The five forces include; threat of entry of new competitors, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers, the threat of substitute products or services and the rivalry among existing firms in the industry. An example of Kudler’s strategies aimed at each of these five forces is discussed below. Kudler uses differentiation and focus strategies to meet the threats of any new competitors by being unique in its industry. Kudler is an upscale specialty food store catering to the epicurean delights. Kudler has created a niche market.
How does the type of buyer or consumer affect marketing strategy? As part of your response, consider the characteristics of buyers and the factors that influence their purchasing decision. How can an organization ensure that their market strategy is appropriate for their target market? MKT 421 Marketing Week 3 DQ
Benchmarking is “discovering how others do something better than your own firm so that you can leapfrog the competition” (Kerin, Hartley, Berkowitz, Rudelius, 2006). Using the frequent purchase program, Kudler can collect new data from its customers. Through the use of market surveys, similar to the 2006/2007 market survey, Kudler will be able to determine what its customer catering needs are, if there is a demand for it, the types of pricing the customer would find acceptable and ways in which to promote it, in addition to adding to its marketing mix (also known as market orientation). As with market surveys, Kudler can conduct research on the types of food available on the market and determine what new products are popular with consumers through its food marketing trends studies. Pricing Kudler wishes to offer competitive pricing relative to other caterers.
In addition, Kudler Fine Foods is seeking to follow in the successful footsteps of the various retail services to implement a program of their own. A Frequent Shopper Program requires many steps in order to successfully implement. For example, the retail location that uses this program would require the development of a point of sale or POS system to integrate the capabilities of tracking order history through an online database and provide any discounts to a consumers frequent shopping with the store. However, there are several considerations, such as, legal, ethical and information security to evaluate before implementing a Frequent Shopper Program. The legal concerns that need to be addressed when considering implementing a Frequent Shopper Program are as follows • Protect any credit or medical information that pertains to the consumer, outside of this regulation there are “No laws prevent a supermarket from accumulating and selling information concerning the identity of customers and the products they purchase.
Just as the other marketing mix components there are questions that must be answered in order to determine pricing for a product. One question is what Kudler’s price should be in comparison to its competitors. Kudler Fine Foods has to decide whether they should be lower, higher, provide more bang for the buck or offer exclusive services at expensive prices. The standard that Kudler Fine Foods has for its other promotions is for them to be self-funding. I think it is essential that the catering service also have that standard.
It may involve the use of questionnaires, interviews with customers, experiments, and many other approaches (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2009, p. 202).” Kudler Fine Foods must perform quality marketing research if they hope to remain successful with their current stores given the local competition from other stores in the area. Market research also includes the process of systematically gathering, recording and analyzing data and information about clients, rivals and the market. Its uses include helping create long term business plans, launching new products or services, fine tuning existing products and services, and expanding into new markets. Market research can be used to determine which additional areas of research are needed for Kudler in the areas of customer satisfaction, and a need based analysis to determine if expansion of a new store is necessary or continued growth and development of existing locations. The customer service satisfaction survey that is currently in place on the Kudler website will help to identify what the customer’s like and don’t like about a minimum number of variables but market research needs to also include other vital information like culture, socio-economic background, health, and other marketing mix elements.
Other aspects of product are economic- customer value, functional- service at the point of sales, before sales and after the sales and the psychological aspect of the product like image of the product. Kudler Fine Foods is a gourmet ingredients shop and offers in-store parties and now going in to catering business. It is managed by Kathy Kudler. So customers know that it is going to be gourmet food experience because she notices some of the people at the catering places are regular customers at her stores. KFF should research the market to find the needs of the customers.
The firm needs more attention to a solid marketing effort including a website design and website launch and it needs to find alternate means of financing beyond its current sources. In 2003 and 2004, more than 52% and 60% of the customers felt that they paid more for the merchandise that the merchandise was worth. Kudler Fine Foods will employee a generic strategy of focus. Kudler Fine Foods will serve their niche market that is the gourmet chef and people that appreciate and are willing to pay for high quality, specialty, organic and locally grown foods. “A firm pursuing a focus strategy is willing to service isolated geographic areas; to satisfy the needs of customers with special financing, inventory, or servicing problems; or to tailor the product to the somewhat unique demands of the small- to medium-sized customer” (Pearce and Robinson, 2009, p.205).
Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program Sylvia Manriquez, Jeffrey Edwards, Tanya Stewart, Kevin Knapp BSA 375 May 6, 2013 Dr. Todd Feuerherm Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program Project Scope and Goals Kudler Fine Foods is in the business of providing specialty foods that cannot be found in grocery stores such as Wal-Mart or Albertson’s. The ideal plan of Kudler Fine Foods is to increase revenue; therefore Kuldler is planning on creating a Frequent Shopper Program. This program will track shopping patterns giving Kudler the ability to satisfy customers better. The program will include three major steps with sub-contents to gather all necessary information to complete the Frequent Shopper Program. Kudler Fine Foods ultimate
Market structures are referring to “the physical characteristics of the market within which firms interact,” (Colander, 2010). Monopolistic competitive are markets in which there are large amounts of firms selling differentiating products and there are few barriers to enter. Kudler Fine Foods falls into this category because there are numerous different grocery stores; however, they have a variety of different goods. Kudler Fine Foods would be competing against other fine food stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and World Market. For Kudler Fine Foods to fall into this category means that they sell differentiating products from their competitors.