Carrefour retailer Essay

Introduction of the Case: Carrefour was the second largest retailer of consumer goods and groceries worldwide, after Wal-mart. The company pioneered the concept of hypermarket in their home Country, France, as early as 1960’s.However, towards late 1990’s; Carrefour saw a decline in their French hypermarkets owing to certain unfavorable government regulations and competition from hard discount stores. Carrefour introduced a series of strategic initiatives in an effort to revamp the ailing French hypermarkets. As a result, French hypermarkets started showing signs of recovery towards late 2004. The case discusses about the emergence and growth of hard discount stores in France. This case also provides scope for discussion of decline of Carrefour’s French hypermarkets and its revamp strategies. Pedagogical Objectives:  · The state of Hard discount stores in France  · Impact of government regulations on French retail industry  · Growth of Carrefour’s hypermarkets in France  · Revamp strategies of Carrefour hypermarkets in France. 1. How should Mr. Durant assess the opportunities in various countries around the world? Mr. Durant, the new CEO since 2005, embarked on the new strategy by offering 15 percent new products in its hypermarkets and 10 percent in its supermarkets. Moreover, he wants to employ more staff, extend the operating hours in certain hypermarkets, cutting prices, trying small stores, and pushing down decision making. Mr. Durant aims to stay only in countries where Carrefour is among the top retailers. 2. Should Carrefour adopt Wal-Mart’s strategy of â€Å"low prices everyday†? What would be the advantage or disadvantage of such a strategy? Yes Certainly they have to adopt the strategy of low pricing every day, In France, where Carrefour is well established, the company made the big mistake in its pricing policy. It probably started with the 1999 merger with Promodes, the French discount chain. Carrefour confused the French clientele by losing its low-cost image. The new strategy which they want to implement discounts and cutting prices ,trying small stores certainly will help  Carrefour to keep their competition in all over the world. 3. How could Carrefour differentiate itself from Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart is more than just the world’s largest retailer. It is an economic force, a cultural phenomenon and a lightning rod for controversy. It all started with a simple philosophy from founder Sam Walton: Offer shoppers lower prices than they get anywhere else. That basic strategy has shaped Wal-Mart’s culture and driven the company’s growth. Now that Wal-Mart is so huge, it has unprecedented power to shape labor markets globally and change the way entire industries operate. In this article, you will learn the key reasons that Wal-Mart has been able to keep its prices low — cutting-edge technology, a frugal corporate culture and a push to make suppliers sell merchandise at cheaper and cheaper prices. We’ll also take a look at the scope of Wal-Mart’s impact on the economy and the controversies surrounding Wal- Mart, as well as the future of the company. With 12 million loyalty card-holders in France, but also 7.5 million in Spain, for example, Carrefour group  stores have an excellent base from which to forge closer relationships with customers. As a multi-format  retailer, Carrefour can offer solutions addressing a wide variety of shopping habits. In 2009, the Carrefour group is enhancing its knowledge of customers, with the aim of serving them better and improving its brand image. In stores, the Carrefour brand will be conveyed in a way that is closer to the customer and more emotionally involving. By being more competitive, the brand will again become a tool for winning customers, enhancing customer loyalty and distinguishing Carrefour from the pack. In towns and villages, as convergence accelerates, the Carrefour brand will provide its best stores to more customers. In this way, Carrefour will make customers want to come, and keep coming, to its stores, regardless of the format or product offering. By focusing on retailing, Carrefour will become customers’ preferred retailer. 4. Identify cultures in selected countries that need to be considered in order to be successful? Carrefour operates in 29 countries around the world. World population is  rising, geographic distribution of populations is shifting, world population isaging rapidly, ethnic mixes in developed countries are changing rapidly, andaverage household incomes are increasing. The demographic environment presents both opportunities and threats for Carrefour. Increases in population size and household incomes help toexpand the market in which Carrefour operates. However, changes in the geographic distribution of populations, due to technological advances incommunications, may cause difficulties for Carrefour in determining profitable locations for new storefront SOCIO-CULTURAL 1.New markets had seen dramatic changes in consumer buying habits,coupled with high growth in per capita GNP, 2.suburbanization, greater participation of women in the labor force, and a large increase in theownership of cars and refrigerators. 3.The continued growth of suburban communities abroad is another major sociocultural trend. 4.Asian customers still tended to shop daily at wet markets or â€Å"mom & pop†stores. 5.Moreover, impulse buying was on the rise and replacing necessity purchasing. 6.Shopping as a form of leisure was an increasing phenomenon. CONCLUSION Carrefour has positioned itself as an international leader in the retail industry.Their strategies have proven successful for a number of reasons. First, they have beenable to successfully transfer competencies to associates and managers across the globe.Also, they have been able to adapt to local cultures and consumer tastes as necessary. Insome cases, they have even managed to change consumer tastes and buying habits. Theyhave succeeded in entering new markets aggressively and gaining a large share of eachmarket. Carrefour has even been able to restructure when legalities made it necessary.The question remains, then, what should Carrefour do in the future. Carrefour should remain in the retail industry. It should continue those practices that have provensuccessful and profitable in the past. Also, Carrefour should continue to leverage itsknowledge of international markets to continue its rapid expansion across the globe. Carrefour should, however,  be wary of threats to its opera tions, and remain vigilant I exploring new ways to improve its products and services. Carrefour has come this far based on its ability to pioneer new retail concepts and should remember that this pioneering spirit is what will carry it into the future.

The Dalton Gang Report From A Magazine Source Essays - Dalton Gang

The Dalton Gang Report From A Magazine Source Essays - Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang Report From A Magazine Source Kansas Magazine 2nd Issue 1997 The Legend Lives On The Dalton Gang Hideout is in Meade, Kansas. The Daltons consisted of Eva and her five brothers ; Bob, Grat, Frank, Bill, and Emmett. Eva moved to Meade in the 1880s ; there she met and married John N. Whipple, the owner of the first mercantile store in Meade. They were married on October 25, 1887 and the couple then moved into a new home that Whipple had built for her southeast of Meade. All the Dalton brothers were Deputy U.S. Marshals at the time and Frank was killed while making an arrest in Arkansas. The sequence of events that followed after that historians havent been able to find explanation for. Three weeks after the wedding, Whipple gave up his business and two months later he gave the deed to the house to Eva. Now the couple presumably lived off of Whipples horse trading and poker playing. Soon after this the Dalton brothers went rotten and their first train robbery was in Alila, California in February, 1891. The whole town felt sorry for Eva and wondered why the Dalton brothers had turned over a bad leaf. The Whipples house was often searched but the infamous brothers were never seen on the land. If the police questioned Whipple as to why he had so many horses in his barn, he would reply that he was doing some trading. In 1892 the Whipples mysteriously left town and were no where to be found when Bob and Grant Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers were killed, in Coffeyville, while trying to rob two banks. The Whipple house was sold in November 1892 and the 95 foot tunnel, from the lower level of the house to the barn, was discovered by a stranger who wandered into it and startled the new owners of the house. It was used as a hiding and escape tunnel by the Dalton Gang, thats why it went to the barn where the horses were kept. After moving, the Whipples lived happily in Oklahoma and Arkansas where they had two children, a daughter, Maud, and a son, Glenn. Bill Dalton was shot and killed by lawmen in 1894 and the last, only surviving brother , Emmett Dalton was sentenced to life imprisonment after recovering from his wounds. In 1907 he was released; he moved to California and became a businessman. He also wrote two books, Beyond the Law and When the Daltons Rode. In 1940 the City of Meade purchased the site. Improvements were made to the house, a new barn was constructed ( because the old one was beyond repair), and the tunnel was reinforced and enlarged. The Dalton Gang Hideout opened to tourists on June 6, 1941. In the barn, where the tourists enter, theres a gift shop and a museum. On the site theres also a park with barbecue facilities and a stage for other entertainment too.

Chester Zoo Essay Example

Chester Zoo Essay Example Chester Zoo Essay Chester Zoo Essay Once registered, charities have to obey a number of rules, which include regulations covering trustees, accounts, finances and management. Those that are registered as companies have to comply with company law too. A registered charity is not allowed to have political objectives or take part in political lobbying other than in a generally educational sense. What might happen if it was a business (LTD or PLC)?  If Chester Zoo was a business (Ltd or PLC) they would lose numerous customers. Also if they were a business they would have to give money raised out to shareholders so there will be less to spend on the animals. All of the money made by the zoo through entry fees, second spend etc will have to be given out in percentages to the shareholders in the business. So the zoo will not have much money to spend on the animals, this may lead to diseases to the animals and later on deaths. The reason why I stated in the paragraph above that if Chester Zoo was a business (Ltd or PLC) they would lose numerous customers is that they really would. This is because if Chester Zoo was a Public Limited Company (plc) the general public will first if all would not give money to the zoo (donations) because the public would think that a plc like Chester Zoo would make millions and wouldnt help any charities so why should they help. But if Chester Zoo was a Charity limited by Guarantee which they currently are, this would be a good thing for them because people always like to help charities and also they know that charities dont get any funding by the government so there is a more likely chance that people would give money to charities more than plcs, Ltd etc. Also limited amounts of capital can be raised. Shares cannot be sold to the public if money was needed quickly because if Chester Zoo were a business and were to make good profits than the current shareholders wont want to sell their shares, this may lead to disruptions and would-be shareholders who would like to invest in the zoo will stop hoping. And when investors are needed for Chester Zoo there wont be any available. Furthermore if Chester Zoo were to be a business shareholders will first have to all agree for a share to be sold otherwise it cannot happen, for example if most of the shareholders at Chester Zoo didnt want one shareholder to be at the zoo, everyone else will have to agree, if they dont the shareholder will still stay. If Chester Zoo had in excess of 100 shareholders it would be very easy for the business to lose control, communication might be sent wrong which may lead to mayhem. As well as easy to lose control of the business, Chester Zoo can be taken over by bids from members of the public; members already at the zoo might not like the fact that an ordinary man or women will become a shareholder in such a massive business. In addition to that people (investors) might not be interested in buying shares as the zoo would be more interested in the welfare of the animals rather that the welfare of the shareholders. For example Chester Zoos Mission Statement is The role of the Zoo is to support and promote conservation by breeding threatened species, by excellent animal welfare, high quality public service, recreation, education and science This statement doesnt say anything about the welfare of shareholders. This may prevent investors from investing into the business as they may assume that they are not part of the Chester Zoo family.

THE ARGUMENTS SURROUNDING ROLE OF WOMEN IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP Essay

THE ARGUMENTS SURROUNDING ROLE OF WOMEN IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP - Essay Example However, the dissenting side of this argument takes texts such as Galatians 3:28 which states, â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus† (NIV). Such a text stands in stark contrast to the other previously mentioned texts which seem to speak out with regards to the role of women in positions of church leadership (Shade 2008, p. 25). As such, in order to reconcile such differing interpretations, the role of the Christian should be to seek to find the common ground that Christ’s example led while on earth. Whereas the disciples were merely representations of the Holy Spirit’s voice, Christ during his earthy ministry was the ultimate representation of the will of the Father. However, during his time on earth Jesus ultimately refrained from making broad or sweeping judgments that would segregate the sexes with regards to what functions they could perform (Bates 2011, p. 7). Instead, there are numerous instances in which he actively sought to promote the equality of women throughout a very tribal and primitive culture to which he ministered. For such a reason, it is the belief of this author that texts such as Galat ians 3:28 should be held as the ultimate standard for whether or not women should be able to be considered for positions of church leadership (Hamman 2010, p.

Comparing Karl Marxes view on capitalisum to Michael Moores view in Essay

Comparing Karl Marxes view on capitalisum to Michael Moores view in his movie Roger and Me - Essay Example The GM has played a major role to the people living in the area and surrounding economically, spiritually and even culturally. Due to this influence when the board of directors decides to close its factories in Flint people are left in despair. The company’s closure translates to a total of 30,000 losses of jobs. The workers are left frustrated especially because the company doesn’t close due to financial difficulties but rather because of a bigger deal in Mexico. GM decides to close shop in the USA and open in Mexico because it will cut on labor costs which are reasonably cheap. The board is not hesitant in their decision considering the many workers who will lose their jobs in the process; this brings out imperialism of the highest order in our society today. In a society which is highly capitalized the board of GM is only concerned with making more profits without considering the plight of its employees who in one way or another have contributed to the success of the company for a long time. The sad contrast is while the CEO of GM made $2million in this new deal 30,000 employees are left jobless and their lives destroyed by a company whose interest is greed. The union of the employees doesn’t help either because it has a common interest with the management of GM. The closure of the factories in Flint leads to an up rise in many negative processes: a lot of people leave town in search of new jobs, the living conditions of the people worsen due to lack of employment, spread of illness due to high poverty levels in the town. In the film people are evicted because they cannot be able to pay their rents anymore. The crime rate also goes up because everybody is fighting for the available constrained basic needs like clothing and food. In his film Moore remarks that the number of prisoners goes up than the prison cell. The economy of Flint hits its down low and it’s declared as the capital of unemployment, the media observes that it†™s the worst place anyone can live in the United States. Companies like GM should look at the effects of their actions in favor of capitalism. Growth is a definite goal for any company in the world today but that should be in line with economic growth of all aspects because no company operates in a vacuum there are factors to be considered like the employees. Capitalism can be defined as a system which is prone to crisis. It’s influenced by factors which make it unstable and destructive. Today’s society is depicted by unstable stock markets, rampant layoff and unemployment, scandals in companies and power failures. For instance US are faced with the highest job loss in history. All this recessions and unstable markets are caused by capitalism. According to Marx and Engels in the communist manifesto, historically class was a struggle, â€Å"a fight that each time ended, either in revolutionary reconstitution of society at large or in the common ruin of the contending classes† (Marx and Engel). This led to poverty and inequality. This raises a need for socialism which could not only end inequality and poverty but also reduce economic and social problems associated with a system which is capitalistic. In Marx’s view capitalism is an act of corporations taking a surplus labor from its workers. In the communist manifesto he observes that the bourgeoisie who were capitalists exploited the proletariat

Electronic financial transactions over the Internet Essay

Electronic financial transactions over the Internet - Essay Example Technological innovation in terms of developing security software aided this process and so did the process of globalization. As a culmination of these parallel but complementary processes, e-commerce in general and electronic financial transactions in particular has firmly taken root in mainstream global economy. While this kind of progress in such a short span of time is an impressive achievement, there is much work to be done in terms of creating robust security systems for the Internet. This essay will look into the various types of security threats facing electronic financial transactions, the potential damage they could inflict, the remedial measures to counter these threats and the effectiveness of such measures. The architecture of the Internet is such that it is inherently difficult to ensure security. Alongside this, the concept of user anonymity makes the Internet â€Å"an attractive medium for extortion and crimes involving theft of personal information for illicit financial gain† (Misra Scherer et al, 2004). As per a report released by IDG News Service, many organized crime groups avail of the services offered by hackers to implement complex and sophisticated financial schemes to swindle money from unsuspecting participants. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, as much as $200 million was lost in the year 2006 alone. And each year this sum seems to increase, since financial institutions like banks and insurance companies are lucrative targets for cybercriminals. A FBI report released at the beginning of the new millennia has confirmed the nexus between computer hackers and organized crime groups. Many of these organized crime groups are said to operate from Eastern European countries that were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. In such cases, the hackers first crack the security systems in place and gain access to vital data. The organized

Detention centres are factories for producing mental illness Essay Example for Free

Detention centres are factories for producing mental illness Essay There are currently over 4000 people locked up all over Australia in detention centres like this one. In our so called lucky country some of these unfortunate souls have been isolated from over 2 years. Despite there rhotic to the contrary, the Australian governments treatment of asylum seekers is nothing short of disgraceful, no better than the appalling conditions from which these despite individuals have fled. Manadory detention are factories for producing mental illness. There are 1. Dehumanising 2. Our slurr on our international reputation and obligations and 3. Simply unaustralian, there are better ways top solve this problem remember this people have commited no crime. Meet Abdul Hammadi, in 4 years of detention, Adul cut himself repeatly, drank poison, took false medication and attempted suicide. He was kicked and punched by guards and beaten with batons by riot police.. Instead of being put into psychiatric care he was put into solitary confinement. Abdul fled Pakistan because he was continually persecuted, but after 6 years of leaving detention in Australia, the country where he sought refuge, he is a broken man and will never work again (Abdal doctors) Dr Suresh Sundrain of the Australian Medical Health Research Institute has stated that people enter detention, resembling resilient and healthy then we subject them to extraordinary conditions we appear to subvert there resilience and their mental health, he goes onto say that there is good data is show that most people who had significant immigration centre experiences have comprised mental health on release, and these mental health problems persist for a protracted period following resettlement. So how dumb is this ? No only do we summit these poor people to humiliating detention akin for no crime akin to a prison settlement, we inflict such a traumatic experience on them while their in detention that it leaves stars of mental illness to the point where it manes them from participating in society. We then ending up forking out their welfare payments for the rest of their lives and this can represent hundred and thousands of dollars per asylum seeker. Please explain to me, how this makes any sense ? Despite the hysteria generated by the asylum seeker debate, it needs to be remembered that Australia has always had high obligations to assist asylum seekers under international law, mainly the 1951 united nation convention relating to the status of refugees and the 1967 protocol to which Australia is a signatory. Inspective of how these people arrived to Australia, legally and illegally, the fact remains that between 2008 to 2010 the number of boat people seeking asylum in Australia rose from 161 to 6535 once here we an obligation to look after them. Many have risked everything to make the dangerous journey. Some have left families, some have been displaced and others have others tremendous torture. While they have committed no crime, it is a crime of the nation which locks people up in mandatory detention and inflicts another round of mental anguish in amongst an insurmountable beurocacy of legalism and red tape. As a recent documentary on 4 corners revealed, mandatory detention is a blight on our nation. We need to stand up to our government representatives that enough is enough. Mandatory detention is cruel and demining and just factors for producing mental illness and depression. In the land that prides itself on giving everyone a fair go it is time for us to give asylum seekers a fair go. So what can you do to make a difference ? There are three easy ways that you alone can help 1. Write a letter to your local Politian, Politians understand only one votes and if they want your vote they will need to listen, come to their party, organise a petition from other members of your school or workplace. Perhaps side with the petition being organised by four corners ( see website). 2. Be informed , be aware of the problem dig deep into the issue if you havent done so already, motivate yourself to view the four corners documentary on inhuman detention , it is powerful, confronting and informative. Dont be the emu, with its head in the sand, take an interest in whats happing around you and then you are in a position to make a difference. There is plenty of internet support about this topic. Join or find an organisation like Amnesty international are raising funds for there project freedom from fences which aims to A) get access or interview asylum seekers in remote detention centres, so that there stories can be told, B) support research and help with the protective applications of individual asylum seekers, C) monitor and support peoples claims if they have been treated unfairly and D) Lobby the government to abandon the barbaric practice of mandatory detention. Conclusion: As fair minded Australians I am sure you will agree that detention centres dont work and in fact they are responsible for causing more trauma and mental illness. Finally as an Australian, you must agree with our nation logo on which we are prided upon that is to give to everyone a fair go. Therefore we must also give these despite people a fair go also, it is time to shut down detention centres forever and lets look for more human ways of processing their refuge status. Whatever your political agenda or colour it is incumbent on us to give asylum seekers a fair go and the right to heard in a civilised and compassionate manner.