Evaluating Retail Markets in Several Small Cities :: Retail Market Analysis

Due to the resent desire of expanding into one of the following three cities; Ann Arbor, MI, Lincoln, NE and Madison, WI that have been chosen for possible location sites. I Regina Molel, Junior Executive of Swifts’ researched and analyzed the best possible location to start up another Swifts’ boutique, due to the request of Swifts’ CEO, Taylor Swift. At Swifts’ Boutique there will be merchandise that will appeal to those around the ages of 15-24 years old. The ideal area for the new expansion would have a larger population of teenage girls as well as younger women that are within our age range. Our company will be looking for Economic Indicators such as Household Income Growth and Projected Future Job Growth. Site Selection is a key category for the reason that depending on the location selected could make or break a company, for this reason we will be looking at Mall Locations, retail Sales, Local Transportation, and Entertainment and Restaurants. Then finally there is the competition; Swifts’ will be looking into how many stores are there that have the same customer base and would be competing with our brand directly. Madison, WI and Lincoln, Ne both did very well in the category of Population. Madison has a Metro Population of 568,593, Lincoln has a Metro Population of 302,157, and Ann Arbor, MI with 344,791. As for Female Population, Lincoln was on top with a total Female Population of 129,462, then Madison with 118,377, and finally Ann Arbor with 57,779. Ann Arbor may seem like it is being beat in most of the categories but when it comes to our target market Ann Arbor is at the top with 31.8% of their population landing in the range of 15-24 years of age, next with Madison at a 22.1% and lastly, Lincoln with 19%. Looking in to the Economic Indicators is at the highest in Lincoln at .8% Household Income and 44.48% for Future Job Growth, then in Ann Arbor with .4% Household Income, 31.30% Future Job Growth and finally ending in Madison with 0% Household Income, and 36.78% for Future Job Growth. Within the three towns there are possible malls that Swifts’ could expand in that would be sui table. The Retail Sales falls into this category, Madison dominating the Women’s and Girls’ clothing with $382,503 in sales, next would be Lincoln with $218,360, and lastly Ann Arbor with $155,768.

BMW business model crunches gears as models expand, profit falls Essay

This article discusses the recent changes in sales, earnings, and profits of BMW, the German based manufacturer of luxury automobiles. The article opens by proposing five market scenarios that may affect the way BMW conducts business and earns revenue. The scenarios include changes in laws, consumer desires, auto financing availability, political climate, and consumer buying habits. Recently, earnings have declined by 63 percent and further losses are anticipated. Company executives and industry analysts note that earnings on certain models has declined while sales have increased over a 10 year period. The change is attributed to a lower demand for the high end performance cars that have been BMW’s core product. In response BMW has sold more smaller less expensive cars as a way to respond to changing market demands. This article demonstrates several factors that affect a company’s profitability: competition in the market, consumer demand and habits, and the company business model. In the case of BMW these changes were prompted by legislation regarding gas prices and environmental concerns which changed consumers’ driving and car buying habits. BMW responded to this change by switching to a different line of cars including SUVs and compact cars. They sold more units at lower prices compromising the overall profitability of the company instead of conforming their high performance base model to be fuel efficient. â€Å"Intel’s shock warning sounds alarm for tech sector† This article discusses the issues that led Intel to cut its revenue and profit forecasts for upcoming periods. Intel has reduced profit forecasts and their stock prices have declined by seven percent. Other technology companies including Microsoft, which uses Intel microchips, and competitors such as National Semiconductor Corp have also lowered their profit forecasts. These reports have spread fear across the industry that consumer spending will continue to decline. Intel also cited the credit crisis as an issue affecting demand for products and the ability of suppliers to provide services that Intel needs in its manufacturing process. Industry analysts note that Intel’s slow performance is normally indicative of early spring results, but do not speculate on how the current outlook may affect the coming spring results. This article demonstrates how one factor can have an adverse and possibly unnecessary negative affect on profitability: speculation. As mentioned in the article speculation alone caused stock prices to tumble. Investors assume that profits will be low and will either divest or not further invest affecting the company’s ability to finance production operations. Suppliers assume the worst and make it difficult for the company to obtain materials they need to manufacture and get chips to the market. End users like Hewlett Packard and Microsoft may purchase chips from competitors on the assumption that Intel will not be able to deliver. In other words, a grim forecast can become a self fulfilling prophecy. The difference in the two articles is that the BMW article demonstrates a verifiable and valid set of issues that can and do affect the profitability of the company and the automobile industry as a whole. The Intel article demonstrates how speculation can affect consumer confidence in a way that can reduce profitability. BMW has analyzed the real issues that have reduced their profitability and are in a position to change their business model to respond to the situations identified in the article. Intel, on the other hand, has subjected itself to speculation and must wait to see how the market environment plays out. They can change their forecast but that is not a solid guarantee that consumers will respond positively to the change.

Learn English With These Basic Conversation Skills

If youre just starting to learn English, theres no better way to improve your speaking skills than with basic conversation exercises. These simple role-playing games will help you learn how to introduce yourself, how to ask for directions, and more. With practice, youll be able to understand others and begin to enjoy conversations in your new language.  Below are links to some essential exercises that will help you have basic English conversations. Getting Started All you need to begin are the basic conversation guides youll find below and a friend or classmate to practice with. Be patient with yourselves; English is not an easy language to learn, but you can do it. Begin with the first conversation in this list, then move on to the next when you feel comfortable doing so.  You can also use the key vocabulary provided at the end of each exercise to write and practice your own conversations. Asking and Answering Questions Learn how to ask and answer simple  questions in English with these articles. Key skills covered include basic questions, polite questions, asking permission, and providing personal information such as your name, address, and phone number. Introductions Learning how to introduce yourself and greet people both formally and informally are essential skills in any language, whether its your own or a new one youre studying. In these lessons, you learn how to say hello and goodbye, as well as vocabulary that you can use when meeting new people and making friends. Telling the Time and Using Numbers Even if youre just visiting an English-speaking country for a few days, knowing how to tell the time is important. This role-playing exercise teaches you the right phrases to ask a stranger what time it is. Youll also learn how to thank the person who helped you, plus key conversation words. And if youre going to tell time, youll also need to know how to express numbers in English. This article will help you out with all kinds of numbers, including weights, distance, decimals, and more. Finally, when expressing quantities, English uses either much or many, depending on whether the noun is countable or non-countable. Speaking on the Phone Phone calls can be challenging for people who dont speak English well. Improve your telephone skills with this exercise and vocabulary quiz. Learn how to make travel arrangements and how to make purchases over the phone, plus other important words. Best of all, youll use the conversation skills you learned in the other lessons here. Shopping for Clothing Everyone loves to go shopping for new clothes, especially if youre visiting a foreign country. In this exercise, you and your practice partner learn the basic vocabulary that youll use in a shop. Although this particular game is set in a clothing store, you can use these skills in any kind of store. Eating at a Restaurant After youre finished shopping, you might want to eat at a restaurant or go to a bar for a drink. In these dialogues, you learn how to order from a menu and how to ask questions about the food, whether youre by yourself or out with friends. Youll also find a quiz to help you improve your restaurant vocabulary. Traveling at the Airport Security at most major airports is very tight, so you should expect to speak English with many different people when youre traveling. By practicing this exercise, youll learn how to have basic conversations when you check-in as well as when you go through security and customs.   Asking for Directions Its easy for anyone to lose their way when traveling, especially if you dont speak the language. Learn how to ask simple directions and how to understand what people tell you. This exercise gives you basic vocabulary plus tips for finding your way. Finally, youll want to know how to ask for a room at a hotel or motel once youve arrived at your destination. Going to the Doctor Nothing is worse than not feeling well and not knowing how to communicate with a doctor. These tips, vocabulary lists, and sample dialogues can help you practice making an appointment. Tips for English Teachers These basic English conversations can also be used in a classroom setting. Here are a few suggestions for using conversation lessons and role-playing activities: Ask students about their experiences in the situation featured in the dialogue. Solicit important phrases, grammar structures, and so on from the students and write them on the board.Introduce new vocabulary and key phrases to students.Pass out printed dialogue to students.Have each student take on a role and practice the dialogues in pairs. Students should take on both roles.Based on the dialogue, ask students to write out their own related conversations using key vocabulary.Have students practice their own dialogues to the point where they can  perform  short conversations  in front of the class.