Tuesday 26 June 2012

Made in the USA

The world is getting smaller. Communication is getting faster and international barriers are coming down. Many countries have lost their industries to countries that can produce quicker and cheaper. The bottom line of the profit and loss account mostly says it all, especially with the pressure on businesses to give shareholders their dividends. Therefore with Unions being in place, legislation and many other obstacles, it is with regular occurrence that businesses either set up their production plants on foreign soil, sold off or competitors take over the market place with cheaper priced products.  With all this activity it was interesting to see what iconic brands are still being manufactured in the USA. An interesting read.

McDonald's Uniforms

McDonald's and their uniform. Wayne Hemingway has been set the task of revamping their uniforms. An interesting assignment. Baseball caps and the traditional clothing are seen as too casual. It has got me thinking about where McDonald's is going with this? Their menus are constantly evolving, bringing in a wider product range aimed at all target segments. Burgers being the cash cow of the menu, mango smoothies, chicken nuggets, salad and before long I wouldn't be surprised to see pasta being sold too. As McDonalds is a global brand, are they trying to create a global image that is less American and more cosmopolitan?Have a read of the article and you decide. Article

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Merger

A merger between Boots Alliance and Walgreens is set to become the worlds largest healthcare retailers. The synergies between the two companies is set to or should I say hope to equate to more than the 2 separate companies. This should result in increased market share, higher turnover and profits. A greater number of retail outlets, sharing of products resulting in a wider product range, shared development costs, distribution costs and many more. This could also mean diseconomies in scale with regards  to communication and job losses as restructuring takes place. Could there be potential derailment if the culture and leadership of these two companies are not aligned. Article

Adidas and Slavery

Adidas and Slavery?

Adidas have ditched a new design of show that was going to hit the high street. The price of the shoes were going to be around the $350 mark. The design was going to be shackles from your shoe to your ankle. One interpretation was if you were going to buy a really expensive shoe, you want to do your best to keep them it was a symbol of security for your shoe. Another interpretation was that it was a simply high fashion by a controversial designer. There have been a lot of complaints that this shoe represented slavery. Make your own mind up.Article

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Starbucks go into Bread

For all students studying BUSS4, this is a great example when quoting the Ansoff matrix. Starbucks is diversifying its interests through an acquisition of a bakery.It seems like Starbucks has been quite busy at the moment, spending heavily on undervalued businesses and taking advantage of the world recession.  Lots of implications, that no doubt could be brought out in a discussion. With these acquisitions, will they be a huge player in the future, or is this conglomerate going to lose focus? Article

10 Most Dangerous Jobs

Just thought this might be of interest. An article has come out listing the 10 most dangerous jobs in the USA.  Some of these you will never guess. Remember it is based on statistics. Jobs

Monday 4 June 2012

Eric the Eel

This is a great story about the Olympics. Back in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics a young swimmer from Equatorial Guinea entered the 100m freestyle. He is remembered in the swimming world for all the wrong reasons, but does embrace the spirit of the Olympics. Article

Culture or Kulcha?

In the world there are so many differences with regards to peoples outlook, attitudes and actions. In Spain you can buy a can of beer from a vending machine in the street. You can drink wine under adult supervision in France. You have to be 18 to drink alcohol in the UK and 21 in the US. You have to be 16 to drive in the US, whereas in the UK it is 18. The list goes on. I have come across this article where a gun range in Texas is allowing children to have parties at their gun range. You could say that guns are a large part of the culture of Texas. This gun club allows the children to learn crucial gun safety and it is trying to increase revenue for its club. I am sure there are quite a number of pros and cons. Will this be a success or will there be a minority that end up abusing this and someone dies. Article

Martin Lewis

Martin Lewis is practically a household name. In my opinion , he was one of the first to get consumers on mass to stand up for themselves and seek out the best deal on MoneySavingExpert.com, whether it be for gas, electric, credit card rate, savings etc.  With his constant appearances on TV, radio and in the newspaper, he has become a  trusted brand and a first choice stop for easily understood advice and the best deals on the market. He has since sold his website to Moneysupermarket.com for 87 million pounds.To read more about the sale read both articles. Article 1 and Article 2 For those learning business, this would be a good example of a business buying another business for its brand, foot traffic and market awareness.