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THE PREMIUM CHOCOLATE MARKET The U.S. market for chocolates was US$19.3 billion1 in 2011, and had been growing at about 6 per cent annually. The premium chocolate market ($2.7 billion), which had higher margins, was growing at 10 per cent annually, and imports of ethically produced cocoa grew by 156 per cent2 as aging baby boomers emphasized quality and ethics in their purchases. Incumbents such as Hershey’s and Cadburys had moved into the premium chocolate market through acquisitions or upmarket launches. About one-quarter of annual chocolate sales typically occur in the eight weeks prior to Christmas. Twenty per cent of “heavy users” account for more than half of these pre-Christmas sales. These heavy users tend to be established families, middle aged childless couples and empty nesters with high incomes. They purchase more high quality boxed chocolate than bars or lower quality chocolate.3 In line with social trends, demand was growing for organic chocolate and dark chocolate due to…

As one of the top five coffee buyers in the world, Starbucks’ actions have significant influence over the industry as a whole, but have also been a source of negative publicity for the company in the past. Among other things, Starbucks has been accused of profiting at the expense of coffee growers, whose livelihoods rise and fall in line with the wildly fluctuating global market price for coffee, which can generate a situation where the market price of coffee falls below the cost of production. Coffee was not only the first consumer product to by widely available as a Fairtrade certified product; it is also one of the most popular. Today, fair trade coffee makes up “20 per cent of the UK retail sales of ground coffee” and “70% of the [total] US fair trade market.” Due to high-profile NGO campaigns and firm responses, public awareness about fair trade issues is growing. As a result of the combination of growing awareness of fair trade, in general, and the growing popularity of fair…

As one of the top five coffee buyers in the world, Starbucks’ actions have significant influence over the industry as a whole, but have also been a source of negative publicity for the company in the past. Among other things, Starbucks has been accused of profiting at the expense of coffee growers, whose livelihoods rise and fall in line with the wildly fluctuating global market price for coffee, which can generate a situation where the market price of coffee falls below the cost of production. Coffee was not only the first consumer product to by widely available as a Fairtrade certified product; it is also one of the most popular. Today, fair trade coffee makes up “20 per cent of the UK retail sales of ground coffee” and “70% of the [total] US fair trade market.” Due to high-profile NGO campaigns and firm responses, public awareness about fair trade issues is growing. As a result of the combination of growing awareness of fair trade, in general, and the growing popularity of fair…

New Belgium Brewing Company, "Water," http://www.newbelgium.com/Sustainability/Environmental-Metrics/ Water.aspx. Accessed March 18, 2020. 4. CASE 2 Target's Failure in Canada 2sisinuioggo isnoi36oub3 gnibnsox3 E32AD Target stores have been a destination point for Canadians on shopping excursions to the United States.' As the number two retailer behind Walmart, Target wanted to expand its market in order to stay competitive and maintain growth. As the senior management team developed ideas, the idea of entering the Canadian market took hold. The question CGL Target considered was, how could it provide the same level of service as it did in the United States? 1er 26w mao One concept Target developed was the idea of getting Canadians accustomed to "one-stop shopping." Another part of its plan to expand services into Canada was to be aggressive in rolling out stores in the first year, 2013. As Target ana- lyzed the situation, it discovered that Canada had a shortage of desirable retail…

Managers face a key challenge: to simultaneously generate high profitability and increase the profits of the company. Companies that have high profitability but profits that are not growing will not be as highly valued by shareholders as a company that has both high profitability and rapid profits growth. This was the situation that Dell faced in the later part of 2000s. As a result its shares lost significant value between 2017 and 2021. At the beginning of 2017 Dell shares were trading at approximately $27. By the end of 2021 they were trading at about $ 14 though the company was still profitable, Dells shares had lost almost half of their value because it was not growing its profits over time. At the same time managers need to be aware that if they grow profits but profitability declines, that too will not be highly valued by shareholders. That what the shareholders want to see and what managers must try to deliver through strategic leadership is profitable growth. That high…

During the Great Recession (2007 - 2009), there was a higher percentage in higher education, where consumers globally invested their time and money. Both countries and individuals may believe higher education, such as attending a university or trade school, can help increase their incomes. “According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), enrollment in colleges and universities rose one-third in China and almost two-thirds in Saudi Arabia, nearly doubled in Pakistan, tripled in Uganda, and surged by three million—18 percent—in the United States”. (Greenlaw, 2018, p. 148).  Research a country and provide the following information: Explain the citizens’ impact of education on earnings and unemployment rates. Provide percentage rates for each of the following education completion levels: did not complete high school high school graduates college graduates (associate degree or bachelor’s degree)  graduate degree (master's degree or…

In these unusual and trying time of pandemic (2020 -2021), many businesses and companies suffered difficulties and closures bankruptcies while others struggled to survive because lockdowns and restrictive governmental regulations to curb the virus of Covid 19. Despite economical and financial assistance from the government, some businesses opted to reduce the size of the work forces significantly hoping to cut costs and to improve the bottom line. This action might raise investor confidence and, consequently, the stock price goes up. Explain your impression of the decision of these companies? Was there any kind of ethical lapse in laying off the employees; or was it a practical decision necessary for the survival of the company?

How did PayPal respond to the pandemic? Has PayPal responded to the pandemic differently than other companies? If so, how and why is their response different

1. How would you illustrate and compare the business models for Airbnb, large hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton, and bed & breakfast operators?  2. What was Airbnb’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Does it appear that the company’s business model is more resilient than that of its hotel chain rivals?

Amazon purchased Whole Foods. How will this transaction affect Aldi as it seeks to expand its presence in the United States? What competitive actions might Aldi take in response to Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods?

Blockbuster The former worldwide leader in video rentals found themselves on the wrong side of public opinion thanks to a failure to innovate. Blockbuster was once known throughout the world as a leader in home movie and video game rentals. Before the digital age, their products were the Netflix of the day. The problem? They refused to innovate. Sensing changes in the market — including by a start-up known as Netflix — Blockbuster began to push for a more in-demand market, creating programmes that allowed people to get videos delivered directly to their homes. However, it wasn’t enough: The company failed to properly prepare for the rise of the digital age and never created a product like that of Netflix that streamed movies directly to people’s internet devices. Their most egregious failure? A lack of imagination and a failure of business strategy. The company was offered the chance to purchase Netflix — but said no. Blockbuster did not have a corporate culture that embraced…

Walmart is the world’s largest retailer with $401 billion in sales for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2009. In the U.S., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates more than 4,200 facilities…. Internationally, Walmart operates 3,600 additional facilities in 16 markets worldwide…. Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide, including more than 1.4 million in the United States. Walmart, whose total annual revenue represents “a sum greater than the economies of all but 30 of the world’s nations” and is growing faster than any of them, is an extremely successful and influential company. At the foundation of the company’s success, however, is its business strategy of minimizing costs, which relies on many policies and decisions that affect stakeholders in different ways. The giant retailer is at least partly responsible for the low rate of U.S. inflation, and a McKinsey & Co. study concluded that about 12% of the economy’s productivity gains in the second half of the 1990s could…

Which threat Polaroid failed to observe causing the loss of its competitive advantage?

Why are Dr. Pepper, Tropicana Products, PepsiCo,  considered competition to Coca Cola

Identify the key economic environment elements (GDP, Business Lifecycle, Inflation/Deflation, Income, Unemployment, identify it's effect on consumers and how products will be marketed.    Philippines plunges into recession as economy shrinks 16.5% in Q2 Latest lockdown dampens hopes for strong near-term recovery MANILA -- The Philippine economy shrank a record 16.5% in the second quarter, the country's statistics agency said on Thursday, throwing the nation into a technical recession. The April-June gross domestic product figure covers economic activity during the peak of the initial lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus, which was imposed in mid-March before being eased in June. It is much worse than the 9.0% contraction forecast in a Reuters poll. The economy contracted 0.7% in the quarter ended March, the first negative growth in two decades, putting the first-half contraction at 9% and pulling the plug on what was one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies before the…

As the largest company in the world, with more than two millionemployees worldwide and more than $473 billion in sales in arecent year, Walmart has become big and powerful enough to influence the U.S. economy. Some observers believe Walmart is alsoresponsible for the low U.S. inflation rates of recent years.1. Some economists fear what might happen to the U.S.economy if Walmart has a bad year. (So far, it has had morethan four decades of growth.) Should a single retailer havethat much influence on the economy? Why or why not?2. Walmart is selective about what it sells—refusing, forinstance, to carry music or computer games with matureratings, magazines with content it considers too adult, or, insome of its stores, handguns. Because of its sheer size, thesedecisions can influence American culture. Do you think thisis a positive or negative effect of the growth of this retailer?Why?

1. Answer the following. • Discuss the growth of the market for 7/11, specifically in the Philippines. Cite situations in the growth of their market. • Discuss the digital transformation of 7/11 in the Philippines. What are the situations to prove this?

Answer the case study Why Have Starbucks Failed in Australia but Succeeded In China? By Lukashevich, S., May 2021 Failure in Australia Starbucks first store in Australia opened in July of 2000, not long after their successful expansion to China. Executives were confident in their decision to expand further, but it diminished in 2008 with the closure of the majority of their stores. Starbucks’s expansion into Australia clearly did not succeed like their other expansions to other developed countries had. This could be explained due to three reasons: advanced local coffee culture, the pace of expansion, and lack of effort to adapt (like they did in China) When Starbucks entered Australia, they expanded at an extremely fast pace and by 2008 they had opened 90 stores. However, such speed “grew faster than its popularity” as it ultimately resulted in a loss of $105 million in the first seven years. Given the fact that Australia has always had a strong and large coffee drinking culture,…

Subject: Logistic Management Q) How Nokia become a market leader? Q) How Sony Ericsson fail in the market & bankcrupt?

Answer the case study Why Have Starbucks Failed in Australia but Succeeded In China? By Lukashevich, S., May 2021 Failure in Australia Starbucks first store in Australia opened in July of 2000, not long after their successful expansion to China. Executives were confident in their decision to expand further, but it diminished in 2008 with the closure of the majority of their stores. Starbucks’s expansion into Australia clearly did not succeed like their other expansions to other developed countries had. This could be explained due to three reasons: advanced local coffee culture, the pace of expansion, and lack of effort to adapt (like they did in China) When Starbucks entered Australia, they expanded at an extremely fast pace and by 2008 they had opened 90 stores. However, such speed “grew faster than its popularity” as it ultimately resulted in a loss of $105 million in the first seven years. Given the fact that Australia has always had a strong and large coffee drinking culture,…

In the early days of its success, Nokia emerged as one of the most successful mobile phone manufacturers. Nokia was the world's best-selling mobile phone brand in October 1998. By 2007, it controlled half of the mobile phone market. The company's young and energetic leadership was the reason for its widespread acceptance in the consumer market. Initially, new technology, the desire to digitise, and innovation were among the reasons for success. However, over time, Nokia's excessive growth rate, loss of agility, and lack of innovative leadership led to the company's strategic failure. By using the Product Life Cycle, investigate the factors that led to the demise of one of the largest smartphone developers in the 1990s.

Video streaming took the entertainment industry completely by surprise, quickly rising from the bottom of the market as a low-cost way for people to watch shows and movies to eventually disrupting the cable industry and driving video rental stores into the ground. Netflix has become the largest subscription video provider in the US, outstripping cable and satellite. How does rivaly among existing firmsAnd the Bargaining power of customers influence Netflix's ability to compete in the market.

Question: Once the pandemic is over, propose ONE type of food industry that you would like to venture into. Answer: Once the pandemic is over, I would like to venture into the organic food industry. I would like to open an organic food shop that sells various organic products such as non-gmo products, vitamin supplements, and healthy snacks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people become more health-conscious, they start to practice a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy food in order to boost their immune system. With a stronger immune system, people are less likely to get sick easily. Give a reflection on the answer provided within 10 - 30 works

Two wheeler industry in India has been changing over time. Consumers switched from scooters to motorcycles and going back to electric scooters. India over took China to become leading two wheeler producing country about 5 years ago and now the biggest two wheeler producing company in the world is also an Indian Company.Hero Electric, a subsidiary of Hero MotoCorp, dominated the electric two-wheeler market, with a share of 30.3 percent in 2020. This was followed by Okinawa and Ampere, having a share of 20.5 percent and 16.6 percent, respectively.   India sold 1,52,000 electric two-wheelers in 2019-’20, up from 1,26,000 in 2018-’19. This fiscal year, inspite of the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 1,43,821 electric two-wheelers were sold. With the demand for electric scooters booming, the two wheeler industry is expected to change substantially, both in urban and rural India.   Elaborate the strategy that can be adopted by the industry, for further popularizing Electric Two wheelers in the…

9. The Eco-system in Oman provides great support to entrepreneurs in terms of laws, legislation and finance A. TRUE B. FALSE 10. The fluctuation of the entrepreneur's income during the year as a result of intensive competition which is considered one of the disadvantages of self-employment A. TRUE B. FALSE

Borders focused on its retail strategy in the 2000s, expanding aggressively in the United States and internationally—and taking on debt. It strove to improve the in-store experience for shoppers, added cafes, and experimented with new concepts. Such a strategy may have worked a few decades earlier, but while Borders was investing in physical real estate, shoppers were flocking to the Internet. Borders was left with a conflicted strategy: Declining sales forced it to close hundreds of stores (including its entire Waldenbooks chain), while it doubled down on other retail outlets. Unfortunately, it treated the Internet like a passing trend instead of as a transformational phenomenon. The company outsourced its Web operation to Amazon—which obviously became a fierce rival. It waited until 2008 to develop its own Web strategy. Meanwhile, Amazon became the dominant player in online bookselling and e-books, introducing the Kindle e-reader. Its big brickand-mortar rival, Barnes & Noble, a…

Uber allowed people to book and share rides in privatecars via their smartphones. With its headquarters in theUS, it operates in 60 countries and has a strong presencein the Asia–Pacific region. This case study explores Uber’sdevelopment and growth, first in the US, then its globalexpansion and subsequent foray into China. Despiteenjoying international success with deep penetrationin major cities, Uber flopped in the Chinese market.What were the reasons for its failure in China, given itsspectacular performance in many other countries?

Read the following information and watch the video carefully then respond to the questions that followes. Nike is the largest company worldwide in the athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment business. In the United States alone, the athletic footwear market alone was some $17 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $23 billion by 2023. In athletic footwear, Nike is leading with $22 billion in sales globally, followed by Adidan, Asics, Puma and Under Armour. In terms of athletic apparel, the global market is expected to grow from $181 billion in 2019 to $220 by 2024. Nike is also the lead in the market in terms of athletics apparel. Despite its success in the industry, when  John Donahoe was appointed as the Nike’s new CEO, he had to deal with several internal and external challenges. Donahoe was appointed CEO at a time when the Oregon sports and apparel company faces a number of controversies, including when Nike-sponsored athletes were caught up in scandals; the ban of Alberto…

“BlackBerry was one of the most prominent handphone vendors in the world, well known for the keyboards on its handphones. At its peak in September 2013, there were 85 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide. However, BlackBerry lost its dominant position in the market and its numbers had fallen to 23 million in March 2016.” Explain

) Explain the differences among the following three types of yovernment intervention in the health insurance market: (1) public subsidy, (2) mandated insurance benefits, and (3) direct public provision of insurance coverage. If the goal of government intervention is to achieve universal coverage, which strategy is the best (most efficient) in terms of minimizing the deadweight loss?

1.6. Albert Heijn (or AH) is arguably the largest retail chain of Europe, owning super- markets, convenience stores, and online shopping services in food and other goods. AH prides itself on establishing the first modern supermarkets. Founded in 1887 in Oostzaan, the Netherlands, Albert Heijn grew from a humble grocery store to a chain of supermarkets. Its first supermarket was established in 1952, and over the decades, AH has been the shopping destination of choice for the majority of the people living in the Netherlands and nearby countries. The chain comprises more than 850 stores, including more than 200 franchisees. It is now expanding to Belgium, and other European nations. According to a plan published in late 2011, 150 new Albert Heijn stores would be opened across Europe over a five-year period. The first such store was opened in Aachen, Germany in September 2012. AH is known for being an early adopter of information technology, and has been one of the first supermarkets to…

Question 1: What strategies would you recommend for strengthening RAPPI’s competitive position                      and promoting its sustainable growth? Question 2: How does RAPPI’s business model operate, how does it differ from traditional                     collaborative economy models, and what role does trust play in this model? Question 3: What network characteristics will or will not allow RAPPI to consolidate as Latin                      America’s leading super app?