main marketing objectives based on the analyses. Further, the brand positioning strategy to be adopted by the firm has been discussed and brand position mapping is conducted. Target market is selected and strategies based on objectives are being developed. Moreover, marketing metrics are being developed and factors determining the success of the strategies are stated, and methods to control the outcomes of the strategies to achieve the objectives have been explained. Product Life Cycle Analysis Grandmas Little Bakery is in the growth stage of the product life cycle due to the following reasons: It is in the quest of building brand preference and enhance its market share; It is focused on maintaining the quality of the product and introducing new features and services to attract the customers; It is maintaining a competitive pricing strategy to gain an upper hand over its competitors and retain its loyal set of customers and attract new customers. The company aims to expand its distribution channel to meet the growing demand of their product. With an expansion in its distribution channel, the company aims to promote its products amongst a broader audience. It is aiming at creating variations in its products that could have a mass appeal (Stark, 2015). In the view of the fact that the firm wants to expand and grow in the ever expanding market of food industry, it should adopt a marketing strategy that would fulfill their long term vision and mission. To maintain smooth product flow, it should strengthen its operations and supply chain by integrating its processes. BCG Matrix Analysis Figure 1: BCG Matrix Source: (Doherty Lu, 2012) The firms are divided into four different categories on the basis of above mentioned factors: Dogs: The firms which have very low market growth and low market share are categorized under this quadrant. These firms neither consume more cash nor generate more cash. Question Mark: Firms which are growing rapidly and consuming large amount of cash falls under this category. Such firms have low market share and generally do not creates much cash. Star: Firms under this quadrant generate huge amount of cash due to their high market share, but they also consume large amount of cash due to their rapid growth rate. If a star is able to maintain its position, it would be able to become a cash cow, provided that the market growth rate is weakening. Cash Cows: Firms in this quadrant are considered as the market leader. The firms generate more return on investments, thereby creating more cash than they consume. Profits generated by the cash cows are extracted and little is invested. Considering the facts from the BCG Matrix, Grandmas Little Bakery can be categorized under the question mark of the matrix due to the following reasons: The company is infusing a large amount of capital in developing its infrastructure. It requires a substantial amount of cash to meet the recurring cost of its supplies, compensation of the employees, repairs and maintenance. It is also emphasizing on building its brand preference through addressing a larger audience through various modes of communication which would further incur an additional cost and there is a contingency whether they will get a favorable return or not (Doherty Lu, 2012). Ansoff Matrix Analysis Existing Products New Products Existing Markets Market Penetration Product Development New Markets Market Development Diversification Figure 2: Ansoff Matrix Source: (Thijsen, Tong van Leer, 2014). According to this matrix, there are four possible market-product combinations that are undertaken by various business organizations as a part of their growth and expansion strategy which are market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Taking into consideration the above approaches, it can be validated that Grandmas Little Bakery falls under the market development quadrant of the Ansoff matrix for the following reasons: It is more focused on the products that are relevant to its core competencies i.e. cakes, pastries, breads, sweets and many others. It seeks to develop new market segments for its products by exploring new territories. The firm is at risk as it is infusing a substantial amount of capital for its expansion (Thijsen, Tong van Leer, 2014). Main Marketing Objectives On the basis of Product Life Cycle analysis, BCG matrix analysis, and Ansoff matrix analysis, the following marketing objectives are developed: Increase the Market Share: Grandmas Little Bakery aims to expand its market by covering new geographical areas to increase its market share to nearly 20% percent in a year thereby giving tough competition to its closest competitors i.e. Salt Meat and Cheese, The Grounds, and Substation Cafe (Shani Chalasani, 2013). Improve Product Awareness: The firm is focusing on reviving its existing product portfolio by invigorating the interest in the products which has been in the market for a longer time or for the products which has a huge brand loyalty. Increase in Product Sales: Grandmas Little Bakery seeks to increase its sales to improve its financial structure and gain greater hold in the market. It aims to double its sales figures by the end of the financial year by adopting penetrating pricing strategy. Brand Recognition: Grandmas Little Bakery would consider strategies to rebrand its products to enhance its brand recognition through superior but consumer friendly product packaging. The firm is also considering alternatives for its logo and tagline to gain attention of customers (Armstrong et al., 2014). Strategies Based on Objectives Considering the main marketing objectives and the 7Ps marketing mix of Grandmas Little Bakery, following strategies are determined: Expansion of Product Categories (Product Strategy): To stay competitive in the long run of the business, the firm is aiming to develop new products across various categories in order to increase its product portfolio and create the brand more competitive in the market. Promotion of New Products (Promotion Strategy): The firm would promote their newly introduced products chiefly in-store to its loyal customers who seeks recommendations from the restaurant staff on what to eat or anything new in the menu. Further the firm would organize promotional events for its new products like competition for designing an advertisement campaign for promoting the new products of the firm (Wilson Gilligan, 2012). Budget Pricing (Pricing Strategy): The firm is keeping its prices very low gain attention of the customers of the competitors. A small coffee is priced as low as 3 Australian dollars. In order to gain customers and ensure its return on investment and earn revenue, the firm must calculate the production cost associated with each of its product along with fixed and variable cost. After the evaluation of the cost associated with product, the firm needs to evaluate the products offers by its competitors and their pricing strategies and improvise accordingly (Hollensen, 2015). Increase Market Coverage (Place Strategy): The firm aims to increase its outreach by opening small food joints in the interiors of the suburban areas where the customers would be able to place their orders. In case, the customers are resides far away from the food joints, the food would be delivered to their home. This would help in spreading words about the firm in unclaimed territory. Augment Workforce Quality (People Strategy): People are crucial aspect in the process of service delivery, because the service cannot be separated from the individual offering it. Grandmas Little Bakery is recognized as much for the food as for the service quality offered by the staff. Customer service training to improve its service quality and customer experience is considered to be the top priority of Grandmas Little Bakery. Improvised Service Delivery (Process Strategy): The procedure of service delivery is critical as it guarantees that the standard of service quality remains consistent throughout. Therefore, Grandmas Little bakery has chalked out a blue-print that would serve as a framework for the service delivery process of the business. State of the Art Interior (Physical Evidence Strategy): Services might be intangible, but the interiors of any restaurant or hotel act as a catalyst in attracting the customers. Grandmas Little bakery pays much attention to such fact and provides an atmosphere by creating an innovative interior design and decorations to suit every mood and occasion, waiting lobbies with luxurious sofas for customers to relax as they wait for their turn. By aligning marketing objectives with the strategies, the firm could go beyond customer satisfaction an offer customer delight. Selection of Target Market Based on customers analysis, the following set of customers is considered as the target market for Grandmas Little Bakery: Workers: The firms aims to attract daily wage earners working in various construction sites in the suburban areas of Alexandria, Canberra and Rosemary by offering them food at affordable and pocket friendly prices to increase the number of customers and market the products through word of mouth (Kotler et al., 2015). Existing Customers: The firm would seek to retain its existing set of customers by offering various new products from time to time in order to retain their loyalty towards the brand. It is important to maintain a healthy relationship with existing customers by making them feel welcome. Families: There are many families residing in the suburban parts of the Alexandria, Canberra and Rosemary. They hardly get time to be together; therefore they tend to go out together on the weekend to spend quality time together so it gives the firm an opportunity to attract them by offering attractive family offers and discounts (Alon Eugene, 2012). Brand Positioning Strategy Brand positioning is a technique through which a product is being placed in the minds of the target customers. It explains the benefits that can be perceived by the customers upon the usage of the product. Grandmas Little Bakery aims to position its brand as most cost effective in its each of its product category. It wants to keep the prices of its pastries, cakes, cookies, traditional breads and sweets at competitive level to compete with its rivals i.e. The Grounds, Salt Meat and Substation Caf by expanding its product category of above mentioned products and it also aims to introduce new delicacies into their product range (Solomon, 2014). It aims to introduce more varieties of coffee that are rarely available in the Australian market for the coffee enthusiasts and variants of tea from the best tea estates of India mainly Darjeeling Tea for the tea lovers in Australia. The space has been a constraint in the expansion of its shop; therefore it is looking for new premises to operate on a larger scale where they wish to start the facility of serving lunch and dinner to attract the loyal customers of its major competitors in the area. The salads, sandwiches, meals, cookies are some of the specialties Grandmas Little Bakery caters to and the quality of its product is at par with its competitors (Singh, Kalafatis Ledden, 2014). Needless to say, to survive the competition Grandmas Little Bakery have to make a big turnaround in its business. The firm should adopt penetrating pricing strategy to take over its rivals because customers these days are more price conscious than quality conscious. Grandmas Little Bakery has been known for its superior quality so it should focus on its product pricing so that it could maintain equilibrium in the business. Brand Position Mapping (Perceptual Mapping) The brand positioning mapping can be done on the factors such as high perceived quality/low perceived quality, inorganic products/organic products. The following attributes should be taken into consideration keeping in mind the fact that the firm is in the growth stage product life cycle and it is entering a new market so it should keep the prices of its products comparatively low to gain competitive advantage in the market. Moreover, it should highlight its unique selling perspective like it sells organic products as it uses fresh and organic ingredients in making its products (Chen Wang, 2015). Development of Marketing Metrics Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): This would comprise the total marketing and sales cost including advertisement expenditures, salaries, commissions, bonuses, overhead costs in a specific time frame divided by the total customers acquired during that time. The time could be a month, quarter, or maybe a year. Assuming that the firm has spent $500,000 on marketing and sales and gained 50 customers, and then CAC is $10,000 (Smith Madden, 2015). Marketing Percentage of CAC: The marketing percentage of CAC is noteworthy to observe over time, and any changes indicates that somewhat has changed in either the efficiency or the strategies. As the firm have more in-house sales team and have less complicated sales process, their marketing percentage of CAC can be somewhere near 20-50% . Marketing Generated Customer Percentage: This percentage shows what percentage of the business is driven by marketing. The firm needs to consider all the customers signed up in the specific period and look at the percentage of customers generated through marketing. Since the firm has its in-house sales team backed by strong outside sales team, their percentage may be between 20-40%. If the firm seeks to increase its percentage to 80%, it will have to generate more leads from outside marketing. Return on Investment (ROI): It shows the loss or gain of an investment by evaluating and gauging the amount of return from an investment with the cost of investment. Assuming the firm makes an investment of $5,000 in online marketing and generates $10,000 in net profit, and then the ROI would be 100% (Smith Madden, 2015). ROI= (Net Profit/Cost of Investment) x 100. Determining the Success of Strategies The success of the strategies can be measured on the following scales: Tracking Growth in Product Sales: A radical growth in the sales figure of the business would be one of the important scales to measure the success of the business. This would also reflect the increase in its customer base and revenue. Customer Research: The firm can conduct an in-house research on visiting customers to determine the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the customers and take suggestions and feedback for improving their products and service quality (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2013). Increase in Market Share: Increase in the market share would also highlight the success of the strategies undertaken by the firm. Increase in market share specifically depicts the shift of customers from competitors product to the product of Grandmas Little Bakery. Controlling the Outcomes Alignment of Marketing Strategies with Business Objectives: Aligning the marketing strategies with the primary objectives of the business would help the firm in controlling the outcomes and prohibit them from facing a financial loss (Lee Carter, 2012). Accelerate Performance: Monitoring the performance of the employees and giving feedback on their performance would be beneficial in attaining the business objectives. Regular review of employees performance and feedback would accelerate their performance. Strategic Planning: Establishing a strategic plan to set task priorities, dedicate time, energy and resources and strengthen its operations towards accomplishment of organizational goal would prevent them from failure (West, Ford Ibrahim, 2015). Conclusion This report is based on Grandmas Little Bakery located in various places in Australia. It includes various kind of analysis based on product life cycle, BCG matrix, and Ansoff matrix. Further, marketing objectives are developed on the basis of the above mentioned analysis and brand positioning strategies are developed and brand position mapping is conducted for Grandmas Little Bakery. Moreover, target market is selected; strategies based on objectives are explained; marketing metrics are developed; determinants to measure the success of the strategies are explained and lastly methods to control the outcomes to ensure the firm achieves the objectives are explained. References Alon, I., Eugene, J. (2012).Global marketing. Mcgraw Hill Higher Education. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S., Kotler, P. (2014).Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Chen, R., Wang, M. H. (2015). Brand Positioning Map: A Strategy Tool for Trademark Design.Journal of Management and Strategy,6(1), p36. Czinkota, M. R., Ronkainen, I. A. (2013).International marketing. Cengage Learning. Doherty, N., Lu, F. V. (2012). Strategic Marketing: Models and Plans.Service Science Research, Strategy and Innovation: Dynamic Knowledge Management Methods: Dynamic Knowledge Management Methods, 417. Grandmas Sydney - Bakery, Cafe Restaurants. (2016).Grandmas.com.au. Retrieved 21 September 2016, from https://www.grandmas.com.au Hollensen, S. (2015).Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L., Armstrong, G. (2015).Marketing. Pearson Higher Education AU. Lee, K., Carter, S. (2012).Global marketing management. Oxford University Press. Proctor, T. (2014).Strategic marketing: an introduction. Routledge. Shani, D., Chalasani, S. (2013). Exploiting niches using relationship marketing.Journal of Services Marketing. Singh, J., P. Kalafatis, S., Ledden, L. (2014). Consumer perceptions of cobrands: The role of brand positioning strategies.Marketing Intelligence Planning,32(2), 145-159. Smith, S. D., Madden, T. (2015). Marketing Metrics: A Push for Teaching the Value of Marketing as an Asset. InMarketing, Technology and Customer Commitment in the New Economy(pp. 8-13). Springer International Publishing. Solomon, M. R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being. Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: prentice Hall. Stark, J. (2015). Product lifecycle management. InProduct Lifecycle Management(pp. 1-29). Springer International Publishing. Thijsen, T., Tong, T., van Leer, J. (2014). Ansoff Model.Marketing. West, D., Ford, J., Ibrahim, E. (2015).Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press. Wilson, R. M., Gilligan, C. (2012).Strategic marketing management. Routledge.