The following is a SWOT analysis based on the case study provided about Brompton Bicycle. Brompton Bicycle has many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats presented to it. One of its strengths is the mantra that those to who work at the Bike manufacturer believe that they are ‘not a commodity product’ (Philip Smith, 2008) and are ‘built to last’ (Philip Smith, 2008). Another one of the premium bicycle brand is that theyre attention to detail, differenciating it from other competitors. The very fact that they design, manufacture and sell their bikes in London creates that sense of “faith” in the product.
By having rapid timing and synchronicity, Zara spends its money on things that can help increase the responsiveness and speed of the chain. Zara can reduce inventories and forecast error by postponement of the decisions after knowing the trends. The apparel industry cycle time has averaged more than six months. For five to six weeks cycle time has been achieved. By having this speed Zara can introduce new designs weekly and every three to four weeks 75% of their merchandise is displayed, which matches the customers preferences more than competitors.
Coach's strategy to compete in the handbag and leather accessory industry is to differentiate itself from others in the industry, they want to be able to match key luxury rivals in quality and styling while beating them on the price by 50 percent or more, yielding a competitive advantage in attracting not only middle-income consumers desiring a taste of luxury, but also affluent and wealthy consumers with the means to spend considerably more on a handbag. Coach is able to differentiate itself by introducing new handbags every month with the highest quality and latest fashion trends which is done through market research. The key here is to get the consumer into the store as often as possible. All this adds up to increased store traffic, which all businesses are striving for, this is in large part due to the new style of hand bags, which turns into more sales. Instead of the typical industry members who offer high quality leather products as well, but charge a higher price, Coach looks to create “accessible luxury” in that it wants to create a high quality product at an affordable price in its factory stores while still catering to higher end consumers with its full-price stores.
Thorr Motorcycles appeared exceptionally successful in its marketing attempt, which moved their higher end motorcycle models to the next grade. Thorr Motorcycles maintained a 40 percent market share because of iconic brand loyalty. For extended period, sales had decreased. This appeared largely because of constant changing market demographics that seemed characteristic of a
Use the SWOT framework of analysis to critically examine the internal and external environment of Brompton Bicycle as described in the case study. Finish your analysis by providing recommendations to Brompton Bicycle about future actions they should take for business success. Brompton Bicycle – A SWOT analysis Brompton Bicycle are looking to increase their future sales to over 19,000 folding machines (Smith 2008 p5) and increase their revenues, whilst maintaining their ‘quality’ brand image. Their new managing director Will Butler-Adams has acknowledged that there are some issues that need addressing before they can achieve this. Therefore below is a table which analyses the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Thorr Motorcycles, Inc. manufactures over 200,000 units annually and currently worth more than one billion dollars. Thorr is a leading name among motorcycle manufacturers and holds approximately 40% of the total market share. This company not only sells motorcycles but also offers dealer software support, dealer training, and mechanical training. For its customers, Thorr offers motorcycle rentals and biker training (University of Phoenix, 2008). Currently, Thorr is experiencing a decline in sales because of changes in its target market and competitor’s gain in market share.
BACKGROUND: Harley-Davidson motor company was founded in 1903 by William Harley and Arthur Davidson. They have been successfully “taking the work out of bicycling” better than any other motorcycle manufacturing company. But due to strong competition and quality problems the company went to near bankruptcy in 1980s. After 1986 successful IPO, they again experienced great success recently with growing numbers in their percentage of motorcycles shipped, up 14 percent from 1997, and their target market size, up 13.8 percent from 1997. The problems that Harley Davison faced with are how to improve their existing purchasing process, how to integrate their existing procurement methods together, and how to develop longer term relationships with suppliers.
Sustaining Growth A key issue facing ECP is sustaining its growth. From a turnover of £50,000 in 1978 ECP has shown rapid growth particularly in recent years defying the downward trend of the UK economy. In 2011 alone ECP increased its revenue by 25% whilst adding 12 new branches and over a thousand new employees to the team. This was a direct result of ECP’s heavy investment in people, infrastructure, technology and marketing. The growth was also aided by a shift in the market of service, maintenance and repair work away from manufacturer’s franchised dealer networks to independent repairers who constitute the bulk of ECP’s customer base.
INTEROFFICE MEMORAND UM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: MR. JOSEPH GALLI WEI-NUNG YANG STRATEGY FOR TRADESMEN SEGEMNT 9/6/2011 The Black & Decker Corporation should apply sub-branding strategy. With the new name in Tradesman segment, B&D will double their market share of Professional-Tradesmen segment from under 10% to nearly 20% within three years at least and operating income would be projected to increase steadily from under 10% to at least 12%. The B&D is a renowned power tool company and it dominated the Professional-Industrial and Consumer segments. However, B&D didn’t do well in Tradesmen segment and Makita hold the most market share in Tradesmen segment. To improve B&D’s performance in Tradesmen segment, I list three points as follow: New brand imagine Since the buyer of Professional-Tradesmen segment made a living with their tools, B&D should remove the image of using at home rather than on the job.
* Two competitors planned to launch new tires with 80,000-mile warranties in 1992 backed by heavy advertising. * Should Goodyear expand its distribution channels? * This could boost sales * Selling tires in lower-service outlets could erode the value of the Goodyear brand * It could also cannibalize sales of existing outlets * It might cause independent dealers to take on additional lines of tires Background: The Tire Industry: The U.S. tire industry was dominated by five companies from early 1900 – 1970s: Goodyear, Firestone, Uniroyal, BF Goodrich, and General Tire All five companies were based in Akron, Ohio and were run by executives who socialized together at the same country club. The U.S. tire market saw consistent revenue growth and profit and a complete absence of foreign competition. In the 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. tire industry experienced three important changes: * Emergence of the radial tire to replace the older ‘bias’ and ‘bias-belted’ tire constructions.