MBA Essay写作：Case Analysis of Macy's after the 2008 Recession

本文是MBA专业的留学生Essay范例，题目是“Case Analysis of Macy's after the 2008 Recession（2008年经济衰退后梅西百货的案例分析）”,2008年之后，经济衰退继续，梅西百货的战略决策开始受到质疑，因为几年来该公司第一次无法卖掉大量的圣诞库存。由于汽油价格的上涨以及棉花的生产问题，利润的损失更加严重。棉花是两种重要的原料，对Mac向全国客户供应的几种产品的成本产生了负面影响。崛起的过程中,这些变量迫使Mac的某些商品的价格增加到它的客户,这最终会导致销量和利润减少了该公司曾将自身定位在中高段的市场。

Macy’s leadership strategic decision became questionable when the recession continued after 2008, because for the first time in several years it was unable to sell off its substantial Christmas inventory. The loss in profit was exacerbated by a rise in the prices of gasoline as well as production problems regarding cotton, two vital ingredients that negatively impacted the cost of several products Mac’s supply to its customers nation-wide. The rise in the process of these variables forced Mac’s to increase the prices of certain goods to its customers, and this in the final analysis will lead to reduction in the sales volume and the profits gained by the company which had positioned itself in the upper-middle segment of the market.

The challenge was made even more difficult for Macy’s, in that the industry was quite competitive within a 5 market segment, namely the high-end luxury, high-end general, upper-middle, lower-middle, and the low-end, and the company could not overnight launch into any of these other segments without spending time developing a workable strategy that will not negatively affect its revenue generation, brand image, market share, the continue availability of the jobs of many of its employees in different locations, and the retention of the loyalty of customers and suppliers. Experts in the strategic management field for this industry were also of the general consensus that the traditional department store concept was either at a mature or declining stage, and hence Macy’s had to find a strategy that will enable it successfully reposition itself or remain a brand entity to its loyal customers, but heading into extinction. The company will be forced to look within itself and in the external environment to see what process, systems, assets, procedures, tactics, personnel changes, successful customer preferences, unprofitable activities and relationships in terms of cost, contractual agreements, replicable competitor strategies, and research studies, as well as become more innovative in product delivery, to find a viable and sustainable position.

这个挑战对梅西百货来说更加困难，因为这个行业在5个细分市场中竞争非常激烈，即高端奢侈品、高端普通、中上、中下和低端，公司不可能在一夜之间就进军其他领域，除非花时间制定一个可行的策略，不会对公司的营收、品牌形象、市场份额、以及在不同地区的许多员工的工作机会产生负面影响，以及保持客户和供应商的忠诚。在战略管理领域专家对这个行业也普遍认为,传统的百货商店的概念是在一个成熟的或下降阶段,因此梅西必须找到一个策略,使其成功地重新定位本身或保持一个品牌实体的忠实顾客,但正走向灭绝。公司将被迫审视自身和外部环境，以了解在成本、合同协议、可复制的竞争对手战略和研究研究方面，哪些流程、系统、资产、程序、战术、人员变化、成功的客户偏好、无利可图的活动和关系，以及在产品交付方面更加创新，以找到一个可行的和可持续的位置。

A critical challenge that will face Macy’s at the end of its consolidation and repositioning exercise will be the perception of its loyal customers that the company has changed in terms of its new product, prices and services, and this may result in substantial losses in revenues and market shares as well as greater market dominance form its competitors. These considerations, as well as the pursuit of a broader focus using customers tastes instead of demographics, the embracing activities that differentiates it from its competitors, implementation of Everyday Value, and the use of fashion and celebrities to attract younger customers were the foundations under which the strategic decision of the management of Macy’s to position the company between the mid-level and the high-end market segments were made. This meant the company that under this new image and position each store location in different zones of the country will have the same products priced according to the perceived quality expectations of the customers, and as a result Macy’s will be able to generate higher than normal revenues from products that were made at low fixed rates by its suppliers.

Macy’s repositioning and consolidating grew out of the continuing loss in revenues in retail zones that were once prosperous, but the negative downturns in economic climate may force many of its competitors to close in areas where Macy’s, because of its size, market strength, the national scope of its brand and advertizing budget, as well as its new strategy, was able to remain viable and capitalize on the vacuums created. In these situations the companies profited by gaining greater sales volume from customers that were previously served by its competitors. However, there are also negative aspects to this consolidation and repositioning strategy across the country by Macys, as it resulted a number of stores being closed, employees of these stores fired, transferred or demoted, dependent suppliers contracts cancelled, distribution routes cancelled or reduced, and companies and consumers in several communities depending on Macy’s stores and its suppliers were left destitute. The image of Macy’s in the external environment among these specific former stakeholders will be a badly tarnished one and may have negative repercussion in terms of future sales being lost to its competitors, and possible sabotage of company’s products and services.

梅西重新定位和巩固的持续损失收入在零售区,曾经繁荣,但消极低迷经济环境可能会迫使许多竞争对手关闭在梅西百货的地区,因为它的大小,市场力量,全国范围的品牌和广告的预算,以及它的新战略，能够保持可行性，并利用创造的真空。在这种情况下，这些公司通过从以前由竞争对手服务的客户那里获得更大的销量而获利。然而，macy’s在全国范围内的整合和重新定位策略也有消极的方面，因为它导致了一些商店被关闭，这些商店的员工被解雇、调动或降级，依赖的供应商合同被取消，分销路线被取消或减少，依赖梅西百货商店及其供应商的几个社区的公司和消费者陷入贫困。梅西百货在外部环境中的形象在这些特定的前利益相关者中会受到严重的玷污，可能会产生负面影响，比如未来的销售会流失给竞争对手，可能会对公司的产品和服务造成破坏。

Internally, Macy’s from a positive perspective will be able to reduce the unit cost of its advertising and promotional budgets considerably, while generating super normal revenues at the same time, Additionally, the company will benefit from the sales, inventory, systems and distributions experience of the former Federated employees, an increase in floor space for greater displays and promotions and the advantages gained from the prime locations of many of the former stores, in terms of the ready access to former Federated consumers and the opportunity to market its new lines of products using the well know celebrities like Donald Trump, Jessica Simpson, and Usher among others. It could be argued that Macy’ definitely strategy created synergy and an exponential revenue generating entity, when it is able to combine the use of fashion designers, the concept of affordable luxury, the use of well known designers, and celebrities, its Fourth of July Fireworks, the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and many other national events into one package, because individually all these activities are cash cows themselves, and by combining them, Macy’s has created a unique and valuable marketing position on the national landscape that will be difficult for its competitors to replicate.

Furthermore, the argument that Federated Department stores attempt to differentiate the new entity from its competitors was certainly a brilliant idea could be reinforced by the fact that the Macy’s before the recession and the one recreated because of the recession were totally different entities, especially in terms of the categories of customers being served, the range of products on display in wider and more accommodating aisles, the combined knowledge, skill, attitude and experience of its employees, and the type of customer appeal being made base on taste, and the enduring impact of its strong advertising and marketing programs. The later status will ensue the company will positioned to generate maximum revenues from a number of streams while maintain its market segmentation in a very competitive retailing industry. Critics could argue that had Macy’s not been able through Federated Department Stores to become more relevant to its customers by appealing to the younger groups, by changing its brand from a focus on specific demographics to that of focusing on attracting fashion conscious customers and inserting the Everyday Value strategy; where customer were able to purchase products without having to wait for sales day and the availability of coupons, the company would have become obsolete in a matter of a few years.

此外，联邦百货公司试图将新实体与竞争对手区分开来的观点当然是一个绝妙的想法，因为衰退前的梅西百货和衰退后重建的梅西百货是完全不同的实体，特别是在术语的类别的客户服务,产品陈列在更广泛的范围和更适应通道,结合知识,技能,态度和员工的经验,和客户的吸引力的类型由基地的味道,和强烈的持久影响广告和营销计划。较晚的地位将随之而来的是，该公司将定位从多个渠道产生最大的收入，同时在一个竞争非常激烈的零售行业中保持其市场细分。批评人士可能会说,梅西还没有通过联合百货更相关的客户通过吸引年轻群体,通过改变其品牌从专注于特定人口的关注吸引时尚意识的客户和插入日常价值策略;如果顾客可以在不等待销售日和优惠券的情况下购买产品，那么这家公司在几年之内就会被淘汰。

An evaluation of Macy’s 2005 brings to light several strengths and weakness that can be discussed. Macy’s through the process was able to acquire 810 stores in 50 states, and was able to design systems, low cost advertising strategies with broader reach and greater revenue generation, purchase merchandise at the same price for all stores, minimize distribution and administration cost through centralization, as well as reducing signage cost, while achieving high levels of visibility for its national brand. The offshoot from these cost saving exercises was that they allowed Macy’s to deliver goods at very low cost to its stores and as such it was able to maintain high levels of competiveness in attracting customers to its stores due to affordability of the of the goods on display. Macy’s by this strategy was also able to deter or minimize the entrance of new competitors as well as the emergence of substitutes into its section of the market segment.

Annually Macy has always been able to maximize its image as Americas Department Store because it is able to use its nationally televised Thanksgiving Parade in New York, and the Fourth of July Celebrations to saturate the market with its product range, current fashions and store locations using top celebrities like Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart, Alfani, Michael Kors and America Rags, such that its financial returns be difficult to evaluate successfully. Federated Department Store decision to retain Bloomingdale with 40 stores, in order to maintain the stores position at the slighter higher-end, and combining it with brands like Burdine, Richs and Goldsmith; which were acquired over decades, was a vital strategic move that enable Macy’s to keep its loyal customers, while using other stores to widen its market reach. This reduces the level of revenue loss that could have occurred otherwise.

每年梅西一直能够最大化其形象美洲百货商店,因为它能够利用其全国电视感恩节游行在纽约,和7月4日庆祝活动饱和市场,其产品范围,当前的时尚和店址使用顶级名人像拉尔夫•劳伦(Ralph Lauren),玛莎·斯图尔特,Alfani, Michael Kors和America Rags，以至于它的财务回报很难成功评估。联邦百货公司决定保留布鲁明戴尔的40家门店，以维持其在较轻的高端门店的地位，并将其与伯丁、里奇和戈德史密斯等品牌合并;这是一项重要的战略举措，使梅西百货能够保持其忠诚的客户，同时利用其他商店扩大其市场覆盖范围。这减少了否则可能发生的收入损失水平。

The combination of the reputations of both Macy’s and Federated Department was also beneficial to recreated entity, in that both had their individual loyal group of customers, they could cross train employees to expedite service delivery, they can share floor space to attract more customers to each locale, share advertising cost, and make volume purchases at low unit cost, so that their customers could benefit from low prices and remain loyal going forward. The downside to the consolidation and repositioning strategy is in the area of stores closures and prices increases that loyal customers would be exposed to in the process. Store closures brings greater economic hardship to communities, other business, the education of children whose parents were employees of Macy’s and the suppliers of goods to these stores, who had their contracts cancelled or have to make longer trips using more expensive fuel cost to earn the same amount of revenue.

Loyal customer to Macy’s are likely to resist the high prices they are subjected to, by turning to the competitors like Wal-Mart at the low end of market segment, and may never return thereby depriving the company from revenues that may amount to millions, depending on the number of stores and the population centers where these customers are located. Macy’s in collaboration with Federated Department store have implemented eight different components of its consolidation and repositioning strategy to carve out a new company that was unique and hold s a valuable position in this very competitive retail market. This was due to the assets like prime locations, knowledgeable employees, reputable companies like Burdine, Richs, and Goldsmith, the use of fashions to attract specific segments of the market, national advertising strategies, the recruitment of celebrities the use of Everyday Value, instituting bridal registry, staging regular fashion shows, improving dressing and rest rooms, re-designing of aisles to meet the taste of consumers in different locations, the engagement of national brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph, Martha Stewart among others as well as the concerted effort of the leadership of the company to make sure these activities differentiate it from the competition.

1296/5000

梅西百货的忠实顾客很可能会抵制高价格，转而求助于低端市场的竞争对手沃尔玛(Wal-Mart)，并可能永远不会回来，从而剥夺公司可能高达数百万美元的收入，这取决于商店的数量和这些顾客所在的人口中心。梅西百货与联邦百货公司合作，实施了其整合和重新定位战略的八个不同的组成部分，以开拓一个新的公司，这是独特的，并在这个竞争非常激烈的零售市场保持有价值的位置。这要归功于资产，比如黄金地段，有知识的员工，声誉良好的公司，比如伯丁，里奇和戈德史密斯，利用时尚来吸引特定的市场，全国性的广告策略，招募名人使用Everyday Value，设立婚礼登记处，定期举办时装秀，改善酱和卫生间,重新设计的通道在不同位置满足消费者的口味,民族品牌的接触像汤米•希尔费格,拉尔夫,玛莎·斯图尔特等以及公司领导的共同努力,以确保这些活动让它从竞争对手中脱颖而出。

Macy’s leadership further enhanced the image of the company, by abandoning the standardized merchandising strategy and adopting one that was tailored to meet the unique taste of customers in each location, so that the shopping experiences created will result these customers increasing the frequencies in which they will visit these stores and make purchases. Additionally, Macy’s by this approach had also made provision for these customers to engage in impulsive buying, by widening the aisle and including more products and advertisement, so that it can continually maximize sales.

The author of the article would have helped to justify the argument that Macys new position was unique and valuable, if research was done on the strategies other competitors were engaged in at the same time, and how different they were from the company under review, but in the absence of such information, the efforts of the leadership of the company to use its nationally televised events to promote the products of the company, as well as the use of events like fashion shows involving celebrities who know fashion designers and brand names, goes a far way to ensure the nation see the new Macy’s brand on display and recognize in the way it was intended by its marketers. Macy’s strategy of consolidation and repositioning was indeed impressive in every respect, despite operational problems in some areas, and this auger well futuristically.

这篇文章的作者会帮助证明,梅西百货新职位是独特的和有价值的,如果其他竞争对手的策略研究是从事与此同时,他们是多么不同的公司进行审查,但在没有此类信息的情况下,公司领导层努力利用全国电视直播的活动来推广公司的产品，以及利用知名时装设计师和品牌名人参加的时装表演等活动，为了确保美国人看到新的梅西品牌展示，并以其营销人员意图的方式认识它，他们付出了很大的努力。梅西的整合和重新定位的战略确实在每个方面都令人印象深刻，尽管在一些领域的操作问题，以及这口钻井的未来。

However, in order for Macy’s to maintain its current position and uniqueness, change will have to be a constant in all operational areas, as consumer tastes will not remain the same, neither the strategies its competitors, s engages in, nor the economic condition that prevails in the country at any point in time. If Macy’s leadership actually embrace this change concept, Macy’s future will be assured. The success was gained from implementing strategies that possible were not prevalent in any other company to the extent that Macy’s had done. Customers became the basis for its strategies, in terms of the market segments generated, the objectives of the national promotions and advertisings created, the layout of the aisle, the type and age group of the celebrities recruited, an understanding of the important of their tastes, and the fashioner designers brought into the mix. It was because of these tactics and strategies that the company began to increase its relevance and uniqueness among its targeted customers. Macy’s therefore had definitely found a way to be less conservative than the traditional department store as a results of its well developed and thought out and timely executed strategies, and should continue reaping the success for several years to come.

然而,为了让梅西保持其当前位置和独特性,变化将会在所有业务领域是一个常数,随着消费者口味不会保持不变,无论是战略竞争对手,从事,也普遍存在的经济条件,在任何时候。如果梅西的领导层真的接受这种改变的理念，梅西的未来将是有保障的。成功是通过实施策略获得的，这些策略可能在其他任何公司都没有像梅西百货那样流行。客户成为其策略的基础,在生成的细分市场方面,国家的目标创建促销和一点,通道的布局,类型和年龄的名人了,了解重要的他们的品味,和创造者设计师带入混合。正是因为这些策略和策略，公司开始在目标客户中增加相关性和独特性。因此，梅西百货公司肯定找到了一条不像传统百货公司那样保守的道路，因为它的战略是成熟的、深思熟虑的和及时执行的，并且应该在未来几年继续收获成功。

留学生专业相关专业范文素材资料，尽在本网，可以随时查阅参考。本站也提供多国留学生课程作业写作指导服务，如有需要可咨询本平台。