MARKS & SPENCER

Innovation: A Case of Marks & Spencer

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION1

Background1

CULTURE2

Experience in International Business2

STRATEGY3

Hard to be a God4

In Step with The Times5

PROJECTS5

IMPROVEMENTS6

CONCLUSION7

REFERENCES8

Innovation: A Case of Marks & Spencer

Introduction

The fashion for large shopping centers are not sparse in UK, the country's network of supermarkets, grow entire underground city. Against this background, are particularly relevant studies in the experience of similar activities with world-renowned companies. Their victories and defeats, triumphs and failures are able to not only to warn the local entrepreneurs of the possible errors, but also direct their efforts in the right direction. In this sense, the example of Marks & Spencer is a classic and very revealing (Vaver, 2005, pp. 9).

 

Background

Quite often, the United Kingdom is also called the country of shopkeepers, where the trading company Marks & Spencer, without any doubt, holds a leading position. Marks & Spencer is the largest retail network of Great Britain, and its London department store Marble Archis listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the shop, collecting more revenue per unit area than any other store in the world. Mission brands Marks & Spencer - to be an example for others to follow. The company's focus is on quality and sustainability of their products. Marks & Spencer is proud to use only cars on gas for delivery, packaging made from recycled waste and "green" supply chains of raw materials. For its commitment to protect the environment, the firm has received many state awards to from the UK (Williams & Mcguire, 2010, pp. 402).

Marks & Spencer was established in 1884 by Polish immigrant who believed in the promise of sales of durable goods at a reasonable price. Since that time the company's philosophy has not changed. It sells goods made by its specifications, with solid purchasing power, the company allows the product manufacturers to make capital expenditures to reduce production costs and encourage competition by offering low prices for products sold under brands Marks & Spencer and "Saint-Michel”. Because of its fame the firm has no need for expensive advertising costs, which are forced on other shopping centers. In its stores there are almost no advertisements of the goods sold, and the style of their execution are ascetic and austere (Williams & Mcguire, 2010, pp. 402). It is very modest personal customer service; there are no fitting booths or public toilets. Buyers do not issue receipts for small purchases, but the procedure for returning any product is very simple.

Another tradition of the company, which pays off handsomely in the domestic market - is the appeal to the national feelings of customers. It always strongly promotes the fact that about 90% sold its clothing is made by British companies.

 Culture

"Soft" goods - clothing and textiles for domestic premises are about 2/3 of the implementation. On average, it is estimated that the share of the company store of Marks & Spencer in the total retail sales in the UK is about 16%. This department provides some specific items of clothing for half of the UK ...