Market analysis C & J Clarks Ltd

In this competitive business arena it is crucial to strategize and come up sound managementsolutions in order to stay afloat in the market. This is an individual report of ImperialCompany which showcases all the key management decisions that were taken to maintain acompetitive edge in the global market operations of its products. It will be sequenced in thefollowing format:1.Introduction to the Athletic Footwear Industry2.Thorough Business Environment Scanning3.Evaluation of Competition Forces

The concept of market structures and competitive strategies are important when attempting to compete in any market. Understanding what market structure your product falls under can help companies develop better competitive strategies and identify potential for loss and gains. The athletic footwear industry in the United States is highly profitable and continuously growing. In this paper I will identify market structure of the athletic footwear industry, the major retailers, and competitive strategies that can be used to maximize profits.

Sportsman Shoes has been a leader in the shoe industry for more than thirty years. Sportsman manufactures and sells athletic shoes for all types of sports. The company has pursued a low-cost strategy in order to sustain their success. They sell a limited number of shoe designs and have held costs low through manufacturing efficiency and standardized operations. However, the past five years have been a struggle at Sportsman. The shoe market has seen a rise in the availability of low-cost imported shoes that has threatened Sportsman’s competitive position. As a result, company executives have decided it is time for a strategy shift.

Obviously, there is a big number of driving forces in the athletic footwear industry. Each of these driving forces has different impacts—some of them can have a more considerable effect than others on figuring out how much cross-company differences influence market shares and a number of units sold. The first line of most influential factors includes comparative prices, S/Q ratings, and a number of models offered among the footwear competitors. These three most important competitive forces affect customer decisions of which athletic footwear brand to choose. Furthermore, the decisions of customers whether to purchase one brand or another are also influenced by such forces as advertising, celebrity endorsements, the number of independent retail

With revenue from Crocs shoe sales reaching to $680 million in 2007, it is clear that the company has developed a successful strategy. Not all of the success can be contributed to the design of the product. Although their products were in high demand, there are more underlying factors that have paved the way for Crocs to be competitive in the shoe market. Crocs’ supply chain design and use of vertical integration revolutionized speed and quality of order fulfillment.

Nyke Shoe Company has been in business for over 50 years. Over the last five years, the company has been undergoing some financial hardship due to an erratic market and an inability to understand what the consumer actually needs. In a last ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy, they have adopted a new business model which entails the development of only one shoe size. In order to achieve this goal, statistical data must be utilized and applied to make the best choice. The data used will be explained to the fullest and a conclusion will be then obtained.

12. In Year 11, footwear companies can expect to sell a.no less than 3.8 and no more than 5.3 million branded pairs and no less than 750,000 and no more than 1.1 million private-label pairs. b.between 7 and 8 million branded pairs and 250,000 and 500,000 private-label pairs. c.an average of 4.84 million branded pairs and an average of 800,000 private-label pairs, although sales at some companies may run higher or lower than the averages due to differing levels of competitive effort. d.exactly 5.244 million branded pairs and 600,000 private-label pairs. e.exactly 4.844 million branded pairs and 800,000 private-label pairs

Buyer Power: Footwear purchases are a necessity for buyers in the market which give the buyer moderate power (Marketline). Even when considering the necessity, economic standings determine the frequency of their purchases, and fashion trends result in differentiation in the market (Marketline). As of now, Southern Training Design is in good standing with the buyer power of the industry due to athletic fashion trends, and moderate economic standings.

Today a shoe is more than something to protect and keep one’s feet warm, it is a fashion statement, an athletic enhancer, rebellion, status, and the ins and outs of coolness. Shoes, mainly athletic shoes have changed drastically throughout the years. From weight, size, look, and comfort ability, Nike has been the leading footwear company to develop and lead such a growing industry. Peter Hitchcock, the author of Oscillate Wildly, wrote,

By the use of Porter’s Five Forces model to analysis the athletic footwear market around the world; our strategy is to cut the price of footwear in the Year 11 and 12, and to increase budget of advertisement and to bid celebrity endorsements in order to boost the sales volume in a competitive industry .

Companies can have a strategy aimed at being the clear market leader in (a) selling branded footwear to retailers or (b) selling directly to online buyers or (c) both.

Many of the big established shoe brands have seen consolidation and hence they have become bigger and more powerful in terms of competing with the rest.

The athletic shoe industry will be first analyzed by the Porter’s Five Forces framework. The well-known Porter’s Five Forces is a model that analyzes an industry and helps firms develop a business strategy. The five forces model focuses on six forces that will determine the attractiveness of this industry: (1) the risk of entry by potential competitors, (2) the intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry, (3) the bargaining power of buyers, (4) the bargaining power of suppliers, (5) the closeness of substitutes to an industry 's products, and (6) the power of complement providers (Hill, Jones, & Schilling, 2015).

Enderle, K., Hirsch, D., Micka, L., Saving, B., Shah, S., Szerwinski, T. (2000, March 14). Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc. Retrieved on December 14, 2005, from

As the political situation is stable, so its better for business to invest money in securely. In that case, there is no political bad affect in Nike business in the united kingdom.