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

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

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

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