Global food retail industry Essay Example

Global food retail industry Essay Exective Summary Global nutrient retail industry has become tightly competitory in last few old ages. In dynamic operating environment, companies need to understand the competitory nature of the planetary nutrient industry means to understand altering consumer penchants. They are doing uninterrupted attempts to run into these demands in order to procure their places in the industry. Companies have the purpose to construct collaborative working relationships with stakeholders, the ultimate aim of constructing an efficient nutrient distribution system. Wal-Mart is the universe largest retail merchant in nutrient retail industry. The company operates retail shops in assorted formats. It operates more than 6,000 shops in the United States and in 13 international markets. Food retail industry is a extremely concentrated market, new entrants would confront trouble to go consecutive in this industry. Stable relationships with providers are indispensable to Wal-Mart concern. Wal-Mart is concentrating on spread outing its merchandise line by including demanding merchandises every bit good as environmentally friendly merchandises. When analysing the concern of Wal-Mart, they really use all three of the hard Ss of McKinsey s 7S model in their pursuit of their ends: Strategy, Systems, Structure. As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a broad aggregation of merchandises to the consumers. the food market points can be placed as Wal-Mart s star merchandises. Appliance, kitchen tools, furniture, digital merchandises, music files and package are the hard currency cattles of the company. Pharmaceuticals, playthings, electronics and wellness merchandises are Wal-Mart inquiry Markss. The exposure development, jewellery and shoe merchandises distributed by the company are those that show low market portion. We will write a custom essay sample on Global food retail industry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global food retail industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global food retail industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the universe. It has made important investings in supply concatenation direction. Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market incursion in nutrient that it has achieved in difficult and soft line goods. The merchandise development squad often attends trade shows in Europe and cardinal manner capitals and travels to topographic points globally. Wal-Mart s variegation scheme of the 1980s was a great success in footings of tapping and acknowledging new market sections. Based from the analysis of the informations by appling selling and strategic theoretical accounts, it is appropriate to urge that the merchandise and service development scheme be applied by Wal-Mart, sing that these factors serve as the nucleus factors impacting its growing and advancement. Strategy Development in the Global Food Retail Supermarket Industry Globalization of retail is non an emerging or wholly new scheme, but a current focal point for many retail merchants. Established retail merchants have recognized that natural growing going more hard to prolong in domistic markets, enlargement into new markets is a necessary measure towards procuring future profitableness. To understand the competitory nature of the planetary nutrient industry means to understand altering consumer penchants and the nutrient industry attempts to run into these demands. The undertaking of traveling nutrient points from the marketer to purchaser is going progressively complex, affecting diverse local, national, and planetary issues. The nutrient retail industry consists of the entire grosss generated through supermarkets, hypermarkets, co-ops, discount houses, convenience shops, independent grocers, bakers, and all other retail merchants of nutrient and drink. Supply concatenation direction ( SCM ) is the direction of stuffs, information, engineering and financess from the natural stuff provider to the consumer. It has become extremely critical. It is now indispensable to a company gross bring forthing activities as it relates to growing, efficiency and client satisfaction. SCM is critical to a company fiscal success in footings of gross, cost and plus productiveness. It has the purpose to construct collaborative working relationships between distributers, retail merchants, makers, gross revenues and selling agents with the ultimate aim of constructing an efficient nutrient distribution system.The most of import end of planetary nutrient retail merchants and jobbers is to guarantee that the merchandises they sel l are safe. They act as the buying agent for the consumer and the concluding nexus in the supply concatenation. The supermarket nutrient industry continually seeks ways to do the state nutrient supply safer. Question One: Globalization in the nutrient retail industry Selected Company: Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores ( Wal-Mart ) is the universe largest retail merchant. The company operates retail shops in assorted formats. It operates more than 6,000 shops in the US and 13 international markets including the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and China. The company retails a wide scope of ware and services at low monetary values. Wal-Mart operates its concern under three concern sections: Wal-Mart Shops, Sam s Club, and the international section. The company has more than 2,000 retail shops in other states. The operating formats vary from state to state. Strategic Alliances, Merger and Acquisition ( M A ; A ) activity ( WAL-MART IN INDIA ) Wal-Mart began looking into making concern in India back in 2005. At that clip Indian authorities was sing opening up foreign direct investing ( FDI ) to retail merchants. In November 2006, Wal-Mart round out Tesco for a joint venture opAÂ ­portunity with Indian Mobile services leader, Bharti. The ground was because Wal-Mart was more flexible about the retail theoretical account to be adAÂ ­opted. The company precedence seemed to be an early entry, so that the universe s largest retail merchant did non lose out on the Indian consumer roar. As per the understanding between the two corporate giants, Bharti would pull off the front-end of the concern, while Wal-Mart would take attention of the supply concatenation, logistics and other back-end opAÂ ­erations. India is a ready and appealing market for Wal-Mart with its turning in-between category of 250 million and an economic growing rate of about 9 % . Although the FDI Torahs of the state are comparatively rigorous, authorities functionaries are non opposed to prosecuting foreign concerns in the Indian market. Since the proclamation of the Wal-Mart/Bharti JV, one taking organisation has emerged to stand for the inAÂ ­terests of the little mom-and-pop shops. This is India FDI Watch and in add-on to educating the proprietors about Wal-Mart, they have held big mass meetings and presentations against Bharti, Wal-Mart, and other big-box retail merchants. The mom-and-pops have an advantage as they are handily located on street corners or in the bosom of metropoliss and normally have personal relationships with most consumers. However, they do non transport the assortment of goods that larger retail merchants do. Menace of New Entrants and Substitutes Bing that the nutrient retail industry is a extremely concentrated market, new entrants would confront trouble wining in this industry. In fact, it is extremely hard for price reduction retail merchants to perforate other markets as Wal-Mart tried to come in Germany and South Korea. The company was unsuccessful and had to draw out because of its unprofitableness. Retailers are capable to these obstructions: Economies of Scale Cost of Capital Distribution Channelss Substitute merchandises are merchandises that can be used as replacings for other merchandises to fulfill the same necessity of consumers. Wal-Mart benefits from this thought as discount houses have lower monetary values than section shops and consumers go for higher quality merchandise with the lowest monetary values. Wal-Mart is working on supplying the best client service possible but as a high-traffic shop, it is by and large impossible to supply one on one service. Dickering Power of Suppliers and Buyers Stable relationships with providers are indispensable to Wal-Mart concern. Without timely stock list bringings, Wal-Mart could non keep its full shelves and would lose clients. For this ground, the company engages in contractual understandings with its providers. This agreement is good for both parties, as the provider makes certain it will hold changeless entree to retail merchants with big market portion. This manner, providers have a guaranteed purchaser for the supplies and can set up specific monetary values. Consumers today are seeking for the best trades possible. They are waiting for price reductions and gross revenues to bulk up on merchandises. Discount retail merchants like Wal-Mart are making immense supercenter shops because they want their shops to go a one-stop trip. Customers know what they want and how far they are willing to seek for the point. Retailers must keep high stock list degrees to retain clients and their market portion. Customers going a twosome of stat mis to a shop privation to happen the merchandises they need in stock. Question Two: Global nutrient retail market kineticss The on-going alterations and inventions in planetary nutrient markets, every bit good as the tendencies in different sectors of the nutrient industry, make up a complex quandary with consumers, manufacturers, and planetary retailing and fabrication houses. A turning tendency in nutrient markets is the displacement in growing of nutrient gross revenues from high-income ( developed ) states to take down income ( developing ) states. Despite the displacement, per capita commercial gross revenues show broad regional disparities worldwide, though growing in nutrient gross revenues in the development states is expected to go on. In expectancy of this turning market, nutrient houses appear to be shifting themselves and puting in many developing states. Measures of fight vary at the house, industry and state degree. Competitiveness is influenced by such forces as technological inventions, public establishments, substructure support, steadfast organisational construction, and authorities policies. Small nutrient makers face macroeconomic restraints similar to those of big houses, such as exchange rate fluctuations and market entree barriers in foreign markets. Retail sector issues centered on the impact of globalisation on nutrient retailing in emerging economic systems, and the impact of altering consumer penchants on nutrient retailing. Although a state may import small nutrient, the impacts of globalisation impacts are reflected in its nutrient retail sector. Wal-Mart Profitability Secure Strategies A outstanding tendency in the retail industry is consumers purchasing less and less. Until about few old ages ago, consumers depended on recognition cards. They did non waver to add to their already big debts but now consumers are seeking to pay down debts alternatively. Wal-Mart price reduction shops, supercenters and jobber nines have maintained their monetary value leading scheme known as Save money A ; unrecorded better. This scheme was implemented in twelvemonth 2008 and is aimed at households with kids and in-between income consumers seeking to salvage. Wal-Mart is concentrating on spread outing its merchandise line by including health merchandises every bit good as environmentally friendly merchandises. With the high energy monetary values confronting consumers and the thoughts of eating healthier and natural nutrient, Wal-Mart has stocked merchandises that would appeal to these consumers while keeping its competitory monetary values. The company maintains a flexible direction manner where it is willing to fulfill altering demands. To run into demand, the company must promote directors to supervise high demand merchandises and bead unpopular merchandise lines that may be a waste of stock list infinite. Another tendency is discounter development of private labels. To vie with national trade names, supermarkets and retail merchants have developed their ain trade names with the cooperation of makers. These merchandises are to be distributed and sold merely in the retail merchants shops. Net Net income Margin measures how much out of every dollar of gross revenues a company really keeps in net incomes. A company with high net net income border indicates that it has better control over its costs. In this class, Wal-Mart outperforms Costco, BJ s and industry, but lags behind Target. This tabular array shows that how much Wal-Mart has been successful to put into nutrient retail installations in order to procure its future profitableness in footings of net incomes. Question Three: McKinsey s 7S model for placing nucleus competences and capablenesss, discourse the ability of Wal-Mart When analysing the concern of Wal-Mart, they really employ all three of the hard Ss in their chase of their ends: Scheme Systems Structure Their strength in all three of these S s is likely a large ground why they have been so successful. Scheme Wal-Mart s overall scheme is to ever supply the lowest monetary values. Additionally, they aim to hold a shop which provides convenience by leting consumers to happen everything they need under one roof.This scheme of convenience with low monetary values has driven Wal-Mart to be the concern leader that it is. Additionally, they plan to go on to spread out into markets non yet penetrated by major ironss, and some markets that are already saturated, such as New England and California.The other two difficult S s, systems and construction, support this scheme. Besides, low monetary values everyday has become the manner and shared values of Wal-Mart. Even the staff is wholly committed to supplying the lowest possible monetary values. The accomplishments of workers are besides geared to happening inefficiencies and towards diminishing monetary values. The low cost scheme has driven Wal-Mart to make things such as call providers collect, do off with maker representatives at gross revenues meetings, make off with regional offices, etc. Systems Wal-Mart has in topographic point a set of systems that helps it accomplish its scheme of low monetary values everyday. The largest and most profitable of these systems is the Information Technology system. Wal-Mart has employed computing machines, networking, and the cyberspace to cut down stock lists and waste, and velocity bringings. Wal-Mart can link to their providers and convey them informations so they know what Wal-Mart demands and when.The lower stock lists allow Wal-Mart to bring forth stock list turnover rates of around 70 % which is truly high. Additionally, Wal-Mart has worked with providers in order to better their efficiencies in production which they so pass to Wal-Mart and so to the consumer. Because of Wal-Mart scheme, these reduced costs due to systems let Wal-Mart to cut down consumer s monetary values. Wal-Mart has streamlined the supply system so good that it would be really difficult to happen any inefficiency and would be difficult for any rival to crush. Addi tionally, Wal-Mart has a really efficient human resource system set-up that has both largely kept employees happy, and resisted unionisation. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and has developed systems to bind rises and fillips to public presentation. This encourages employees to believe of the company and to ever make their best. Structure Wal-Mart besides employs a good construction that works with the systems to authorise the low monetary value scheme. Wal-Mart has planned warehouses and integrated them with systems. Additionally, they place their warehouses strategically so that one warehouse can function many shops. They have developed clip agendas so that one truck can serve many shops and that after a bringing the truck can take back returned goods to the warehouse. The supercenter design itself is a structural advantage and scheme that Wal-Mart uses. This design allows consumers to come to a individual Wal-Mart shop to happen everything they need from food markets to gifts to apparels to dally. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient direction construction that allows it to extinguish the regional office. This construction entirely has saved Wal-Mart 1000000s of dollars a twelvemonth. When Wal-Mart topographic points shops in strategic locations and thrusts traffic utilizing convenience and so combines the gross reve nues with its systems and construction, people get a extremely efficient corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are so passed along to the consumer. If Wal-Mart continues to rule these three S s, it will go on to rule the retail market. Question Four: BCG merchandise matrix theoretical account, placing major merchandises of Wal-Mart As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a broad array of merchandises to the consumers. These include food markets, playthings, dress for adult females, work forces and kids, jewellery every bit good as other difficult goods ; all of these merchandise lines are sold at sensible and by and large low-cost monetary values. In order to analyse the operation and public presentation of the selected merchandises of the company ( Wal-Mart ) , the Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) Matrix is used. The Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) Matrix is a tool developed to measure company concern units. Specifically, the BCG Matrix is used to measure the concern units degree of market growing and portion. The distribution done in this matrix was based on the 2008 gross study of the company. Stars In above diagram, the food market points map can be placed as Wal-Mart s star merchandise. The study stressed that this served as the top gross generator of the company, lending to 22 % in the entire gross revenues. While this generates the most hard currency flow, it should besides be considered that this merchandise causes the most inventory cost to the company, sing that Wal-Mart has to deduce its food market supplies to multiple providers or companies. Cash cattles On the other manus, the difficult ( contraption, kitchen tools, furniture ) and soft goods ( digital merchandises, music files, package ) are the hard currency cattles of the company. Compared to the food markets, the supply concatenation for these merchandises are less complex. The private-label goods are considered hard currency cattles peculiarly in the international sector. This is because American trade names do non exhibit the same impact or entreaty to foreign purchasers as with foreign consumers. As hard currency cattles, it is indispensable that Wal-Mart utilizations these merchandises to bring forth financess that would back up its other concern units peculiarly those categorized as stars and inquiry Markss. Question Markss Pharmaceuticals, playthings, electronics and wellness merchandises are Wal-Mart inquiry Markss. As indicated in the gross study, these merchandises may bring forth gross revenues but non plenty to counterbalance the degree of financess required to administer them. Multiple providers and dearly-won stock list make these merchandises the inquiry grade type. For this ground, it is practical that Wal-Mart see restricting the stock list of these merchandises to salvage on stock list disbursals. Dogs Finally, the exposure development, jewellery and shoe merchandises distributed by the company are those that exhibit low market portion every bit good as growing. Sing the figure of options available in the market with these merchandises, it is so hard for the company to maintain these merchandise lines. As certain retail merchants are focused on administering these goods, they have more concern flexibleness than Wal-Mart, leting them to get the better of gross revenues issues. Question Five: merchandise life rhythm and Ansoff growing matrix Product life rhythm Wal-Mart is committed to bettering operations, take downing costs and bettering client service. But the key to retailer Wal-Mart s success is its ability to drive costs out of its supply concatenation and pull off it expeditiously. Many supply concatenation experts refer to Wal-Mart as a supply chain-driven company that besides has retail shops. Wal-Mart s company doctrine ( The Wal-Mart Way ) is to be at the taking border of logistics, distribution, transit, and engineering. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the universe. The Wal-Mart concern theoretical account would neglect immediately without its advanced engineering and supply concatenation. Wal-Mart has made important investings in supply concatenation direction. Ansoff growing matrix Ansoff matrix allows the sellers to look at different ways to turn the concern through bing merchandises and markets and new merchandises and markets. Furthermore, the matrix is composed of four assorted schemes: Market Penetration Wal-Mart Shops aims to capture the market incursion in nutrient that it has achieved in difficult and soft line goods. The retail giant, which posts more than a 10 % market portion in many nonfood classs, plans to lift up its nutrient portion through speedy supercenter enlargements. To accomplish their market incursion ends, they believe in three steering rules: Customer Value and Service Partnership with its associates Community engagement Merchandise Development Wal-Mart merchandise development group influenced the expression, feel and assortment of ware. The merchandise development group headed by strong communicators worked with the purchaser for the class and assorted providers to better the consistence of qualities and sizes of ware. The merchandise development squad often attends trade shows in Europe and cardinal manner capitals and travels to topographic points globally. The group findings are so on a regular basis presented to merchandisers, sellers and bundle interior decorators during the twelvemonth. Major seasonal tendency overview meetings are held for spring and autumn with smaller meetings held for summer and vacations. Market Development Wal-Mart ever seek to take advantage of on its international scheme, it is working in the way of buildAÂ ­ing new retail shops in other countries.They planned to educate militants around the universe about Wal-Mart retail development schemes and the company impact on local retail civilization. The three major tactics used by the company before to come in a state include: BuildAÂ ­ing partnerships with local concerns and organisations Working with authorities functionaries Taping into the turning in-between category buying power Diversification Wal-Mart s variegation scheme of the 1980s was a great success in footings of tapping and acknowledging new market sections. Sam s nine was the most successful variegation of all at the decennary by following wholesaling construct. The first Sam s Club launched in April 1983. The company, on the other side, opened its first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1988. It was basically a complete Wal-Mart price reduction shop with a supermarket added to it. Wal-Mart variegation into new retail formats during the 1980s did more than better the house growing in the cardinal countries of retail. Diversification besides gave the company the opportunity to take hazards and experiment. Evaluation the Usefulness of Marketing and Strategic Models Based from the analysis of the selected company, it is so appropriate to urge that the merchandise and service development scheme be applied by Wal-Mart, sing that these factors serve as the nucleus factors impacting its growing and advancement. With this type of scheme, Wal-Mart can increase its gross revenues by agencies of modifying or heightening its bing merchandises and services. This scheme has been recommended as it has the ability to back up the company potency to make greater markets. Wal-Mart has multiple merchandise lines that will be affected by this scheme. With the BCG matrix, it is appropriate that the company starts off the development with its premier merchandise lines. Through this, the company will hold sufficient financess to back up other relevant activities in the hereafter. However, by agencies of this scheme, Wal-Mart will be able to beef up the market place of each of its merchandise divisions, ensuing to greater keep to these specific markets. The suggested scheme does non merely suit the intent of the company and support its future growing but has besides been recommended based on the capableness of the company to implement it. Wal-Mart has an efficient distribution system which in bend would back up this scheme. The civilization of the retail company besides fits the demands of this recommendation. Specifically, the company devotes ample clip and resources to develop and keep a skilled work force. With productive directors and employees, the bringing of the developed goods of the company will be made possible. As a consequence, greater satisfaction from the clients will be obtained. Mention Beginnings Text Books Lynch, R. ( 2006 ) Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Mintzberg, H. , Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. ( 1998 ) Strategy Safari, Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G. , Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. ( 2005 ) Researching Corporate Scheme: Text and Cases, 7th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Online Beginnings hypertext transfer protocol: //www.walmart.com/ hypertext transfer protocol: //walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2008/docs/wal_mart_annual_report_2008.pdf www.economist.com www.metrofoods.net/ www.ft.com www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/GlobalFoodMarkets/Industry www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/