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Historical and Theoretical Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Chronicled and Theoretical Studies - Essay Example Unavoidably, inside this changing social atmosphere, plan took on new pretenses and pe...
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Volleyball Essay Summary Example For Students
Volleyball Essay Summary The sport of volleyball originated in the United States, and is now just achieving the type of popularity in the U.S. that it has received on a global basis, where it ranks behind only soccer among participation sports. Today there are more than 46 million Americans who play volleyball. There are 800 million players worldwide who play Volleyball at least once a week. In 1895, William G. Morgan an instructor at the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create a game for his classes of businessmen which would demand less physical contact than basketball. He created the game of Volleyball (at that time called mintonette). Morgan borrowed the net from tennis, and raised it 6 feet 6 inches above the floor, just above the average mans head. During a demonstration game, someone remarked to Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back and forth over the net, and perhaps volleyball would be a more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1900 at Springfield College the first game of volleyball was played. In 1900, a special ball was designed for the sport. Volleyball can be played indoors and outdoors. It was adopted as an indoor Olympic sport in 1964 at Tokyo. In 1984 the United States men and women won their first Olympic Volleyball medals. In 1996, two-person beach volleyball was approved as an Olympic Sport. Todays NCAA Volleyball is more popular and exciting than ever. Some top collegian programs include Long Beach State, Penn State, BYU, UCLA, Hawaii and Stanford. We will write a custom essay on Volleyball Summary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Some of the best players ever to play the sport include Karch Kiraly, Gabrielle Reese, Sinjin Smith, Misty May and Ryan Millar. Today the game of volleyball requires team strategies and highly refined individual skills. Outdoor volleyball, which is played with two or four people for each side, is becoming more and more popular across the nationA typical volleyball game lasts about 25 minutes. It is a team sport played by two teams consisting of six people on a playing court divided by a net. The object of the game is for each team to send the ball regularly over a net in order to ground it on the opponents side, and to prevent the opponents from doing the same. The ball is put into play by the right back row player who serves the ball into their opponents court. The rally continues until the ball is grounded on the playing court, goes out or a team fails to return it properly. Only the team, which is serving, can score a point. The players are split into back and front row; the playe rs in the front are usually the key hitters and the ones who will get the ball passes/set to. The players in the back row normally concentrate on defense and passing the ball to the setter who is the main person in the offensive attack. A team wins a game by scoring 15 points with a two-point advantage; and the match by winning the best three of five games. In a deciding, fifth game, which is called a rally game, a point is scored no matter which team is serving. A team earns a point when serving and when they side-out. A team is allowed to hit the ball three times (not counting a block contact) to return it to the opponents court. A player may not catch, lift, scoop, or throw the ball. They also may not hit the ball twice consecutively when attempting a pass or block. In a regular volleyball game, only the serving team may score a point. A player may serve anywhere behind the backline, but between the courts boundary/side lines. A point is scored if the serving team wins the rally. If the serving team does not win the rally then it is a side-out to the other team. When the receiving team wins a rally, it gains the right to serve, and its players rotate one position clockwise. For instance, the player in the right back move to middle back, the player in left back moves to left front. Rotation ensures that players play both the front row
Monday, March 16, 2020
Defining a Communication Plan
Defining a Communication Plan IntroductionWhile the marketing concept has always focused on consumer needs, the practice of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) has truly provided the first major effort to truly put the customer in the centre of companies marketing activities. IMC is not only needed, but critical to marketing success, especially when designing a marketing communication plan. Many tools to can be used to identify the target market for the maximum exposure for a company such as demographics and psychographic factors and the need to formulate the segmentation of a target market.Role of research in IMCThe foundation of IMC starts with sufficient research to understand who the target market is, where they are, what they want to hear, how they want to be communicated with, and how they define a positive relationship with the organization. By focusing a consistent and appropriate message to a defined market, the furniture Olive realizes if the U.SDiversification (marketing strategy)target market is researched correctly they can break through the competitive market.Impact of STP on IMCSegmentation start by recognizing that increasingly, within the target market for a product, specific tastes, needs and demand may differ. It breaks down the total market for a product or service into individual clusters of customers. In segmentation, targeting and positioning, Olive identifies distinct subsets of their customers in the market for furniture where any subset might eventually be selected as a market target.Segmentation and targeting of the audienceThis simulation makes use of demographics. Demographics, such as; age, income and social class, upper and middle class can used to subdividing markets. Specifically, Olive finds that their target market would be based on lifestyle and psychographics. Self-Actualizes and Tightrope walkers were the best for Olive. The two groups value style and quality while being brand conscious.Positioning platform for IMCA consideration when selecting pos itioning...
Friday, February 28, 2020
Amiri Barakas Dutchman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Amiri Barakas Dutchman - Essay Example Also, mutually make the summit that sexual relationships across racial lines do not increase understanding, nor should it put in to any sense of ability about the life of the other. In the Dutchman, we bystander a subway ride with Clay, early-20s middle class black chap, and Lula, a closer to 30, stimulating white women (Freeman 45). All through the engage in hobby Lula taunts Clay, hints in the path of the apparition of sex, claims to recognize about his "type", then subsequently moves next to affronts and "Uncle Tom" derisions, swelling the panorama significantly. Basically, at its core, Clay is spokesperson of black assimilationists, and Lula might be any white noninterventionist who declares to know how black populace are and how they should be, and Amiri Baraka finally seems to have no survival for furthermore lone of them (Freeman 46). If the Dutchman is bursting of antipathy, the Slave takes that theme to a whole unrelated level. In this play, we have 3 typescript Grace and Ea sley, an ashen broadminded link; and Walker a black chap that we are initial opened to as intoxicated with a weapon, but later on learn out that he is the earlier-husband of Grace (Freeman 48). In the backdrop blasts choose a pin number present or prospect combat amid blacks in addition to whites. Walker is the person in charge of an aggressive radical black release movement whose ultimate goal seems to be to be applicable all white people (Freeman 49). We learn that Grace had left Walker years prior to for the very simple reason that if his aim was to slay all ashen people, and she ensued to be ashen, then she might not estimate herself safe (Freeman 50). Even though Walker is a killer, he is still clearly a sufferer in this play, since the need for destructive ethnic war could only happen out of decades of compulsion without respite (Freeman 51). The vitriol builds in this appoint in recreation in such a technique that at hand is only lone predictable completing (Freeman 52). A pr opensity observes Baraka's plays as the apotheosisà of the communication of the Black Arts association can sometimes unsighted us to the numerous complexities of his job (O'neal 16). One viewpoint from which we can attitude his job is to observe it not as the uncomplicated, straight-forward personification of the thoughts of "jingoism" and "upheaval," or as an phrase of a "true black uniqueness," but as an attempt to extricate the received hostility between a combination of binary group such as aesthetic/political affairs, black/white, entity/community, pretense/face, and Europe/Africa by concomitantly occupying a fundamentally altered viewpoint and privileging marginalized circumstances (O'neal 18). Dutchman has been one of the majorities well-liked of Jones/Baraka's plays and consequently one that has received copious serious attentiveness (O'neal 19). In a significant and then-inclusive study of Baraka's job, Baraka: The rebel and the disguise, Kimberly W. Benston draws in the deed of the slot in in recreation an archetypal tragic prototype: "the drop from asset through hamartia, and from hamartia to calamity (O'neal 20). Through tracing the classic tragic first of its kind in Clay's fall, Benston places him historically as a pre-revolutionary fatality who is also the harbinger of eventual black accomplishment (O'neal 27). In a later dissertation, "Performing Blackness," Benston sketches two dissimilar theories of black selfhoodà and the arrangement of that selfhood by and in the "play" of verbal communication. He distinctions Ralph Ellison's hallucination of blackness as an continuously mediated sign with what he proposes is Baraka's more "indispensable" figurationà of blackness. "For Baraka," Benston articulates The plot of Dutchman is exposed and bleak. Other
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Impact of Culture on International Business Essay
Impact of Culture on International Business - Essay Example However, in the USA, the level of power distance is quite low and this shows that the intensity of interpersonal conflicts is quite high among the members. So, the entrepreneur needs to communicate very tactfully, in order to maintain cooperation and coordination among all. Similarly as the rate of individualism in the USA is extremely high so the entrepreneur needs to offer equal opportunities and wages to its members. Then, the level of motivation and morale of each of the employees of any newly developed organization might get enhanced towards their assigned tasks. Thus if equal opportunities and facilities are offered to the members or employees of the organization of USA, then their rate of dissatisfaction might get reduced to a significant extent. By reducing the rate of dissatisfaction, the level of coordination and teamwork among the employees might get declined to result in amplification of the brand value of the organization (Hofstede, n. d.). Prior developing a business in the United States of America, the entrepreneur needs to be well-versed with the language, customs, habits, and etiquettes, along with cultural dimensions, mentioned above so as to make the enterprise extremely successful in long run. The citizens of USA speak both American as well as Canadian English at the time of conversing with others. The Americans desire to make friendships with all and offer gifts to retain their relationships for the long run. This type of attitude helps to maintain uniqueness and equality among all the members. Moreover, the American citizens always offer high attention to dress codes and shaking of hands to maintain the level of relationships. This is one their business etiquettes that helps to maintain uniformity and coordination among all of the employees of an organization or citizens of the country of USA.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Promotional media communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Promotional media communication - Essay Example 1) ââ¬â in this case, focused on United Kingdom. The researcher will therefore employ direct observation, interviews or by using questionnaires. Conclusions derived are technically subjective and researcher is often stringently concern about making broad generalization of matter as the subject of inquiry (Sothern, 2013, p. 1). The Company Coca-Cola is a business leader in beverage production and retailing industry. It has a global operation and is selling diverse beverages that suit best to consumers' taste which inspire them to maximize the products for home or for either private or public occasions. One of its leading product is Coca-cola diet, a soda but with limited value of calorie. In its Facebook account, Diet Coke is marketed as an extraordinary beverage and was historically introduced as developed since 1982 which was claimed to have catapulted as the leading diet soft drink of the world, thus, the brand is sustained until these days (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). Diet Coke is produced to target consumers that are interested on maintaining a low-calorie diet, or those that are diagnosed with diabetes, and yet will still savour such tasty delight (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). ... 1) By 1986, the company prided to have reached about 61 countries as market zone with an estimated 60 million cans served daily (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). Since it gained a global prestige, the company aired its first commercial advertisement using the slogan ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Just For the Taste of Itâ⬠(Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). On same year, the company attempted to draw the market attention by adding cherry flavour to Diet Coke and also maximized a print advertisement by using the carved monuments of political heroes of America in 1987 to project such ââ¬Å"monumental tasteâ⬠(Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). Later, the Company maximized Oxford Plains Speedway to promote the first Diet Coke 100 until it optimized the 3D advertisement during the Big game by bannering the slogan ââ¬Å"The Move Is On to Diet Cokeâ⬠(Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). It continued to promote the product as extraordinary in 1989 with Gary Weismann as the consumerââ¬â¢s endorser, tagging along with it the pro minence of a superhero action star (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). Almost ten years after, Diet Coke was recognized as the brand of the decade in 1990 and sustained sporting its image with Batman (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). Being avidly consumed in the market, the company decided to celebrate its 10th anniversary at New Yorkââ¬â¢s Time Square (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1). In 1993, Diet Coke was promoted as a beverage that suits the taste of all with only one calorie and which was followed with salacious advertisement that those who would buy for it ââ¬Ëbreak for refreshment solely for diet Coke (Diet Coke, 2013, p. 1).â⬠Playing with the peopleââ¬â¢ interest of the universe and the space, the company also decided to let astronauts bring Diet Coke to outer world in 1995 under the quest of ââ¬Ëtesting the formula
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Distance Learning and Black Board Essay -- essays papers
Distance Learning and Black Board Distance learning is when students take courses by using some form of communication other than face to face communication with an instructor. This type of learning has been used since as far back as the 1800ââ¬â¢s when adults would learn handwriting by ordering lessons through the mail (Cosgrove 2002). The technology for distance learning has been progressing for some time now. Iowa State University started to offer courses through television in 1934 (Cosgrove 2002). These days we use the Internet for distance learning. Distance learning has recently become more popular and more advanced; there are now programs that can help professors organize their online classes. Online classes are a convenient and simple way to communicate to a class and even run an entire classroom without even stepping out of your office. In a study it was found that ââ¬Å"nearly 50% of higher education institutions currently engage in sometype of online learningâ⬠(Educational p.1). A popular program that many schools and professors use is Blackboard. Matthew Pittinsky and Michael Chasen along with a student-faculty group from Cornell University developed Blackboard in 1997 (Our History p. 2). They wanted to ââ¬Å"transform the Internet into a powerful environment for the educational experienceâ⬠(Our History p.1). Blackboard now has over 500 clients who use their products (ââ¬Å"Blackboard Timelineâ⬠p.5). If Blackboard has over 500 clients now, think about how well they will do when the technology develops more. Online classes are something that will continue to progress into the future. The Blackboard program is currently available for schools with grades K-12, Higher education, Corporate and Government businesses (Demonstrations and... ...tance Learning.â⬠Retrieved December 1,2004. http://www.instudy.com/articles/saww6a03.htm Gottschalk, Tania H. March 5,2004. ââ¬Å"Guide #1:Distance Education: An Overviewâ⬠. Retrieved September 26,2004. http://uidaho.edu/eo/dist1.html. Shamber, Linda (1988). ââ¬Å"Delivery Systems for Distance Education.â⬠Eric Digest. Retrieved September 26, 2004, from Eric Digests (ED304111). Towson University. Retrieved October 3, 2004. http://wwwnew.towson.edu/facultyonline/TutorialsAndResources/. Towson Univeristy. Retrieved October 3, 2004. http://www.towson.edu/learnonline/faq.html. Towson University. Retrieved October 3,2004. http://wwwnew.towson.edu/facultyonline/tutorialsandresourses/helpsheets/ removingareasofbb/index. ââ¬Å"Online Degrees, Online Degree Programs, and Online Universities.â⬠Retrieved December 1,2004. http://www.online-degree-information.com/.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
How Retail Operations Management Objectives Can Best Be Achieved
Retailing is now one of the worldââ¬â¢s largest industries and it is in a permanent state of change. This change has been accelerating over the past decade, (Zentes et al. , 2011: Pg. 1). This sector is not only more competitive than in the past but the consumer is also increasingly more demanding and more complex, (Gordon et al. , 2006: Pg. 22). Retailers have to predict the desires of fickle customers, buy and allocate complex sets of merchandise, set the right prices, and offer the right promotions for each individual item.However, there are often wide gaps between supply and demand, which leave retailers holding too much of what customers donââ¬â¢t want, and too little of what they doââ¬â¢, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 133). This is a huge challenge which faces the retailer of today. Fisher et al. , (2000: Pg. 115) maintains that retailingââ¬â¢s formula for perfection is offering the right product in the right place at the right time for the right price. This is no e asy feat for the retailer and with merchandising decisions becoming more complex, the penalties for errors too are even steeper, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 33). This is why Gordon et al. ,(2006: Pg. 24) notes that in todayââ¬â¢s cutthroat market, there is no place for a ââ¬Ëhead in the sandââ¬â¢ attitude. The importance of the areas of ââ¬Ëretailingââ¬â¢s formula for perfectionââ¬â¢ as stated by Fisher et al. , (2000) will now be examined theoretically and subsequently researched in the context of a successful, independent fashion boutique, Emporium Kalu. Right Product ââ¬ËRetailers capture their customersââ¬â¢ interest by the nature of their product rangeââ¬â¢, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 8).Fashion markets have become increasingly complex with consumers fragmenting into small groups who have very different needs and demand very different products. Varley, (2006: Pg. 8), maintains that product helps to position a retailer against itââ¬â¢s competitors within a given market, but problem many companies today face is that they sell very similar products and services to those of their competitors, (Ingenhoff et al. , 2010:83). Therefore, tremendous pressure is put on retailers to offer the customer something different, (Dvorak et al. , 1996: Pg. 121). In making roduct decisions for individual stores, buyers and retail managers have long relied on instinct, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 133) but in todayââ¬â¢s marketplace many more factors need to be considered. What is at the core of the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product is the retailerââ¬â¢s target market, they need to be given a good reason to choose one retailer over another, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 8). Four major trends which affect the consumerââ¬â¢s choice of product have been emerging in recent times.Since the consumer is at the core of what the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product is, the retailer must pay attention to these trends and how they relate to their target customer. . The Savvy Co nsumer Whether you are a value fashion retailer or a high end department store, it is necessary to acknowledge that today, the consumer is more tuned in to the latest trends and styles in the fashion industry. Consumers have become more savvy about fashion as they can now access information about various fashion events around the world almost immediately through internet media like blogging, video sharing and podcasts. An increased number of weekly glossies, e. g. Grazia, also fuels this consumer demand for the latest look at a faster pace (Barnes, 2006:260).The consumer now knows what ââ¬Ëshouldââ¬â¢ be in-store and retailers will suffer if they cannot provide this to their customers when they expect it. 2. Celebrity power Many Irish consumers find their fashion influenced a great deal by celebrities, with this being the most likely facet of their lives to be influenced by celebrity culture, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011). Star style has never been more accessible . As a result of this constant exposure to celebrity lifestyle, 8% of Irish consumers claim that celebrities influence their purchases, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011).This report continues to detail how this high level of interest in celebrities and their lifestyles is beneficial to the clothing retailing market and can be used as a tool to attract consumers by adding value to a clothing retailerââ¬â¢s product range, and help to drive sales. This can be seen when brands of clothing celebrities wear or clothing lines where a retailer collaborates with celebrities and well known fashion designers become popular. ââ¬Å"In a celebrity-obsessed world, itââ¬â¢s no surprise that we all want to copy what famous faces are wearingâ⬠, (www. gsn. com, 2010). Celebrities, according to Olympio, (2007) represent a ââ¬Å"glamour that most of us have idolized and wanted for our ownâ⬠. This concept can be said to be the reason why people emulate styles they have seen on celebrities, for example, Joan Collins, who in the soap opera ââ¬ËDynastyââ¬â¢, made shoulder pads a signature trend of the 1980ââ¬â¢s. This can also be seen today where Sarah Jessica Parker, in ââ¬ËSex and the Cityââ¬â¢ helped make Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer, a household name, (www. wgsn. com, 2010).Retailers who choose to sell brands that are publicly linked or associated to a celebrity will stand to be of benefit if their target consumer aspires to be like said celebrity. 3. The Concept of Fast Fashion Gordon et al. , (2006: Pg. 22), remarks that retailers have to deal with constantly shorter product lifecycles. Fast fashion is a business strategy which aims to get new fashion product into stores in the shortest time possible and reduce the processes involved in the buying cycle consequently satisfying consumer demand, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 259, Bruce et al. , 2006: 330).This notion of consumer demand driving the fast fashion industry demonstrates the need to have the ability to act accordingly and respond quickly to these demands. Today, successful fast fashion companies have been moving away from the traditional fashion buying cycle of seasonal forecasting from historical sales one year in advance, (Bruce et al. , 2006:330), to creating smaller collections more frequently, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 261). Barnes et al. , (2006: 261), believe this is as a result of fashion trends being moulded by ââ¬Å"what is happening on the street, in clubs, lifestyle hotspots and not 12months in advance of a selling seasonâ⬠.Long buying cycles have become inappropriate for the demands of modern fashion consumers. Bruce et al. , (2006: 329), maintain this is because fashion consumers ââ¬Å"expect and thrive on constant change and so new products have to be available on a frequent basisâ⬠. It is no longer sufficient for retailers to have the same collection in-store all season; product ranges need to be constantly refreshed in order to be à ¢â¬Ërightââ¬â¢. ââ¬Å"Quick response is a concept that has become synonymous with the textile and apparel supply chainâ⬠, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 263).This approach to supply chain management is regarded as information driven, minimal pre-season ordering is engaged in and more frequent, in-season small orders are placed to take advantage of improved speed and flexibility, (Christopher et al. , 2004 as cited by Barnes et al. , 2006: 263). This quick response method allows companies to respond almost instantly to catwalk trends that would appeal to their target audience, therefore providing them with the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product. The success of this high volume/low cost business model is down to constant and regular updates of fashion collections.For these types of retailer, (value) this has historically been the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product as it satisfies the need for ââ¬Ënewnessââ¬â¢ by the consumer at a low cost, something which is central to what their target market seeks. 4. Quality Vs. Quantity: Durability has been found to be a key concern for Irish consumers as four in five R. o. I. consumers claim to make their clothes last, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011). With the occurrence of the recession, consumers are more inclined to want to get the best value for money out of all the products that they buy.In terms of the clothing industry, they are increasingly likely to claim that they make their clothing last a long time. According to Mintel (2011), 81% of R. o. I. consumers agree with this statement as they note between 2007 and 2010 there was an 11 percentage-point increase in agreement with this statement among R. o. I consumers. This highlights that Irish consumers, are increasingly moving away from disposable fashion (i. e. clothing that they may only wear a few times), and towards buying clothing that they expect to last a long time, illustrating a higher demand for quality.Consumers who are now searching for high qualit y investment pieces that will last are driving sales within the premium womenswear market. ââ¬Å"Nearly a quarter (23%) of women are opting to invest in fewer items of superior quality clothing that will last, a substantial increase of 10 percentage points since 2010â⬠, (Mintel, Is the Era For Fast, Disposable Fashion Coming to an End? , 2011). While consumers may be seen to be cutting back in the recession but they are still willing to pay for high quality clothing, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011).With this trend growing, it is necessary for the retailer to evaluate whether their target market is interested or seeking this quality in order to provide the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product to them. The type of product on offer in Emporium Kalu has been described as having ââ¬Ëfashion aesthetic that is unlike anything you will find anywhere else in Irelandââ¬â¢, (Harris, 2011). The Emporium Kalu customer is a ââ¬Ëbusiness woman, a student, a mother, a grandmother, anyone who wants to be feminine, elegant and unique. She appreciates beautiful design, stunning quality fabrics and subtle detail.She likes to wear timeless, great fitting pieces but puts them together in an individual and personal wayââ¬â¢, (Louise Flanagan, co-owner of Emporium Kalu, 2011). The owners of the boutique, who are in business nearly fifteen years now, really know their customer. They have fantastic know-how on what customers want, (Harris, 2011). They pride themselves on offering their consumer exclusivity and uniqueness in their labels, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). They deliver on this by offering high quality brands such as Giles, Galliano, Maria Grachvogel, Alice by Temperley, M Missoni, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, and D&G.Kate Oââ¬â¢Dwyer, (co-owner of Emporium Kalu) has stated that ââ¬Ëeven if we have a label that might be stocked somewhere else, we buy it differently. We buy it with the Emporium Kalu attitude. So it is always different to what you will fin d elsewhereââ¬â¢, (as cited in Harris, 2011). They are constantly searching for the ââ¬Ënext big labelââ¬â¢ so keeping a close eye celebrity fashion is a must. It is through this product differentiation and clear focus on their customer that Emporium Kalu have succeeded in buying the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ product for their store.Right Place/Location ââ¬ËA common cause of business failure among retailers is the selection of the wrong store locationââ¬â¢, (Mazze, Pg. 17). Zentes et al. , (2011: Pg. 203), agrees and adds that a good location can lead to strong competitive advantages as location is ââ¬Ëuniqueââ¬â¢ and thus cannot be imitated by competitors. It is necessary however for the location of a store to be appropriate to the retail business because in order to reach the right kind of customer it is important for a store to be in a street that reflects its image, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 173).The success of a retail store depends on many factors such as the storeâ⠬â¢s location in relation to the region and the state, its situation within the community, its location on the street or in the shopping centre and the characteristics of the community and trading area, (Mazze, Pg. 17). The retailer also needs to take into account, the customerââ¬â¢s perception of the shopping task. Mazze explains this consideration in that a customer who wishes to obtain speciality goods like gourmet foods is not greatly concerned with how far he must go or the length of time it takes to get them.This implies that store location can be directly linked to the merchandise available within. This theory put forward by Mazze can be seen in practice by Emporium Kalu. The store is located in Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland. This is not a large, heavily populated city with substantial daily footfall. It is a relatively small commuter suburb where many people reside but work in capital city Dublin. The store itself is positioned on the corner of a pedestrianised lane which meets the main street of Naas.This location ââ¬Ëoffers the kind of environment that attracts a more discerning shopper ââ¬Ë, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 173). While Emporium Kaluââ¬â¢s location may not be preeminent, it offers the product ranges and service that consumers are willing to travel for. The owners leverage itââ¬â¢s merchandise and style expertise in a way that makes up for what it may lack in store location, so much so that it has been honoured with being ranked as one of the fifty best boutiques in the British Isles, (www. telegraph. co. uk). Right Quantity at the Right TimeVarley, (2006: Pg. 110), holds that getting the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ quantities of merchandise delivered into the retail organisation at the right time is necessary to satisfy both basic customer needs and retail management goals. The implications of getting product levels wrong are great; too much stock will threaten the profitability of a range and increase holding costs and too little stock wil l cause a loss of customers and sales, both direct and complementary. These errors can occur as a result of late deliveries, late orders or choosing the incorrect size mix.Choosing the perfect size configuration for a company store program requires careful calculation, (Cook Kimbrough, 2008: Pg. 36). A retailer must decide how much of a particular product line is needed for their store, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 110). Similar to the other ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢s, this decision is highly dependent on a fashion retailers target audience. Cook Kimbrough, (2008: Pg. 36), is of the opinion that a good rule of thumb is to think of the bell curve when choosing your sizes for your range. Sizes in the middle tend to sell about twice as much as the sizes at the extreme.As can be seen, the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ quantity includes many different factors and cannot be considered independently. Emporium Kalu operates with an exclusive image. They pride themselves on offering product that is ââ¬Ëdifferent to what you will find somewhere elseââ¬â¢, (Oââ¬â¢Dwyer as cited in Harris, 2011). They achieve this exclusivity factor through both the labels they offer and through their size configuration. They are not the business of mass selling product. ââ¬ËWe want the consumer to feel special when she wears her clothing and she can be confident that she will not see other people wearing the same outfit.That is why we buy our ranges relatively wide as opposed to deepââ¬â¢, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). Therefore, the co-owners do not purchase large quantities of each style in-store which creates the ââ¬Ëexclusiveââ¬â¢ feeling. This strategy has proven to be extremely successful for this boutique and is the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ quantity for their customer and their retail organisation. Right Price Setting prices in todayââ¬â¢s intensely competitive and dynamic retail environment is a complex task and developing a detailed understanding of consumer behaviour and buying patterns lies at the heart of any successful pricing strategy, (Gordon et al. 2006: Pg. 22). Retailers can use price in conjunctions with product quality, customer service quality and selling environment to make a very clear statement about the image they wish to communicate and about where they belong in the market, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 13). Therefore, pricing is directly linked to a retailers specific target market and the level of product quality they offer. This is clearly seen in the three main retailing pricing structures that Zentes et al. , (2011: Pg. 256) puts forward; 1. Value/ budget Price: Focuses on low cost and high volume selling of product. 2. Medium Price: Focuses on 3.Premium Price: Focuses on attracting customers who are less concerned with price and more interested product quality and prestige. In order for a fashion retailer to succeed with their pricing structure and charge the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ price, product quality and consumer expectations need to be aligned. Empo rium Kalu is positions themselves in the premium price segment. They attract the type of consumer described in this segment by Zentes et alââ¬â¢s, (2011: Pg. 256). Kate Oââ¬â¢Dwyer verifies this and states that ââ¬Ëwe're about beautiful pieces because there are people who appreciate the special and uniqueââ¬â¢, (cited in Harris, 2011).Whilst on buying trips, price is not at the forefront of the minds of the co-owners, it is more about whether the collection and quality is a good fit for the store and their customer, ââ¬Ëif we love a piece, we have to have itââ¬â¢, (Flanagan, 2011). This pricing structure prevails for Emporium Kalu as they attract customers who are in pursuit of product prestige and service over lower cost. Right Personnel What has not been included in the ââ¬Ëretailingââ¬â¢s formula for perfectionââ¬â¢, and should be considered as a new addition, is having the right personnel to carry out the final step in the retailing process, that is, s elling product to the consumer.The rational for this inclusion is for without converting store visits into sales, the bottom line cannot be achieved and the other ââ¬Ërightsââ¬â¢ are meaningless. Kotler et al. , (2005:446), too acknowledges personnel importance and states that it is a key way for a brand to stand out in the mind of the consumer is through providing top quality service as service is important to customers. Having the right personnel in your store can be an invaluable tool in creating and retaining customer loyalty. Individual help by floor staff, personal shoppers or stylists will enhance the customers experience and perception of the brand.For ââ¬Å"it is here at the customer interface that business is either won or lostâ⬠, (Jackson et al. , 2009:84). This idea of the right personnel is central to the store offering in Emporium Kalu. The owners Louise Flanagan and Kate Oââ¬â¢Dwyer, right from the beginning were focused on not only providing the custom er with exceptional quality products and brands but also exceptional service, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). This outstanding customer service is delivered through unrivalled, individual styling and advice, personal tailoring on garments, an in-store deposit facility and one to one after hours service if required.Co-owner Louise prides the store on having staff who provide first class, attentive assistance for all customers who walk through their doors, (2011). The consumer and their requirements are valued and are given the upmost consideration. This she believes, in part, is the way forward for independent retailers today. Offering the customer more than just a product but an enjoyable experience and advice they can trust so they feel confident in their clothes too. ConclusionIn order for a fashion retailer to achieve its retail operations objectives a number of considerations need to be taken into account and the customer is central to each. When choosing the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ produ ct, the target customer needs to be at the core of all decisions. Trends in their choices, spending power and what influences them are fundamental in selecting different collections. The product has to have the ability to satisfy the consumer, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 76). Jackson et al. , (2009: 83), maintains that uniqueness in product, a high level of quality and providing unique product benefits are a ââ¬Å"critical differentiator in fashionâ⬠.When choosing a retailerââ¬â¢s location, in order for it to be ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢, the customerââ¬â¢s perception of the shopping task and the characteristics of the community and trading area need to be considered. If chosen appropriately, location can be a source of competitive advantage. Getting the quantities of merchandise ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ for a retail organisation is highly dependent on a fashion retailers target audience and they what they require. It is a decision that cannot be made independently and is affected by timi ng and sizing issues.In order for a fashion retailer to succeed with their pricing structure and charge the ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ price, product quality and consumer expectations need to be aligned. This will create loyalty among customers if a retailer can deliver on their pricing structure. The proposed additional ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢ of retailing, the right personnel could prove to be key in gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace today. Offering the customer benfits other than the product like an enhanced in-store experience will aid the fashion retailer to endure the current difficult market conditions.
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