SWOT Analysis Essay Example for Free

SWOT Analysis Essay A SWOT analysis is a tool to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a business. Strengths mean characteristics of a business in advantage over others, while weaknesses are disadvantages relative to others. Opportunities mean elements that a business can exploit for its development, while threats are trouble will be face to. SWOT is to carry out the environment analysis and separate information into internal and external factors. Then, it determines whether they are favorable and unfavorable to achieve the objective so as to help an organization enhance advantages and minimize disadvantages. A SWOT analysis needs to be conducted in a proper and realistic procedure to get the complete and objective results. The participants of this analysis should be a group of people with different perspectives so that they can contribute different valid viewpoints. They can be various stakeholders of a company, such as shareholders, managers, employees, and even customers. It is typically conducted using a SWOT matrix and holds a brainstorming session to identify the factors and bullets them with priority in each of the four categories. Participants must be realistic about the environment analysis of target organization and try to keep the analysis compact. There are two most important part of a SWOT analysis, to help a business reduce risk and improve performance (Markgraf 2013). Firstly, this analysis can identify critical threats coupled with internal weaknesses that may put a company in a trouble. It improves the viability of a business about changing environment and highlights the most serious issues. For example, a new export policy issued by government could be a serious threat to the export-led industry. They should reduce resources allocated in export business and shift focus to domestic markets. Laurence (2013), a judicious recognition of global realities, states that to adapt to the appreciation of its currency, China’s farsighted plan is to have switched the economy to a domestic consumption-driven model. The external threats require companies to adjust their business plan to adapt to new circumstances. Secondly, a SWOTÂ  analysis can indicate actions to improve the performance of a business. Taking advantage of an opportunity from a position of strength helps ensure the success of the corresponding venture. If a company has a capital advantage and the other one has technological advantage, they can integrate firstly and then dominate other competitors. For example, Peak the top two Chinese video-sharing websites, Youku and Tudou, jointly announced that the two companies have signed a definitive agreement to integrate into Youku Tudou Inc. on March 12th, 2012 (Peak 2012). This Merge helps them to strengthen competition power in the online video market with 35 percent share. To achieve the objective, a business has to find connection between its strengths and external opportunities. A SWOT analysis has become a popular method to help a business to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. People should conduct this analysis in a proper way to appraise critical internal and external factors so that SWOT will be valuable to reduce risk and improve performance of a business. Reference Markgraf, B. (2013). The Two Most Important Parts of SWOT Analysis. Chron. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/two-important-parts-swot-analysis-61546.html Neville, L. (2013). Cover: A New Economic Model For China. Global Finance. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from https://www.gfmag.com/magazine/january-2013/cover-a-new-economic-model-for-china Peak, K. (2012). Chinese online video companies Youku, Tudou merge. Vatornews. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://vator.tv/news/2012-03-12-chinese-online-video-companies-youku-tudou-merge

Carrefour Hypermarket Essay Example for Free

Carrefour Hypermarket Essay A hypermarket or multi department store is a superstore which combines a supermarket and a department store. The result is a very large retail facilitywhich carries an enormous range of products under one roof, including full linesof groceries and general merchandise. When they are planned, constructed, andexecuted correctly, a consumer can ideally satisfy all of his or her routine weeklyshopping needs in one trip. The example of hypermarket have been set up inMalaysia is Carrefour, Tesco, Jusco, and Giant (foreign hypermarkets) besidesother local hypermarket such as Mydin. Following are background of theCarrefour hypermarket and Mydin hypermarket.The first Carrefour store opened on 3 June 1957, in suburban Annecy near a crossroads (carrefour in French). Today it is the smallest Carrefour location inthe world. The group was created by Marcel Fournier and Denis Defforey andgrew into a chain from this first sales outlet. In 1999 it merged with Promodà ¨s,known as Continent, one of its major competitors on the French market.Marce Fournier and Denis Defforey had attended several seminars in theUnited States led by The Pope of modern distribution Bernardo Trujillo, whoinfluenced other famous French executives like Édouard Leclerc (E.Leclerc),Gà ©rard Mulliez (Auchan), Paul Dubrule (Accor), and Gà ©rard Pà ©lisson (Accor).Their slogan was No parking, no business.The Carrefour group pioneered the concept of a hypermarket a large supermarket and a department store under the same roof. They opened their first hypermarket 15 June 1963 in Sainte Genevià ¨ve des Bois, near Paris inFrance.1976 Carrefour introduces  ³produits libres ´ which are unbranded product but ³just as good, and cheaper ´. In 1992, Carrefour creates filiere quality systems,which quarantee product origin and traceability. Carrefour opened their firsthypermarket 1994 in Malaysia. In the 21st century, hundreds of millions of men and women will become part of the consumer society within a globalized economy. Globalization does, however,pose new types of risk for both human society and our planet. Faced with suchrisk,  and in order to improve prospects for future generations, it is crucial tofollow the path of sustainability, which combines economic profitability, respect for the environment and both social and ethical development. mission Carrefour are totally focused on meeting the expectations of their customers. Carrefour mission is to be the benchmark in modern retailing in each of their markets, by offering : * Their customers: the best prices and the best merchandise, in every banner and every country. * Their staff: the possibility of growth and fulfillment in a trusting environment, withinteresting jobs and motivational compensation. * Their shareholders: a sustained return on their investment and the growthprospects of a global, multi format retailer. * Their partners, franchisees or affiliates: leading banners and brands, marketingand sales expertise, purchasing power and constantly improving techniques. * Their suppliers: markets, customer intelligence, and cooperation to improveproducts through long term, mutually beneficial relationships. * Public, local and national authorities: a deep commitment to the community,as a socially responsible economic actor and good corporate citizen. Objectives †¢Improve customer satisfaction †¢Improve profitability †¢Significant reduction in excess inventory Carrefour is a public limited company with a share capital of 1,790,354,427.50 euros divided into 716,141,771 shares and with some 460,000shareholders. Carrefours employees own 2.98% of the Groups share capital.Their attention to social and environmental performance preserves their share price and attracts new investors sensitive to social and environmental issues.Carrefour strives to guarantee to its shareholders the transparency of its corporategovernance. Ethical, social or environmental issues are dealt with by Carrefour’s key decision making bodies : 1. The Board of Directors is Carrefour’s main governing body. It comprises 11members of whom 3 are independent directors, and is assisted by a Strategic Steering Committee, an Audit Committee and a Wages and Salaries Committee. 2. The Executive Committee is the backbone ´ of Carrefour’s managementstructure. Under the impetus of its chairman, it recommends strategic directionsand guidelines and organises their deployment. Its membership reflects the waythe Group is structured per geographic area with cross sector support functions. 3. The Quality Sustainable Development department, which manages thesustainable development programme, reports directly to the CEO and advises theExecutive Committee on sustainability issues. Carrefour products Besides, With its customers needs in mind, Carrefour decided in 1985 toreplace its produits libres, generic product line created in 1976, with an own -brand line, which is produced for the most part by small and medium sizedbusinesses and manufacturers. Today, Carrefour sells over 2,000 products thatmeet very strict specifications with regard to their price / quality ratio, taste,authenticity, food safety, traceability and innovation. Carrefour also sells 5,000 non- food products under its own brand names. Outside laboratories conduct qualityaudits of our non-food products at various stages in their production to make sure theymeet our specifications. Carrefours organic line now offers 130 products in its freshfood, grocery and frozen food aisles. All products in the Carrefour organic lineare inspected and certified by the independent certification organization ECOCERT,and must meet organic farming specifications (no chemical fertilizers, no syntheticpesticides). Everyone who works with Carrefour to produce its organic line makes a long term commitment to adhere to demanding production control and producttracking specifications. Regular inspections are conducted at every stage of themanufacturing process, up to and including inspections of the finished product. Carrefour market positioning Carrefour does business, its stores have further moved its marketpositioning towards the discount end through a policy of low prices andlargescale promotions. The banners concerned by the conversion to the eurolocked in their prices through May 2002 and maintened a freeze on own brandsover the whole year. The price positioning was supported by many promotionalcampaigns. In the first half, Carrefour won back market share in Brazil byconducting three short promotional campaigns a week. In the second half, thegroup’s 40th Anniversary offered a worldwide opportunity to display thecompetitive nature of the product range. Other international promotions such asthe ones in countries involved in the World Football Cup, helped to boostthe stores financial performance. Carrefour branches With operations in 30 countries, Carrefour is the world’s second largestretail group. It is the number one retailer in Europe. Carrefour has  also been present in the Americas since 1975 and in Asia since 1989. This success stems from their ability to adapt their strategy to fit local markets and to make globalisation an Opportunity for progress. Wherever they do business, they striveto raise local standards in terms of quality, service, working conditions and preserving the environment. They also mindful of their contribution to the labour market, in some countries, like Argentina. Carrefour is the largest private sector employer. Market positioning is the act of designing the company’s offerings and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of target market for its product, brand, or organization. It is the relative competitive comparison their product occupies in agiven market as perceived by the target market. Market positioning strategy usedby all retail in dustry such as foreign hypermarket. Below type of market positioning strategy used by retail industry . Product offered by Carrefour is a basis to differentiate other hypermarket product. The bases used in Carrefour hypermarket are * Quality Quality is one of Carrefour main source of competitive differentiation and is partof the fundamental policies defining the implementation of the Carrefour’s strategy. It always corresponds to what the customer explicitly or implicitly wantsand must be clearly perceived as such. The value for money must be the best.Controlled products whether banner brands or own brands, offer exemplary qualityand safety. A product must demonstrate the required quality level before it canbe approved for purchase. * Guaranteeing food products safety and quality The best possible value for money is offered at every price level (first priceproducts/ own brand and banner brand products). For own brand and banner brand products, the quality process includes signing a set of specifications,approving production sites and product control plan, processing and archiv ing anycon-compliant products and following up of customers claims. To complete thissystem, Carrefour has deployed in 2005 a Quality Scorecard available on theintranet site, which enable all the Carrefour to track products at every stage of their marketing and to react more efficiently in case of a crisis. * An approach shared with our suppliers To guarantee the quality of its food products and its own brand and banner brand products, Carrefour systematically conducts audits on its suppliers’s production sites, which are audited health and safety conditions. Suppliers’s production sites are audited by Carrefour,  its service providers or certificationagencies. Suppliers are audited with respect to health and safety conditions, riskcontrol, traceability and compliance with specifications. In addition, Carrefour endeavours to verify progress in product development Quality at the best price: first price products First price No1 ´ products launched in Malaysia. Drawing on synergies andpurchasing volumes at the Carrefour, these products are intended to offer consumers quality products at a price that is 5% to 7% below hard discountprices. In addition to meeting existing legal requirements, No1 products alsoreflects the quality and safety approach that characterizes all their own brandand banner brand products. Carrefour has decided to apply the same position for No1 products as for own brand and banner brand products by excludinggenetically modified organisms from the composition of all products. * Quality information on non food products labels To promote the quality of its own brand products and retail brand productsamong consumers, Carrefour hypermarkets decided to optimize the quality of information on the packaging of its Carrefour brand non food products. Four criteria, symbolized by four icons, were adopted, referring to usage, safety, health and the environment or social conditions of production. The packaging points outthe most striking criterion for each product by explaining in one or two sentencesthe product’s added value. This is signed with the commitment logo of Carrefour, which provides Consumer services with evidences of its procedures.Carrefour has already used this method on paints, backpacks, toys and scents. This approach will be extended to include children’s products, paper goods,sporting goods and food containers. * Ensure in store safety and quality The proper upkeep of stores and the respect for the cold chain and food safetyare key elements of the Carrefour’s policy in Malaysia . Thus the Carrefour mobilizes all its employees to ensure respect for health and safety rules. Thisinvolves training, establishing procedures, and systematic hygiene and qualityaudits in stores and warehouses. * Improve nutritional information on food products labels Facing with a disturbing rise in food-related problems and to help customers tocombine food products better for a more balanced diet, in early 2005, Carrefour has optimized the labelling of its Carrefour brand products. The Carrefour’s Commercial Department has worked with the CLCV to develop a more accessibleand helpful presentation of nutritional  information. The packaging has now a ³nutrition box ´ indicating the share of daily needs for six main nutrients ( fats,sugar, carbohydrates protein, fibre and salt) provided by the products. Brand The Carrefour has had successful financial results, has gained market share,and makes customer happy. This is a reward for all employees, as all of themplay a role in this result. In fact, over 90% of the employees work in contactwith customers. That means that customer happiness is closely linked to theemployees’ performance. The Carrefour has developed various tools, depending onthe employee’s position to assess the employee’s performance. For instance,tools for cashiers include such indicators as turnover and absenteeism. A number of teams participated directly in the preparation of the strategicplan through participating. In task forces that brought together people from allstore formats and all geographical areas. Being linked to the global strategy is agreat motivation for store managers. Moreover, the strategy is probably moreappropriate this way, so it is in turn easier for managers to implement theprograms with the employees. Since 2000, hypermarkets have systematized listening to employees toassess their satisfaction. Over 8,000 persons, both managers and employees,used it to express their point of view. It enables the Group to have a fair overview of labour relations, to adjust its management style and to draft actionplans that factor in employees’ recommendations and comments. Besides, general staff benefits include such as * Contractual Bonus * Service Awards Programme * Out Patient Treatment Benefits * Group Personal Accident Plan * Group Health Plan (Cover includes immediate family members) * Structured Skills Career Development (Programmes Structured SkillsCaree) Additional benefits for Non-Executives include allowances for: * Transportation * Attendance * Punctuality * Cashier ( cashier only ) * Festive incentive ( ie: Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali) At Carrefour, they constantly strive to be a responsible corporate citizen andundertake various measures to give back to the community and society as awhole. Carrefour strive to make a difference in the lives of the community fromthe urban to the rural and they are driven by the belief that all life is special anddeserves attention. Carrefour believes in operating business with integrity andcommitment to quality. This conviction that begins with us as an individual andthrough this inward conviction, Carrefour will make a difference in the lives of people around Malaysia. Personnel Differentiation The Carrefour Group has formalized its progressive approach based onthree key commitments: quality and safety, respect for the environment andeconomic and social responsibility. Safety commitment on Drug Perfume and Hygiene products (DPH) All suppliers are required to abide by Carrefour’s policy on cleaning,detergent and cosmetic products. No cosmetic product has been tested onanimals by Carrefour’s purchasing office or on its behalf for 10 years. Products and their formulas are rigorously scrutinized by a team of six internal specialists,with the support of an additional team of recognized external experts. Some of the group’s banners are taking this approach even further. Safety commitment on textiles and clothing for babies and children In 2003, Carrefour has developed specifications to improve the safety of clothing and textile products intended for children and babies. In two years, morethan 5,000 textile products involving over 200,000 substances were tested byindependent agencies. This safety requirement has been boosted by regular monitoring conducted with the help of specialists, toxicologists and allergists for all textile products. Based On services Differentiation The Carrefour puts its customers at the heart of everything it does. To thisend, it has simplified its organization, giving more independence to storemanagers to enable them to adapt their business as closely as possible to theneeds of their catchment area. Alongside this, the Carrefour has expandedcustomer choice, adapted its store brand ranges and increased its  serviceoffering. New store concepts have been introduced to respond to evolutions intheir customers’ lifestyles. For some years now, the Carrefour has also beenstrengthening its loyalty programs around this country to ensure that they reflectthe latest consumer and social trends.Over the years, Carrefour has added numerous practical and accessibleservices to its offering. The Carrefour has thus become a competitive player andthe benchmark in several areas of activity outside of its core business line.Carrefour made significant capital expenditures in 2002 to reconfigure its stores tomake them more attractive and im prove customer service. Reorganized salesareas and product staging make the best of the Carrefour’s various areas of expertise. This applies to both the food and non  ± food areas in hypermarkets. At Carrefour, they welcome customer views and comments which will help themimprove their service to customer. As in many other businesses, it is a crucial point for the Carrefour to learnabout their customers and to do everything they can to satisfy them. ThusCarrefour has defined what builds up a positive experience for the customer;apart from the differentiation strategies, price positioning strategies, distributionchannel and marketing mix, can see that the success factors contribute on itsproducts or services. The Carrefour mostly sells consumer goods and servicessuch as: * Convenience goods (food products, gas) which are sold by all formats of retail stores. * Shopping goods and services (household appliances, electronic devices)which are sold by hypermarkets only. * Cash Carry and wholesale stores sell industrial goods (mostly food) asthey sell to businesses (food trade professionals).Carrefour’ s success factors used on its product are: * The Carrefour ¶s product be unique and different from the existingproducts in the market. (CG Home theatre system very unique and different from other Hometheatre at market). * The product has sales in needed and wanted by the consumers.(Carrefour arrange different product in festival seasons such as HariRaya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas. Example: LuckyBamboo, cai Shen scoll, honey mandarin and assorted paper card inChinese New Year and Christmas table, Christmas trees and colourfullights  ± in Christmas.) The product have hi gh consumer demand and a high growth rate. ( allkind of product). * The product has to be reasonably priced and affordable to the majorityof consumer. ( all kind of product). * The  Carrefour have sufficient funds to build consumer awareness andcarry on other promotional activities. ( Carrefour Gift Vouchers, Carrefour Bonus ) . Form The products design different from other products, example GC product.QualityCarrefour always guarantee that all products they sales are safety and goodquality. Brand At Carrefour they sales CG brand products, which one mostly unique anddifferent from other brand products at market. Besides Carrefour also sales other product such as TOSHIBA, PENSONIC, ELBA, FABER, SAMSUNG, SHARP, LG,Goldsonic and etc.Durability A product that can last for many years is perceived as a product of goodquality.FeaturesCG products have various attractive features such as CG television set with loudstereo sound, clear picture quality , remote control and a big screen falls into thegood quality product category. Carrefour FreshFOod Carrefour also offer fresh food to consumers which one given the opportunity toconsumer to make many choices, an opportunity which has so far been lacking in Malaysia Carrefour. In terms of fresh produce, choice also pervades. Pursuingthe unconventional, for example, Carrefour will carry those items that other storesshy away from: at Carrefour one can find curved cucumbers, freshly harvestedcabbage (ones that have not gone through any additional processes), and other items that suffer from no real, discernible defect in quality. Besides Carrefour also carry fresh food like fresh chicken, fresh fish, fresh Australia Beef, freshprawn and etc.Differentiation strategies on Carrefour Fresh Food are based on productdifferentiation.QualityThe Quality Way products are the result of the collaboration between Carrefour and chosen producers, who have committed themselves to strictly follow a qualityletter statutes agreement. The aim of the collaboration is to provide consumerswith healthy and safe products. The products certified with the Quality Way signare quality and safety guaranteed, from the first production stage until the finalpositioning on the shelves. Some fresh food in Carrefour certificated as QualityWay are : Halvah quality way, Chicken quality way, Free Range Eggs quality way, Fresh Fish tsipoura quality way, French beef, Salmon, Biological bread, Barrel Feta quality way, Pork quality way, Apples agorin quality way, Peaches and Nectarines Veria quality way, Seabass quality way, Kiwi quality way, Feta Tin quality way Based on services differentiation.Carrefour also provide customer service such as Cutting Service (Scalling / Cuttingservice for meat products upon request). Carrefour Family G oods.  Carrefour also carry family Goods such as Carrefour Baby Goods (Food range,hygiene, perfumery, childcare products, toys, apparel developed under the adviceof a committee of pediatricians and specialists, in order to guarantee the baby’s development from 0 to 36 months with security and comfort.), Carrefour KidsGoods ( Food range, general merchandise, apparel, designed to develop goodhabits (fight against obesity with less fats, sugar and salt), as well as developingautonomy, satisfying the tastes of children between 4 and 10 years old throughadapted packaging and the use of the mascot: Genius), Men’s clothes, Lady’ sclothes (variety of clothes) and etc. Differentiation strategies on Carrefour Family Goods are based on productdifferentiation.QualityCarrefour always guarantee that family goods they sales are safety and goodquality specially Babys Goods. To guarantee the quality of its products and itsown brand and banner brand products, Carrefour systematically conducts auditson its suppliers’ production sites, which are audited health and safety conditions..Suppliers are audited with respect to health and safety conditions, risk control,traceability and compliance with specifications. Distribution Channel The Carrefour as a whole is an efficient channel of distribution: it is a whole setof marketing intermediaries that have joined together to transport and store goodsfrom producers to consumers. The Carrefour acts as a wholesaler as the Groupsells products to franchises. All the retail stores are other intermediaries. Some of the producers are local while other goods  are bought by bulk purchases or global sourcing. That means that Carrefour has to organize the wholetransportation to its retail stores. Carrefour is mainly concerned with outboundlogistics as they manage flows of finished products to ultimate customers (and tobusiness buyers for cash carry). This is a critical activity for Carrefour: they just cannot have empty shelves because that would not make customers happy!Each day, 8 trucks are needed to deliver products to one hypermarket! They usesophisticated software to create an efficient link between sales and purchases.They use  ³push  ± pull push ´ logistics. It means that they both do forecasts andthey also control what is sold in order to adapt. Before the merger Carrefour  ±Promodà ¨s, both firms had their own channels of distribution. After the merger,they decided to organize a common and efficient channel of distribution. It can bedivided into three networks: î€ grocery products which stay a very short time in warehouses for hypermarkets the same products for supermarkets, convenience stores and Promocash î€ products which stay a bit longer in warehouses, and that are delivered toall formats of stores This new system enables to reduce the distance over which the products aretransported (thus reducing the cost), and also shortens the time for the delivery.Moreover, with the  ³multidrop system ´, only one truck is used to transportproducts from a manufacturer to two close warehouses. Carrefour owns manyhuge logistics platforms (also called distribution warehouses). They gather products from different manufacturers (which are suppliers for Carrefour), andredistribute these products to the different stores when they need them. Theyhave introduced technological tools: those who prepare orders are helped by avocal recognition tool, in order to avoid any mistakes. Manufacturers used tostore finished goods in their own warehouse, and then, the goods weretransferred to Carrefour warehouses. Carrefour now wants to transport directly thefinished goods from the manufacturers’s to Carrefour warehouses. Marketing mix The marketing mix looks at the four main factors that go into a marketingprogram (Product , Price , Place , Promotion ) , which are referred to as the 4 Ps. PRODUCT The Carrefour needs to design their stores so that they meet customers need.This includes having the right store format, helpful services, the  appropriateproduct mix , and a reliable private label brand.Carrefour have adapted the kinds of products they sell to the local culture. For instance , Chinese people do not always have a huge refrigerator , so theyappreciate fresh products. Thus , Carrefour , by guaranteeing both prices andquality for lots of fresh products has a real advantage : it is much easier andpractical to buy fresh goods.Moreover , in Carrefour , they also sell western products for the western peopleliving here. This market segment needs were not yet fulfilled, as westernproducts are not sold elsewhere. In Carrefour Malaysia, people can buy suchgoods as chocolates, wine, and even cheese or cookies just like in France. Thegroup also adapted its services to local shopping habits. For instance, inMalaysia , people often drive to hypermarkets , only once a week. They buyeverything they need for the week, and a car is very useful to transport thegoods back home. That is why big parking lots are needed. ( in convenience stores ) Although the Carrefour sells a lot of goods with a manufacturer’s brand names(such as Danone , Yoplai t or Nestlà © ), they also sell dealer (private label)brands: * Carrefour (in Carrefour hypermarkets) , * Champion( in Championsupermarkets ) * Grand Jury ( in convenience stores ). Thus, these products donot carry the manufacturer’s name. The Carrefour product range now includes11,000 mass-market products and miscellaneous household goods.They have paid a special attention to the packaging so that the brand isimmediately recognizable . It has a special colour code , displays the Carrefour’squality commitment, complete labelling information and a display of the Carrefour’s satisfaction or consumer money back ´ policy. In order to improve these brandsequity, they use widely recognized labels to promote trust among customers. The brand loyalty  is very high. The Carrefour brand is the best selling brand inCarrefour hypermarkets, representing 25% of the total sales. Nine out of 10customers fill their shopping carts with Carrefour brand products. Thus, these products donot carry the manufacturerss name. The Carrefour product range now includes11,000 mass-market products and miscellaneous household  goods.They have paid a special attention to the packaging so that the brand isimmediately recognizable . It has a special colour code , displays the Carrefourssquality commitment, complete labelling information and a display of the Carrefourss satisfaction or consumer money back ´ policy. In order to improve these brandsequity, they use widely recognized labels to promote trust among customers. Thebrand loyalty is very high. The Carrefour brand is the best selling brand inCarrefour hypermarkets, representing 25% of the total sales. Nine out of 10customers fill their shopping carts with Carrefour brand pro ducts. PRICE This is a very important P in Carrefour’s strategy, they even talk of the  ³priceimage ´ of the group.The objective of the Carrefour is to reduce prices in all formats of stores.In 2005, the clearly stated objective of each hypermarket was to be the leastexpensive store within its market radius. This is a competition based pricing,their strategy is based on what other competitors are doing (including harddiscounters and informal traders), and the Carrefour tries to set the price belowthe competitors.However, they also seem to have a demand based (or target) pricing  as theyconstantly try to reduce prices to meet or exceed customers expectations, eventhough they are already under their competitors’ price. The objective of this pricereduction strategy is to attract more people to the stores, thus gaining market shares. The objective can be explained as a virtuous circle: the more they sell,the more economies of scale they can do, the more they can lower prices thusattracting more customers. The Carrefour has reduced the necessary time toanalyze the research data and to adjust price displays in each department to 24to 72 hours maximum. They pay a particular attention to the pricing of  ³sensitive ´categories of products (those that the customers notice). They have also studiedwhat factors contributed to this image. The main ones are fresh product pricecompetitiveness, reliability and quality of the price indications, pricecompetitiveness of the private label range. PLACE This P is about putting the product in a place where people will buy it.The  Carrefour adds value to goods or services by different means. Form utility The fresh bakery department in hypermarkets uses variousingredients to make croissants, bread and baguettes on the spot. Other departments such as the butchers’s and the fish department also perform formutility. Time utility. In order to make products available when they are needed, theCarrefour has developed a new format according to consumer needs and wants. Place utility In order to sell products where people want them, the Carrefour has different store formats. For instance, in Malaysia , hypermarkets are intown suburbs easily accessible by cars. Possession utility The group provides credit. With the PASS Card, customerscan spread out their payments and make their purchases on credit. TheCarrefour also helps to take a loan to buy a car for example. When you buybig goods, hypermarkets can deliver them to you. PROMOTION Promotion is the effort to inform and remind people in the market about productson sale in the stores, and to persuade them to buy. Carrefour uses various tools(advertising, public relations, sales promotion) which altogether are called thepromotion mix. It is worth noticing that as other big retailers, they do not usepersonal selling. Advertising Carrefour slogan (Lebih Jimat, Lebih Hemat ) is probably one of the best knownamong Malaysian people. It is quite simple to remember. It just means that withCarrefour, can be very optimistic as everything is so great in these hypermarkets. As they target the local market, it is highly efficient as people see the billboardsmany times. Time to time, they use other medias such as the TV to promotenation  ± wide events. Public relations In order to inform the public of the changes that are being made by Carrefour,and to show how this is a good thing to customers, Carrefour has a veryefficient information programme. Moreover, as Carrefour is one of the biggestfirms, there are many newspaper articles about the Carrefour. Overall, thesepublications are a good publicity for the Carrefour. Sales Promotion is the promotional tool that stimulates consumer purchasing anddealer interest by means of short term activities. Carrefour Hypermarketsregularly send catalogues to all households that live nearby. In each hypermarket, they have a reserved zone where they make special displays to present newproducts. There are also reduction coupons for those who have  the loyalty cardCarrefour. They can have reductions of 20% on most popular products. Specialevents are organized each time they open a store. They also use bonuses (buyone, get one free), especially one they want to get rid of their stock. The Carrefour’s need to attract the greatest possible number of people totheir retail stores. As different market segments have different needs, they needto have different formats of retail shops to fulfill these needs. For instance,elderly person often do not have a car and live alone, so they need a storenear their house, they need district shops. However, large families with childrenare looking for hypermarkets where they can buy goods at a cheap price, justonce a week. So that Carrefour need deploying an ongoing and aggressive low-price policy by expanding its in  ± store promotions and communications.Besides Carrefour need to: Strengthen environmentally conscious product and packaging design anddevelop a range of products with social and environmental added value. * Ensure product safety and quality, and customer and and employee safetyat our store locations. * Guarantee respect for human rights internally and along their productssupply chain. * Promote staff training and development, and inform staff of their view of the world, and their core values, their policies and their approach tosustainability. * Respect customers freedom of choice by offering them a wide range of products at attractive prices with full, factual information. * Making the brand work harder will help Carrefour grow sales and profitsin Malaysia. * Offer a more diversified product mix than traditional with hard discount. Reference * Carrefour Malaysia. (online). Available: www.Carrefour.com.my. * Carrefour Group. (online). Available: * www.Carrefour.com. * Wal-mart store inc. (online). Available: www.Wal-mart.com

Photography boundaries and uses

Photography boundaries and uses Photography from its very beginning served in a beneficial manner to democratize portraiture, expanding its boundaries and traditional uses. It no longer remained as an exclusive privilege of the aristocracy, the only class to afford it. By expanding its periphery, photographic portraiture not only complicated its function, but raised several intriguing issues in the new domains it spread to. By far, it complicated issues of identity and self-representation. Portraiture which was a means of re-asserting social status now opened up questions of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. So how did portraiture overcome its narrow boundaries? It is important for us here, to trace a brief history of the creation of identity in photographic portraiture because our modern vision of constructing identities has important historical precedents. The development of photographic portraiture occurs at a unique point in history the time of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America. It thus coincided with the ascendency of the middle class into the domains of finance and culture. The newly acquired wealth of the bourgeoisie was spent lavishly on all kinds of goods, mostly in a way to emulate the lifestyle of the aristocracy. Just as a king would inscribe his victory pillar with his achievements to stand against the tide of time, the newly emerging bourgeoisie etched their arrival on the photographic paper. It is to be borne in mind that portraits were always meant for public display and enter into a dialogue with the world at large, even when they were limited to private consumption. Representing their opulent lifestyle in the portraits, the bourgeoisie at one stroke could visually affirm their social status to the world at large, as well as pose a constant challenge to the aristocratic monopoly of signs. Photographic portraiture during this time (mid 19th century) could basically be divided into the bourgeois family photo and individuals (men) of great success (not those who enjoy greater rights and privileges due to high birth). This clearly demarcated the private and the public sphere of the bourgeoisie. The middle-class ideals of the family and success were comprehensively treated in the photographic studios of the major cities where, the bourgeois body was situated within a network of cultural, social and ideological relations. Through these discourses between the body and the camera, a moral icon was being cultivated. There began to emerge a set of codes vis-à  -vis posture, expression, lighting, dress, etc which were evoking a middle-class cultural ideal. These were aimed to be an inspirational and moral source for the working classes. It was in the portrait of the family that struggles over representation of gender and interaction between the sexes began to peek its head. Although during Enlightenment there was a universal climate of liberty and equality and a general freedom for the woman, it was contested by a large majority of male thinkers. Historically significant writings of Rousseau and studies in the Encyclopaedia of the latter half of the 18th century conclude on the basis of female biological dispositions, that women are â€Å"unequal but complementary partner of men†, â€Å"the destiny of women is to have children and nourish them.† The emerging middle-class reformers and professionals by the 19th century had idealized the structure of family and pre-disposed social roles on the basis of gender, through the field of science, popular literature, sermons, etc. Let us analyze this photo belonging to the 1850s to further illustrate this view. A typical Victorian elderly couple is represented in the centre of the frame. The husband is facing the camera with a rather powerful authority which comes through in his intent vision. He is in the front, seated on a chair, and it is evident that he assumes full control of decision-making in the family. His wife on the other hand, comes across as a fragile dutiful figure on the back. It appears as if in reality, she is relegated to the background, almost without any assertive power in the family unit. It is this system of differences the camera captures that underlines the textured fabric of dominant social relations. The creation of identity in photographic portraiture is thus anchored firmly in a set of economic, political and social underpinnings. In the idealized Victorian family photo below, the family unit is presented in a ritualized display, oddly superficial in content and with the hierarchy of the domestic cult being apparently visible. The photo is of Sir Richard Strachey, a colonial administrator, soldier, botanist and engineer and his family engaged in a parlour game. In the other family photo, the male figure is seen to enact the role of the family-head, whose expressions and gestures are carefully rooted in the middle-class ideological terrain. The wife is a rather subdued entity. With passive children on display by their sides and bound to each other by cords of reciprocal love and obligation, the members of the family typified a whole new commitment to a domestic ideal. The space within which they were placed to photographed most often i.e. the photographers studio went a long way in reinforcing their social identities. It was basically a fabricated space, with various props for various occasions. Carefully altered according to needs, it served as the bourgeois drawing room, the balcony, and the like; they were symbols of middle-class recreation and leisure. Dotted with objects of art and cultivated taste, these spaces had the potential of conveying the bourgeois milieu. With the bourgeois coming into prominence and replacing the aristocracy of the ‘Ancien Regime, it was time that photography brought into the domains of visibility those so far neglected, not represented those ‘invisible. It was due to surveillance, almost, that the colonized subjects with their distinct ‘otherness or in other words ethnicity, and the labouring classes driving the capitalist machinery, came into the visual sphere. One of the striking features at a glance is how these classes are represented they are made to confront the camera, almost come to terms with its gaze. The blunt frontality shows a complete lack of sophistication which is markedly different from the cultivated asymmetries of the bourgeois pose. This middle-class awareness, that the body when carefully positioned always served as a cultural and class signifier, explains why they were never in conflict with the camera. - How has then modern contemporary photography dealt with the issue of identity in terms of gender, the public or private self or even sexuality? One of the significant changes which had occurred through the passage of time was the representation of women in photography. Be it in the workplace or on private dining table, images of women changed radically being more assertive, independent. They had over time, gained social and political rights and were enacting various roles at the same time the professional, the wife, the mother and the like. Thus representation of women in the workplace became an intense subject, especially during the time of Margaret Thatcher in Britain. But with unemployment rising to unprecedented levels during the 1980s, photography revealed shocking truths. It was found that women were mostly employed in low-paid professions or part time and faced several discriminatory practices with regard to class, gender and ethnicity at the workplace. In 1986-87, Rhonda Wilson presenting an oppositional view through her images, produced a striking series of work- drawing in heavily from popular imagery and signs and underlined with satire. In the photo below, which exploits the format of the beauty contest with sashes and higher pedestals, women with the worst weekly income levels are presented as three winners. They are represented in their professional capacities with each one holding props related to their work. Their expressions clearly reveal the irony. Thus it brought to the forefront important questions of womens role in the modern society and also in the male-dominated ‘workplace. It also revealed the sexual division of labour i.e. traditional feminine occupations being grossly underpaid. In another interesting take on the subject is Debbie Humphreys project of the 1990s Gender Crossings focussing on relationships between the sexes in the workplace. The women in this series of images, have disregarded the so-called gender boundaries and entered the domain of â€Å" mens † work. These women blend in with their male counterparts and have strangely subdued femininity. In the image below, we see three employees in a typical office environment. At a glance, it is hard to identify that the central figure is a female due to her cropped hair, guardedly crossed arms to conceal the breast and her typically male attire. The woman is flanked by one male colleague on either side who seem to be quite comfortable in presenting themselves in the particular environment. Standing firmly these men appear as intimidating to the female colleague, whose posture and expression testify to the fact. The picture raises important questions of why the female has chosen a male dress-code. Is it to be at par with the men in the profession? To legitimise her presence? In any case, the power structure of the place is clearly shown. Issues of representation become more complex when this woman professional also has to run the household. In Jacqueline Sarsbys photo-documentary series on the agricultural labour she portrays this dual role of ordinary working women in small English farms.

An Army of One: Me Essay -- Analysis, Jean Twenge

The way the mind works is through a set of processes, which are steps that must be taken in order for the function it is producing to be accomplished successfully. These processes are related to those that society must be willing to take in order to achieve a desired goal, otherwise known as the ‘struggle’. Younger generations, called Generation Me, develop narcissist views that did not allow for the ‘struggle’ to be considered in their generation. The basis for this mindset is introduced by author Jean Twenge in her essay, â€Å"An Army of One: Me†, as she described the gap that occurred between Baby Boomer parents and their GenMe children. This communication was severed because GenMe was taught that their ideas are the best, and therefore not debatable. This translates to differences in opinion and results in individualism. When those individuals do not work together, as demonstrated by Deborah Tannen, author of â€Å"The Roots of Debate in Educati on and The Hope of Dialogue†, they tend to have a weak sense of debate because they stick up for themselves. As a diagnosis to this problem of disconnectedness, Nicholas Carr, author of â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† decides that our society has begun to skip steps in the process of learning and in particular, the ‘struggle’ that produces the desired outcome. The disconnectedness that has developed in society has caused the loss of real learning, and the problem based on the generation gap introduced by Twenge altered the struggle that is necessary to accomplish, which Tannen believes in and where Carr determines real learning can occur. In order for us to fully understand why we cannot achieve real learning one must understand the roots as well as the problem. Twenge talks about the problem ... ...lting in na less beneficial result, for it it only harms not only ourselves but our society as a whole. Twenge, Tannen, and Carr are all explaining and alluding to the fact that we are not being productive and constructive as a society, and that we are not working together as one. There is a great need for a change in the way that our society works, starting with a change in the teaching of children and even adults about the true meaning of self and how society can develop connectedness by working together. Once society can act for themselves and can learn to listen to others, there must then be a change in the way that learning is promoted, and most importantly a society as a whole must be the one to encourage real learning. Social connectedness is a vital component in mediating real learning, and it is one that our society has to work for in order to achieve.

Airport Planning and Organization Essay -- Logistics

Single File? According to the Federal Aviation Administration (2007), â€Å"The master planning process will vary with the size, complexity, and role of the study airport and may include a variety of supporting studies. However, all master planning studies will fall within one of two basic types: Airport Master Plans or Airport Layout Plan (ALP) Updates† (Federal Aviation Administration, 2007, p.1). This description of the master planning process is further explained by the FAA in saying, â€Å"Airport planning is a systematic process used to establish guidelines for the efficient development of airports that is consistent with local, state and national goals. A key objective of airport planning is to assure the effective use of airport resources in order to satisfy aviation demand in a financially feasible manner. Airport planning may be as broad based as the national system plan or more centrally focused as an airport master plan for a specific airport† (Federal Aviation Administ ration, 2010, p. 500-1). This explanation of how airport planning is organized may allow the reader to become more familiar with how decisions are made in regards to airport planning and organization. The basis of any airport plan or layout is set up for one primary function; to move people out as fast if not faster than they have moved in. There are a variety of ways that have been tested, failed, retested, improved, and finally established or dissolved in order to help promote this concept of moving people as easily and sufficiently as possible. Two examples that have two very different approaches to the methods of passenger flow within the airports would be to look at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Washington Dulles International Airp... ...nal Airport | the Official Website of ATL Airport. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Airport/ATL/ATL_FactSheet.aspx Federal Aviation Administration. (2007, May 1). Advisory circular. FAA.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/advisory_circular/150-5070-6B/150_5070_6b_chg1.pdf Federal Aviation Administration. (2010, October 1). Airport Planning. FAA.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.faa.gov/airports/central/aip/sponsor_guide/media/0500.pdf Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. (2012). Air Traffic Statistics. Dulles International Airport. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.mwaa.com/dulles/653.htm Wayne County Airport Authority. (2004). Aviation Statistics. MetroAirport.com. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.metroairport.com/about/AviationStatistics.asp

Child Development Study Essay -- physical emotional social development

Child Development Study For my child development study I am going to observe how a child shows their physical, emotional, social and intellectual development and skills. I will observe this child over a year and record their improvement of these skills. Physical Description I went to the child’s house on the 20th of February a 13:00pm, I was there for about 2 and a half hours. Her name Is Hilary and she is 3 years, 3 months and 3 weeks and 2 days. She was born on the 20th of November 2001. Hilary is 3ft 4 inches (101cm) and weighs 2 stone and 3lbs (31 lbs). The average height and weight of a 3 year old is 94cm and 31 lbs, Hilary is a normal size child because she weighs 3 lbs and is only 6cm taller than the average height. Her face is round and she has chubby cheeks. Light brown freckles dot around her face and around her nose. She has dark brown almond shaped eyes and a small button nose. Hilary has a mixed race complexion and dark brown hair tied back into twists to keep it out of her face. All of her primary teeth have grown, her first tooth was her top front incisor, and her last was her back molar just before her third birthday. Hilary has big feet, she is a small size 4 and has many different shoes. Her fingers are long and she has wide palms. Personality Hilary is a very friendly and out going child, when I went into her house for the first time she came up and sat beside me and showed me her ‘Noddy’ book. By doing this it showed that she isn’t really timid or shy of new/unfamiliar people. I asked Hilary what she was scared or frightened of and she told me she was scared of the dark and lions. When she said lions she squatted her legs and shouted raahhhh very loudly. Hilary was very liv... ... a pincer grasp when drawing and colours neatly with in the lines. For my second activity I done a drawing with Hilary, she had fine muscular control when she was drawing a lady bird. I helped her to write her name. My third activity was play dough, Hilary was not very keen on playing with the play dough at first because she didn’t like the feel of it. But when I started to roll the play dough Hilary joined in, she was able to roll the play dough in to little balls but wasn’t able to make the food out of the play dough. However I don’t think she understood what to do. We went into the garden and were picking up leaves ready to do my fourth activity, Hilary used her fine motor skills to pick up the leaves. My fifth activity was an obstacle course in Hilary’s front room, Hilary enjoyed this activity. She was able to climb, jump and crawl over the obstacles.

A Comparative Analysis of Moses

The biblical Moses and the Moses described by Zora Neale Hurston in her book Moses, Man of the Mountain, are both based upon the Exodus story, found in the second book of the Bible.Although the stories are similar in many respects, both concerned with the bondage of a people and their cries for a deliverer, who is found in Moses, the biblical Moses is firmly rooted solely in the Hebraic tradition, following the lead of the patriarchs, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.Hurston’s Moses, however, although still a Hebrew, has a more universal appeal. He speaks in black colloquialisms, creating an extended analogy that can be linked not to the ancient Hebrews, but also to the oppressed blacks in America, and to the modern Jews who were savagely persecuted by Hitler and Nazism.The Exodus story concerns a male son born to Hebrew slaves. The midwives disobey Pharaoh’s command to kill all male newborns. Moses is hidden only to be discovered by none other than Pharaoh’s own daught er, who then raises him as her own son, who later discovers his   true identity and leads the slaves to freedom.   Moses’ life is divided into forty year segments: forty years in Egypt; forty years on the back side of a mountain; and forty years wandering in the wilderness.In Hurston’s version, more is made about race. The story discusses the idea of a â€Å"people† and their origins to a greater extent. Hurston slants the argument toward the idea of racial origins and perhaps origin more generally as the start of many of the evils of the world. She not only wants to create doubts about Moses’ pure origins, but also about the very concept that was prevalent during 1939 when her book was written: that of racial purity.As an anthropology researcher she understood racial divisions as idealized abstractions, even though they had concrete functions in the real world. Hurston explored race as a cultural creation rather than a biological fact. Her novel assu mes an even greater meaning as Germany, led by Hitler’s theory of eugenics-founded on the idea of racial improvement through selective breeding- started the world war in 1939.In the United States the eugenics movement was related to racist campaigns against European undesirables and blacks. Eugenics was thought to be necessary to produce a great race. Hitler’s goal was a Master race who guarded the purity of their own blood. By keeping race â€Å"pure,† exterminating Jews and Slavs were deemed   essential to that undertaking.(Hurston, introduction xii-xiv).The spectre of Nazism looms over the beginning of Hurston’s novel   as it starts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   with the act of marking Hebrew male newborns for extinction. Parents, desperate for places to hide their children, become frantic that the police might get tipped off and come execute their child. In fact, Moses’ father is so fearful that he aims to kill the baby himself so that the police won ’t have that chance. Yet despite their terror, Moses’ mother is determined that he lives and hides him. In all this hoopla of extermination, the irony is   that there is plenty of   Hebrew blood in Pharaoh’s family already.â€Å"That is why he wants to kill us off. He is scared someone will come along and tell who his real folks are. The grandmother of Pharaoh was a Hebrew.† ( Hurston, 14).Besides his murder of male infants, Pharaoh is cruel in other ways. He denies citizenship to the Hebrews, relegating them to slavery. Yet in still another act of irony, Pharaoh ends up with a Hebrew grandson in Moses.As he grows older, Moses fights for inclusion of the Hebrews in the Egyptian army. But the Egyptians oppose him, remarking:â€Å"They are not citizens of Egypt, but enemy prisoners, and as such it would bbe rash to put arms into their hands again. Who knows when they might rise up and turn the tables?†