Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc Case Study

Porter's 5 forces analysis of NEXT Plc - Case Study Example NEXT Plc is retail chain in Clothing specialising in Men's wear, ladies wear, Sports wear, Leisure wear, Children wear. Underwear Swimwear Footwear watches etc. NEXT products are highly trendy which sells at moderate prices. Clothing is targeted on stylish women and men in the age range 20 to 40. Home shopping and financial services are also provided. NEXT operates through 300 high street shops covering the UK and Ireland and also foreign markets. (http://www. next.co.uk) The clothing market of UK is declining at present. Clothing is generally manufactured by low tech machines with cheap labour spread in third world countries. The industry is facing competition from high-tech machines that can stitch better quality products at faster speed and at lesser cost. Retail shops thrive in the market to sell these clothing. The market trend today is of opening retail chain stores and capturing the market with own favourite brands such as Next, Marks & Spenser, Gap, and Arcadia. These retail chain stores grow big and can afford costly high-tech machines but small retailers can not afford quick change to new technology. Highly exclusive designer boutiques cater to rich segment with exclusive designs. But consumer goods markets mainly thrive on middle class segment and therefore every big retailer concentrates to that market. . Other activities of NEXT include telecommunications software services and property management. Analysis of NEXT plc and its environment ... Environmental Opportunities NEXT Retail accounted for the biggest 69% of revenue in 2000. More than 96% of sales came from the UK market. NEXT is ranked number one in the market in high street category and in providing mail order facility to youth group in 20-40 age. It is very difficult for the competitors to enter into the segment and grab the market share. Environmental Threat : In spite of its well-entrenched position in the market there are some big brands like TESCO which is trying hard to snatch the market share by offering clothes stitched fro the low labour cost areas at dumping prices. Lewis 501 denim product at pound 20 is a burning example. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers in clothing industry are many and this is true for NEXT also. Supplier can be indispensable only when he holds monopolistic status. In case of NEXT's suppliers they don't enjoy such position and can't pull the company for increasing rates or other terms unless it is negotiated and accepted. Bargaining powers of Buyers: Buyers or customers have lots of power to discard a product in the shelf. In the modern world of marketing it is the value creation through brands, promotion, prices tags, product positioning, label, quality and store's image that retain clients. Generally clients don't bargain prices from a good outlet and believe to pay the tag prices accepting the quality of goods therein. NEXT has good image to project and should not expect consumers' reprisal unless the brand loses its value. Threat of new entrants to the industry Small brands are not capable to enter into the clothing chain market to compete with NEXT because of the capital- intensive nature of the modern clothing industry. Big labels do have strength of money, knowledge, expertise and marketing power to challenge NEXT. Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tesco, Marks & Spenser or some other brands from US can enter the market comfortable by opening

Lead Paint and Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lead Paint and Crime - Research Paper Example Statistics indicate that approximately 38 million houses In the US were painted before the 1978 ban on lead paints (Seymour, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation of Lead poisoning and its contribution towards antisocial behavior. Lead Poisoning Painting is a technical process, which ensures that an end product such as a house, vehicle, furniture, toys among others, get an appealing look, which is important while dealing with the dynamic nature of tastes and preferences in different individuals. However, not many people take time to question the integrity of the paints being used to satisfy their requirements either due to ignorance or due to sheer lack of interest. However, it is also common to find that in urban areas, where majority of people live in rental houses, it is difficult to establish the type of paint that has been used on the walls or other painted surfaces. Such people are susceptible to Lead poisoning especially if they are living in houses painted using Lead bas ed paints. Small children living in such surroundings are the worst affected especially if the paint has already started peeling off to the ground. This is due to the fact that they are identifiable with the habit of collecting and feeding on anything that comes their way especially while they are crawling on the floor (Seymour, 2010). The paint particles disintegrate into smaller particles after which they mix with the dust on the floor such that it becomes easy for the whole household to inhale them without noticing. In addition, the peelings from the roof and the walls can find their way onto the food and water that is not well covered after which unsuspecting persons can ingest them thereby putting them at risk. It is therefore not a wonder to find that CDC estimates indicate that more than 250000 children in the US suffered from Lead poisoning between 1997 and 2009. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Lead concentration in the blood is considered dan gerous if it exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Lead is tasteless and it does not contain any peculiar smell and therefore, it is not easy for a layman to identify it. In addition, people who have ingested it do not show immediate signs and symptoms, which can trigger the urgency to seek medical attention. Instead, it continues to accumulate in the blood system and the bones thereby causing a slow progressive damage to vital organs in the body of the victim until such time when the body begins to react negatively to the poisoning. During this time, the affected person begins to portray symptoms such as; memory loss, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, and muscle pains (Fancher, 2010). The affected person may also experience constant headaches, depression, and loss of appetite among others, which are common in adults. Young children exhibit some of the above mentioned symptoms and others such as vomiting, abdominal pains, mental disabilities and retarded growth whereby t he child takes long to master basic techniques such as talking. In general, Lead poisoning is highly damaging to some of the most important organs in a human body such as; the brain, kidney, the nervous system as well as the blood. Blood is highly important as it facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the brain and extreme organs such as the limbs (Fancher, 2010). Lead in the blood