Ann Taylor, like many other fashion retailers, went through a period of decline during the economic recession in 2008 (Pearce & Robinson, 2013, p. 2–1). While many retailers were struggling the National Retail Federation suggested that these businesses try to focus on areas where their performance was lacking and improve those areas rather than immediately closing their doors (p. 2-1).
Ann Taylor specializes in quality clothing for the business minded woman as well as those in high social position (Pearce & Robinson, 2013, p. 2-4). Their mainstay is the “little black dress” called the Ann Taylor, which consequently is how the company got its name (p. 2-4). Ann Taylor’s target market is professional and social elite women between the ages
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This strategy, coupled with a hard look at their current pricing, would get their brand-name in front of more consumers.
Implementation
There are a lot of young professional women entering the business world that would be interested in the professional look that Ann Taylor inspires. These young women primarily do their shopping online. They could provide enticements to encourage these online shoppers such as free shipping, paired clothing styles, a basic, interchangeable wardrobe or frequent shopper discounts.
Implementation for an online shopping site is fairly easy. Any reputable web designer could put together a user-friendly site that highlights Ann Taylor’s most collectible pieces. A well-designed website would not only attract the younger business women but it would increase customer loyalty by enabling ease of purchase and help expand their customer base through word-of-mouth. Today’s youth no longer look forward to all day shopping trips. They would rather stay home and shop online where their comfortable. It is the way the world these days.
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Show MoreThe ecommerce industry is growing faster than ever. TJ Maxx needs to start focusing more on ecommerce not only to keep up with competition, but also to make sure they do well during weak economic periods. ecommerce, overall, tends to do very well during lackluster economic times. TJ Maxx will be able to cut costs more easily the more they expand their ecommerce business. Our business idea will allow them to expand their ecommerce as we will take over their website and delivery. TJX Companies’ three ecommerce sites accounts for only about 1.0% of the company’s total sales. However, the online channel is a key growth driver and TJX is taking initiatives to improve its online business. The ecommerce sales
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From the conventional Victorian dresses of the 1800’s to the rock-and-roll tee shirts of the 1980’s, American culture has experienced incredibly diverse trends in clothing. This ever changing timeline of fashion provokes the question: what is the cause of such differing styles? By considering the state of society throughout the eras, it can be seen that clothing directly correlates with the current way of life. Specifically, American women’s fashion of the 1920’s and 1930’s proves to not simply be a meaningless trend – rather an accurate reflection of the specific era.
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...price, it also allows for them to increase their sales and enter into new markets, which in turn would help to increase their profits.
Online sales currently represent about 40% of Calyx revenues. Since Calyx’s main customers are upscale, professional women, it is understandable that professionals are more likely to use the Internet as a resource to buy flowers. The advantage of Internet for professionals is that the Internet requires the least amount of effort and time to purchase flowers. Calyx can use Internet advertising to target specific demographics. Calyx can position themselves towards the younger generation of customers who are more likely to use the Internet to buy goods. Calyx can also use the Internet to attract professional men, instead of its normal customer base of upscale women. Calyx should also target more heavily to companies, as it already offers flowers for corporate giving. Corporate customers and businesses are more likely to provide a higher lifetime value than a customer who only buys flowers for special holidays. In addition, Calyx could merge their two websites (calyxflowers.com and calyxandcorolla.com) together for easier navigability and increased customer convenience. By reaching out to the younger generation, corporations, and men, Calyx can increase their current yield rate. Focusing on these three groups can increase Calyx’s revenue by aligning themselves closer to the desired sniper
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By the 1980s, just before the rise of Wal-Mart, Kmart had become complacent. It believed it would be the king of discount retailing, now and forever. It didn't perform an accurate SWOT analysis, but to be fair, who could have seen the rise of Wal-Mart to the position of the world's number-one retailer? Still, as Wal-Mart built new stores in town after town, supported by cutthroat pricing and solid logistics, Kmart's complacency would cost them. Part of the problem was that as Wal-Mart was pouring money into information technology (IT), Kmart's IT budget continued to shrink – not just once, but several years in a row. While Wal-Mart's logistics and supply chain management got sharper, Kmart's stagnated. And while Wal-Mart was able to squeeze more value out of its stores and its systems, Kmart lost ground. By the time Kmart had finally decided to start devoting more resources to IT, it was so far behind Wal-Mart that catching up would have been a near-impossible task without the recession in the early part of this decade. With the effects of the recession taken into account, Kmart instead was consigned to also-ran status among discount retailers.
Roy Raymond was shopping at a department store section for lingerie for his wife to only find ugly floral-print nightgowns and a sales associate with made him felt even more uncomfortable while shopping there and realizing that other males must feel the same way. He saw an opportunity to design a lingerie store where both males and females would feel comfortable shopping there (Barr). He wanted to create an environment “where it was exciting, a sexy process that would make the men feel comfortable, not perverted.”(Schlossberg). Ever since Roy Raymond sold Victoria’s Secret to the company the Limited in 1982, the company had increased in popularity immensely because through the use of advertisements that, “was able to bring Victoria’s Secret to become a very powerful almost-monopoly in the lingerie market” (“Victoria’s Secret”:Brandopedia). With an extreme growth of popularity, the company expanded its advertising methods with the use of monthly catalogues, annual fashion shows, print advertisements, and most importantly the supermodels. Victoria’s Secret has set an image to make young girls feel insecure about their own bodies because they are so exposed to these kinds
The sign of moving products promptly from a designer’s table to the retail sales floor has swayed the whole global retail commerce and enticed rivalry. Customers value a “new look” that can be worn for this instant and assess the goods as a monetary fortune; not something that you will keep
..., since the company would be more price competitive and it already has a well established brand name, it would be more difficult to gain market share for these small competitors that are emerging, i.e. private brands, Sony, Kodak, Panasonic, etc.
... this and their marketing strategy will be key if they are to remain viable, grow and compete in the market.
Established in 2010, Love Bonito is one of Singapore’s most successful online fashion retailer targeting Singaporean women aged 18-35. This report focuses on how Love Bonito can improve on their e-commerce strategy by looking at the best practices of other local and international fashion brands such as ASOS, Zalora, Tinsel Rack and etc.
The Internet is rapidly becoming widespread and widely used as a tool for globalization across the world. As the Internet became more easily accessible by most people in the world, the web is bringing significant implications and changes to the way we live, including the way we shop. There is a rapid growth with e-commerce and moving businesses onto the web and retail success is no longer about stores and shopping centers. In developed countries, about two thirds of the population have access to the Internet making the option of online shopping is easily accessible to most people (Valerio). With the ease of shopping in your own home there are many benefits of doing your shopping online. Consumers can easily compare prices online, there is a larger range of products on the web, you can save time by having your shopping delivered right to your doorstep and it also overcomes physical barriers. Over the last decade online shopping has challenged and replaced the traditional means of physically going into shops as the digital world has provided customers with further convenience, flexibility and comfort from shopping from your own home.