Business Analysis: Kudcler Fine Foods in San Diego, California

Kudler Fine Foods is a privately held company that offers an upscale specialty food store located in San Diego, California, founded by Kathy Kudler in 1998. Currently there are three locations, La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas. Each location has bakery and pastry products, fresh produce, fresh meat & seafood, condiments and packaged foods, and cheese and specialty dairy products (Kudler, Fine Foods intranet). Their mission is to provide a selection of fine products from around the world along with the knowledge of the products.

This paper discusses Kudler’s strength and weaknesses and how the organization competes in the marketplace. Also discussed is the market structure which best applies to the organization and how that market structure positively or negatively affects the firm’s long-term profitability. Finally, competitive strategy recommendations are made.

Kudler and the Marketplace

Kudler Fine Foods’ vision is to “be the premiere gourmet grocery store for those savvy shoppers who are searching for the finest meats, produce, cheeses, and wine” (Apollo Group, Inc, 2013). In order to achieve its vision, Kudler competes in the marketplace using a differentiation strategy. They utilize physical product differentiation to set itself apart from the competition with the layout of its stores and marketing differentiation by promoting Kudler’s commitment to the use only the finest organic ingredients and purchasing local produce from organic farmers, whenever possible.

Strength and Weaknesses

Kudler’s SWOT analysis states its number strength is that the organization is small, followed by there is no direct competition, the stores offer lot choices for the customers, the stores are very customer oriented, in good locations, the ...

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...udler Fine Foods to achieve it is vision special attention will need to be given to differentiation. Kudler will need to focus on the negatives from the survey such the customer’s feeling towards the staff. The necessity of staff training was made apparent however in addition implementing human capital differentiation where Kudler boasts about the level of training staff receive and the high level of skills staff maintain should correct negative opinion our customers have regarding staff. Heavy marketing differentiation will also be utilized in the form of advertising. Profit is name of the game and it is impossible to make a product if the consumer is not aware that you exist or what you offer. The idea is to make Kudler Fine Foods as a common a household name Progressive Insurance. Heavy advertising is the way to ensure Kudler Fine Foods apart and above the rest.