Week 7 EOC: Retail PEST

Zara is a company that is own by one of the largest fashion retail companies, Inditex. The first Zara store was established in 1975 in it was opened in A Coruña, Spain. Zara continues to grow as a company and as a fashion brand." Inditex opened its first stores in Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ecuador, Georgia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and reach 6,000 stores worldwide" (http://www.inditex.com) in 2012. Since 1975 Zara just focused to be in the country where it was found, but in 1988, Zara decided to go worldwide and opened its first store outside of Spain in Oporto, Portugal. This company is very responsible with its political issues. Zara is responsible and gives their employees their code of conduct. Zara also keeps up with their profits and financial documents. This company keeps up with economic, social demographics as well as technological issues. Zara's company has a lot of physical stores around the world as well as online shops that are available in several different languages. This company is known to be a fashion store that saves energy, eco- friendly shop, produce less waste, recycle, their commitment extends to all of their staff, and also they also in an environmentally aware team. Zara is also known for their use of ecological fabrics and organic cotton. Zara company supports organic farming, as well as some of her garments are made out or 100% cotton. Some of their clothing is known to be free of pesticides, chemicals, and bleaches. This company is a great example of a fashion retailer company that has shown why they are one of the best fashion retailers in the world. They have more than thirty- seven years in the fashion industry, and they keep continuing to grow as a company. Zara has some history in the industry, and will continue to make more. They have shown the world why they have the number one place as a fashion retailer.

Sources:

http://www.zara.com/us/en/company-c11112.html

http://www.inditex.com/en

http://www.inditex.com/en/who_we_are/timeline

Week 7 BOC: Largest Retailers

One of the big questions is what is the largest retailer in the United States as well s in the World? Walmart is considered to be one of the largest retailers in both the world and the United States.  “Wal-mart's global retail sales total led $421 billion in 2010, and the U.S. accounted for 72.9% of its overall sales. The chain ran 4,358 stores in 2010 up 1.3% from the previous year. “(http://www.businessinsider.com) Since 2010, and previous years as well, Walmart has been consider to be one of the largest retailer throughout the world. In 2010 Walmart’s US retail sales were $307.7 billion, in just one year their stock increased 11.38%. Walmart is one of the retail companies that are considered to be one of the largest retailers, although they are not the largest retailer of food, music, and fashion.  The Kroger Company is one of the top largest food retailers in the United States with retail sales of $92.17 billion in 2012. “Kroger moved up one position to become the fifth largest retail chain in the world. It is no small feat to overtake Germany’s largest discount store chain and lead with the Costco Wholesale chain, which also sells a significant amount of groceries and food products.” (http://retailindustry.about.com) Kroger has proven to everyone in the United States as well as the world why they are in the first five places of the largest retailers in the world. Target and Costco in the United States for the year of 2012 they have been very close in retail sales. Target’s retail sales were $71.96 billion and for Costco it was $71.04 billion. For the music industry, Apple/ Itunes is considering to be one of the largest music sellers in the United States as well as in the World. For the United States the second largest retailer to sell music is walmart, but in Europe the second largest is Spotify. For the fashion industry the largest retailer is Inditex, as we know as Zara. “In March, Inditex reported a significant 22 percent rise in full year net profit, to €2.4 billion, largely thanks to its rapid expansion into other markets that helped it pull away from dependence on Europe amid its economic crisis.”( http://www.ibtimes.com) Although there are different retailers that focus on different products, Walmart is one of the retailers that have more retail sales throughout the United States and the world.

Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-top-15-retailers-2011-7?op=1
http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/topics/e-commerce/americas-largest-retailers-brick-and-mortars-dominate-30857/attachment/stores-top-10-us-retailers-in-2012-july2013/
http://retailindustry.about.com/od/worldslargestretailers/a/us-2013-worlds-largest_biggest_best_retail_grocery-stores-supermarkets_chains_ranking.htm
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2008/04/apple-passes-wal-mart-now-1-music-retailer-in-us/
http://www.ibtimes.com/inditex-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer-posts-weakest-profit-growth-years-cool-europe-spring-kept
http://retailindustry.about.com/od/topusretailcompanies/a/us_2013_worlds-largest_retail_companies_chains_retailers_biggest_American_globalpower_2.htm

Week 6 EOC: Rock Ford- Restoring the Brand

Rocky Ford is a company that started in 1887 and since then it has specialized in growing cantaloupes, honeydews’, and watermelons.  On September 14th, 2011 the FDA posted a press release on a topic that was terrifying for the Rocky Ford company. "The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms and to throw away recalled product that may still be in their home." (http://www.fda.gov) The government put out a warning for all of those people who the cantaloupes were being distributed to. The states that were the cantaloupes were being distributed were in the following states: IL, TN, WY, CO, TX, UT, KS, MN, NM, PA, NJ, NY, AZ, OK, NE, MO, and NC. The FDA website also said that these products could have been ship or distributed to other states as well. " Last fall's listeria outbreak traced to Jensen Farms in eastern Colorado was blamed for the deaths of 30 people. It infected 146 people in 28 states with one of four strains of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com) Everyone across the country was very worried because this was a serious problem that was infecting consumers, as well as about 30 people died. The Rocky Ford company had a big problem as a company for what they were serving their consumers. The Rocky Ford company had many issues to deal with, and it was very hard for them to recover, and survive as a company. " The F.D.A. recommends that consumers rinse all raw produce, including cantaloupes, under running water. " (http://www.nytimes.com) I feel that the FDA did more than the actual company. I feel that Rocky Ford should have done something similar like Tylenol did in 1982. They should of taken every cantaloupe out of the stores and made sure they made it publicly known for their consumers to throw away any cantaloupe that they had in their home. I feel that this company should of thought about defending and protecting their brand in a way like the Tylenol company did.

Sources: http://www.rockyfordgrowersassociation.com/
http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/2011-rocky-ford-cantaloupe-listeria-outbreak-lawsuit-update/#.Ugw3iIKaClU
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm271899.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/colorado-cantaloupes-retu_0_n_1670660.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/deaths-from-cantaloupe-listeria-rises.html?_r=0

Week 6 BOC: Tylenol Scare 1982

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/161995443/
why-tylenol-bottles-are-hard-to-open

Tylenol is considered to be one of the most trusted medicine product across the US.  “Before the crisis, Tylenol was the most successful over-the-counter product in the United States with over one hundred million users. Tylenol was responsible for 19 percent of Johnson & Johnson's corporate profits during the first 3 quarters of 1982.” (http://www.ou.edu) Unfortunately Tylenol had a scare crisis on September 29^th, 1982. This company went through a scare crisis after seven people died in Chicago for taking cyanide-laced capsules of Extra-Strength Tylenol. “During the fall of 1982, for reasons not known, a malevolent person or persons, replaced Tylenol Extra-Strength capsules with cyanide-laced capsules, resealed the packages, and deposited them on the shelves of at least a half-dozen or so pharmacies, and food stores in the Chicago area.” (http://www.ou.edu)  This is what caused the seven deaths in the Chicago area. The Extra-Strength Tylenol product was considered to be one of the best- selling products in the country. After the seven deaths and the huge scare that happened for Tylenol “the company’s market value fell by $1bn as a result.”(http://www.mallenbaker.net) After the scare that happened many people as well as marketers thought that the company would never recover. “But only two months later, Tylenol was headed back to the market, this time in tamper-proof packaging and bolstered by an extensive media campaign.” (http://www.nytimes.com) The Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson Company took care of the crisis by showing the public that they do care about their consumers.  The company spent more than $100 million for the 1982 recall and also to relaunch the products of Tylenol. The company recalled about 31 million bottles of Tylenol capsules from all of the shelves in the stores and pharmacies. They replace the product and made sure it was a safer capsule.  Tylenol made a new safe way of packaging all of their products. They were the inventors of creating new well-protected packages security seals for all of their products. After this situation, many companies began to secure their products just like how Tylenol did with its products.

http://blog.threekingsconsulting.com/tag/tylenol-scare/

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/23/your-money/23iht-mjj_ed3_.html

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-29-tylenol-poisonings_N.htm

http://www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/groups/02C2/Johnson%20&%20Johnson.htm

http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/crisis02.php

Week 5 EOC: Trend Predictor

http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2013/02/fall-2013-most-wearable
-fashion-trends#slide=6

There is a lot of work when it comes into creating a trend in the fashion industry. In the fashion industry trend projections play a huge role in the branding part of a company. "Progressive brands are moving away from traditional advertising methodologies and opting for consumer insights to connect authentically to the market." (More Than A Name, Melissa Davis, P.153) One of the main trends that seem to be trendy for the fall of 2013, is all shades of the color green. According to Pantone.com the official color of the year is green. "Green is officially a thing for fall 2013. From emerald to army, there’s a shade for every skin tone, hair color, and personal style." (www.glamour.com) Designers like Cushnie et Ochs, Marc Jacobs, and Richard Chai Love where some of the designers that incorporated all different shades of green into their Fall 2013 designs. "The interpretation of trend can be tricky as trend is often influenced by personal opinion and personal experience. There is also so much trend information available that brand managers have a difficult time prioritising the most relevant trends that are affecting their business." (More Than A Name, Melissa Davis, P.153) A trend can help a brand grow as a company and as a brand, depending on how the brand is developed and how the public shares uses the trend. There are many things that help a fashion trend forecaster to predict a trend, like for example, Pantone. Pantone is a website that tells people who are interested in the fashion industry the color/ colors of the year. For example, for the year of 2013 it is green. A lot of designers have used this color and a lot of their designs. Trends are very important not only in creating a brand, but they are also important in the fashion industry.

Sources:
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2013/02/fall-2013-most-wearable-fashion-trends#slide=6
http://digitalbookshelf.artinstitutes.edu/#/books/9782940476039/pages/49062921