Joggers Universe free essay sample

Introduction Sue Koenig opened the Joggers Universe retail store in 1987 at the age of 24. For the last 10 years she has mainly offered the sale of high-end running shoes, walking shoes, shoes for aerobic exercise, basketball shoes, tennis shoes, and crosstrainers, with the emphasis on Nike brands. Nike’s superior promotion strategy and name brand recognition has allowed her to maintain good steady sales, with a $5 to $7 premium on every pair of shoes sold. She also has offered the sale of sportswear with the focus on fashion as well as function. As a formerly nationally ranked runner, her passion for running and fitness has allowed her to stay abreast of exercise trends and allowed her to stay competitive in her chosen market. Issue The issue facing Sue Koenig and Joggers Universe is that despite her on-hand knowledge of running and exercise trends, access to superior name brand products and fashions, and her healthy profit margins, her overall sales have flattened out. We will write a custom essay sample on Joggers Universe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She appears to have been able to capitalize on the jogging and fitness trends in the market growth stage, when there were relatively few competitors, and total industry profits were at their peak. Now that the fitness industry as a whole has entered the market maturity stage with the maximum amount of direct competitors, her business has begun to suffer. Root Cause The sales at Joggers Universe have faltered due to many factors: 1 – The primary cause for her loss of market share is due to the fact that her current, long-term customers are getting older, and have found that jogging has become too demanding for them, and as a whole are switching to low-stress exercise programs. The merchandise that Joggers Universe offers no longer meets the demands of her loyal clientele, and so they have begun to shop elsewhere. On the other hand, when Sue attempted to change her product lines to accommodate this loyal but dwindling customer base, she found that her sales to younger, hardcore runners began to suffer. Clearly, this trend cannot be allowed to continue, as she will not be meeting the specific needs of any market segment. 2 Due to changes in consumer culture and activity, younger people are exercising less, and are likely to use their casual day-to-day shoes as their exercise shoes. As such, there are many department, discount, and regular stores that offer these types of shoes, and customers can buy them without paying a premium. Increased competition from other retailers has cut into her bottom line. In addition to Wal-Mart offering an extended assortment of athletic shoes at deep discounts, Joggers Universe faces competition from Foot Locker, who offers basically the same kind of products as she does. A number of local retail chains have opened that offer lower-quality and lower-cost versio ns of her products, and she also faces increased competition from online retailers. Alternatives A – Made-to-order high-performance athletic shoes Sue may want to consider revisiting a sales strategy she attempted in 2003 and change her business structure to providing expensive, made-to-order, high-performance athletic shoes. This product line incorporated new technology that was used to capture the specific contours of a person’s feet, which was then sent back to the manufacturer by UPS. The customer was able to choose which style they preferred, and in two weeks the shoes were delivered. The company that provided this service unfortunately went out of business, but Sue discovered another company that provided the same service. The main advantage and disadvantage of this alternative is that this will require Sue to change which market segment that she will be promoting to. The segment of customers that Joggers Universe will be focusing on will be serious exercise enthusiasts, who are also more affluent in their spending habits. The downside of this is that it will require Sue to discover how to find and market to this new clientele. It will also require her to abandon a large percentage of her current customer base. Since these customers are mostly abandoning high-impact exercise programs and their product needs are changing, this is an acceptable tradeoff. Although it seems that the runners market seems to be shrinking, this problem can be addressed with the addition of more expensive ancillary products that these more affluent customers will be interested in buying in addition to these expensive, premium shoes. Stocking accessories such as heart rate monitors, like the Forerunner 301 [1] which retails for $199. 99, and runners watches like the Ironman Race Trainer [2] which retails for $150. 00 will appeal to the elite athlete that Joggers Universe will hope to attract. She could also stock expensive, high quality running outfits. Since these customers are generally interested in their health and wish to stay in peak condition, Sue should consider aligning herself with a multilevel marketing company (MLM) that offers health supplements in order to earn extra revenue. An advantage of moving in this direction is that the company that will be providing Sue with these specialty shoes is willing to grant exclusive distribution rights for her territory, which would help to keep the prices for product in control, and would keep other retailers from copying her strategy. This company is also responsible for the warehousing of these shoes, which would save money for her in terms of storing and managing unsold merchandise. The largest challenge that Sue would face if she were to pursue this strategy is in informing customers that this market exists, since this type of product is in the market introduction stage. She would have to establish a website for her store that promotes how the ordering process and production of these shoes works (this would be outsourced to a reliable web production company). She would also require her employees to go through a two-day training program for her new sales practices, including how to make the molds for the shoes and explaining their benefits. She would also have to develop a new advertising campaign that would be published in more upscale local publications that caters to the more affluent types of customers that Sue hopes to attract. B Incorporate Women’s fashionable athletic, casual wear and dress shoes This alternative incorporates two different approaches, and would allow Sue to maintain her current customer base while expanding her product lines in subtle ways. Firstly, she would retain her current product line and incorporate new women’s athletic wear and casual wear lines from designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Georgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren. This will allow her to get into a sales trend that is still in the market growth stage, where there are few major competitors. The main advantage of this alternative is that it allows Sue to maintain her loyal customer base that she has spent years building. Bringing in new and exciting fashions shows her customers that she cares about them, and would like to keep them. The second part of this strategy involves dedicating a small but growing section of her store to stocking lines of dress and office wear shoes. This strategy deviates away from the original concept of Joggers Universe, but will allow Sue to retain her aging customer base that is largely moving away from high-impact exercise programs, and are generally exercising less. Incorporating this strategy will not require Sue to drastically change her business structure, and as such she will be able to retain all her current employees, and only provide minimal amounts of new training. The main disadvantages of this alternative includes the fact that it does not really provide much in terms of differentiating Joggers Universe from other local retailers that offer essentially the same kinds of products. In attempting to hold on to her loyal customer base, she increases the chance of losing sales to other retailers, especially behemoths like Wal-Mart, who can offer running, exercise, and dress shoes for cheaper prices. Sue will have to begin aggressively advertising in local publications and periodicals to showcase her new and current product lines. She also may be forced to preemptively drop her retail prices in order to stay competitive in this increasingly crowded market. Furthermore, if Sue is to begin offering dress and office wear shoes, she will be required to establish a new distribution channel with a reliable middleman company. Recommendation Although it would be nice for Sue to be able to stay with her loyal customer base that she has held on to for many years, the business strategy outlined in Alternative B can only be maintained for so long. Attempting to keep these customers happy at the expense of further growth is the real cause of her problems. She potentially runs the future risk of losing any new customers and eventually all of her business to lower cost retailers offering essentially the same types of products that Joggers Universe offers, without the added cost of a premium price. It is recommended that Sue change her business strategy to selling the products outlined in Alternative A immediately. Implementation Sue should proceed by blowing out her current inventory with a massive discount sale. If she has a reverse channel in place with her suppliers that will buy back merchandise that she has been unable to sell, she would definitely utilize that. If she has been keeping a list of long-standing customers, she should consider sending out a mass mailing thanking them for their continued loyalty, but explaining that she will be closing her doors for a reorganizing. Of course, she should invite these customers back for her eventual re-opening, should they be interested in her new product lines. After this, it is simply a matter of scaling back her operation and bringing in her new products and processes. Since Joggers Universe will be offering smaller and limited product lines, she will no longer require to as large a store area, so she should let her lease expire and move into a smaller store.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Courage Essay Example

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Courage Essay Example Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Courage Essay Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Courage Essay Courage In most stories, there is always the hero whom is not afraid to face challenges and defeat the bad guy. That hero is acting out of courage. They do whatever they can to save the day, regardless of what may happen to them. This is what most people think of when they hear the word courage, but to me, it is this and so, so much more. Courage is not knowing what the outcome might be, and still going through with that plan. Courage is standing up for what is right, regardless of what those consequences might be. Courage is daring, bravery, nerve, and valor. Its facing your fears and conquering your demons. Its the strength you have to keep going when you Just want to give up. Courage is more than Just physical bravery, it is something that comes from within. Courage reminds me of the books I grew up reading where good always conquers evil. One series in particular, Harry Potter, comes to mind when I think of courage. I think of the Harry Potter series when I think of courage because there are so many characters in those books that exemplify what it truly means to be brave and courageous. Three characters come to mind when I think of courage in the last book in the series. The first character is Neville Longbottom. : Throughout the series, readers watch his character grow from this shy young boy, into a man who stands up to the darkest wizard of all time. When everyone else was ready to give up, he spoke out against Voldemort saying he wouldnt stop fghting. That took an immense amount of courage to do. The second character I think about when I think of courage is Severus Snape. Throughout the books he is portrayed as a dark and mysterious man, and readers are often led to believe he is evil up until the last book. In the Deathly Hallows, readers come to learn that Snape had been protecting Harry the ntire time. Snape had been Jeopardizing his own life to save Harry, knowing he might face a fatal death if he was ever caught being a double agent by Voldemort. This shows him as being courageous because he risked his life to save another mans life. Last but not least, I think of Harry Potter when I think of courage. His entire character is comprised of him acting out of courage. Every book in the series has his character doing something courageous. He overcomes every obstacle thrown at him, and saves the wizarding world in the end. Though I do think of these things when I hink of courage, there is more to courage than being the hero in a story. Acting impulsively takes courage. When you dont know what the outcome will be, and you still continue on with what you are doing, you are acting out of courage. Being courageous is going on an adventure, or being daring enough to try something new. Trying new foods takes courage, and so does making new friends. Courage is taking a chance every once in a while. Courage is taking a step forward and not knowing where you might end up. Courage is standing up for what you believe to be right and not caring about the consequences. It is taking a chance by facing opposition knowing you could be persecuted for it. Courage is acting in accordance stand your ground and keep fghting for what is right, though others run away. When I was a Junior in high school, kids used to always pick on this kid names Alex for being special Ed. I had never paid much attention until one day I could actually hear them making fun of him. The worst part to me had been he didnt even realize they were doing it. I ended up confronting them and the kids were so shocked that they had no idea how to respond. I stood up for this kid that I had never had a conversation with n my life because I felt it was the right thing to do. I didnt care what would happen in return, I Just wanted them to stop bullying the kid. The kids ended up leaving him alone and avoiding me, and I never saw them bully anyone after that. To me, that took a great amount of courage because I knew there was a chance they would bully me afterword, but all that mattered was that I kept them from bullying Alex. In the first paragraph I chose the words bravery, daring, nerve, and valor to say what courage is. Bravery to me is a willingness to face dangers that may come into your life without fear. In this way I feel courage and bravery can almost be synonymous. And one who has courage, or is brave, tends to be daring as well. To be daring is to be adventuresome, and to be daring is to also be bold. A daring person has the nerve to do the things others are too afraid to attempt. A daring person also has valor. Valor also goes hand in hand with courage because it is what enables a person to face a challenge or danger in their life with a firmness. All of these words relate to courage because a courageous person encompasses these things within them as well. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is facing your fears. Most people opt to take the easy way out, running away. But those people who face their fears head on, and conquer them, are courageous. They overcame something that frightened them, and that is never an easy thing to do. It is one thing to be fearless, and another to overcome a fear. If a person is fearless, there is no courage present in the first place. Courage is facing your inner demon and not backing down. Courage is strength. Courage is standing up to your enemies, and standing up to your friends. Courage is the ability to admit you are wrong, and ask what the right answer is. Courage is alking to a new person even though you have social anxiety. Courage is the fght within us that keeps us pushing past our fears, and enables us to overcome them and learn from them. It is moving forward, passing through the pit stops in your life, overcoming the obstacles, taking those chances while you still have them. Courage is knowing you made mistakes and learning from them. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it. Courage is having fears and anxiety pushing past them to better yourself. Courage is what gives us the strength to keep going when we Just want to give up. It is the fght we have imbedded in us to overcome anything that gets in our way. It is something that comes from within us and it is part of what makes us who we are. Courage is what keeps us going. It takes courage to keep moving forward when life gets rough, and it takes courage to take chances in life. Most things in life require us to be courageous at some point or another. For some people it takes courage to ask a girl on a date, for others, its as easy as snapping their fingers. Courage is different for every person. When I think of courage, I think of a little kid who is going to their first do. And that takes courage.

Ableism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ableism - Assignment Example Hayman also agrees with Christensen that societal beliefs usually change an individual’s mastery of concepts. For instance, society usually assigns minor roles, if not any, to disable-bodied persons as compared to able-bodied people. Able-bodied people are assigned significant roles in the society including other areas such as a career and sports. For example, Disabled individuals were not allowed to take part in a number of activities and events. For example, the capability and skills of disabled individuals, in sports, has never been fully exploited. In the current Paralympics games, the disabled people are exhibiting a number of potential skills and capabilities. With the introduction of new technologies, these people are capable of participating in games like marathon, steeplechase, basketball, and swimming. It is also notable that these athletes’ performances almost equalize that of able-bodied athletes. This is an indication that ableism is just a traditional notion that despises the competencies and capabilities of disable-bodied people. Therefore, a change is required to ensure that roles and duties are equally distributed depending on an individual’s capabilities and skills. This should also not be done on the basis of an individual’s physical

Discrimination of women in wisconson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discrimination of women in wisconson - Essay Example This is the case in Wisconsin, where equal pay law was repealed. Women were the most affected by the move. Amid this, wage discrimination can be used to for the purpose of employee rewarding. Performing employees in the workplace can be awarded higher pay for their efforts, over and above the set discriminatory wage rate. On the other hand, wage discrimination against women can result in mixed impacts in the society and in the economy in general. To the employers, wage discrimination against women or any other group could provide a favorable ground for the exploitation of workers. For employees, this type of discrimination threatens their social welfare and economic security (Grana 183). Finally, the society can plunge into an affirmative action crisis if the situation fails to be harmonized for the interests of all parties involved. Women and children, especially low and middle income earners, are likely to be the most affected due to the social and economic uncertainties that wage discrimination

Simple to carry around Essay Example for Free

Simple to carry around Essay Super computers are the fastest computers and the most expensive computer in the world; these are at least 100 millions pounds. They are mainly used for superior scientific investigations, weather forecasting or advanced engineering applications Mainframe computers can contain massive amounts of data and are capable of processing them. Large utility companies such as gas suppliers and banks etc would these computers to save masses of data in it. Minicomputers are used by smaller businesses to handle their data processing or to run something similar to a city traffic control system. Desktop computers would naturally be supplied with the computer itself (complete with hard disk drive and floppy disk drive) and peripherals such as a screen, a mouse, a keyboard and a CD or DVD drive. These are comparatively cheap and easy to add development cards to. The only disadvantage is that it takes up lots of space and is not easily moved. Notebooks (Laptops) These are little, light and simple to carry around. You open it by his hinges and has a screen on its inside, keyboard and mouse controls. These are really expensive because of their processing power and you cannot use standard expansion cards. Keyboards and screens not as good for extended usage. They are designed to run on rechargeable batteries or the mains and can contain many of the description available on a desktop computer. Touch pads or a button are usually used to control the screen pointer. These are also portable due to their size and ability to run on batteries Palm-tops PDAs (personal digital assistants) These are very portable, small hand-held computers. They are usually supplied with software such as a diary, a contacts database, and some form of word processor. Many now have email facilities and even spreadsheets and databases. They either use a little keyboard or a touch-sensitive screen and writing recognition software. They can be linked to larger computers straight by cable or through a docking station or using an infrared link. These are relatively expensive, limited expansion; non-keyboard versions can be slow to input data. Embedded computers have a vast number of modern devices contain some figure of built-in computer. Examples include: washing machines; camera, hi-fi systems; telephones; microwave ovens; missiles. The inputs are usually sensors so a keyboard may not be needed. The outputs are usually simple displays or motors and relays to control something.

Prince Hal in Shakespeares Henriad Essay -- William Shakespeare Henri

Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Henriad The question that Shakespeare raises throughout the series of Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II, and Henry V is that of whether Prince Hal (eventually King Henry V), is a true manifestation of an ideal ruler, and whether he is a rightful heir to his father’s ill-begotten throne. England is without a true king, being run by a ruler without the right of divine providence on his side– altogether, a very difficult situation for a young, inexperienced, and slightly delinquent Prince to take on. The task of proving himself a reliable Prince and a concerned ruler is of utmost importance to Hal, as he does not enjoy the mantle of divine right– perhaps by being an excellent ruler, Hal can make up for the usurpation of Richard II’s crown. Even though he is unable to change his ancestry, he may be able to gain God’s support by ruling justly, piously, and effectively. Robert Fallon defines this stage of England’s history as â€Å"an era when monarchs were expected to share with their soldiers the dangers of the battlefield, where strength of character was equated with strength of arm and a king’s ability to rule was measured by his ability to lead his armies in conquest,† and this is the mindset that Hal must deal with, moving from an irresponsible tavern dweller to a responsible ruler, fit to lead England with God’s support, if not his permission (Fallon, 111). The association of Prince Hal with dubious, tavern-dwelling creatures like Falstaff is a main point of contention between his supporters and detractors. Because the audience first meets the Prince in Henry IV, Part I, while he is carousing in the tavern with Falstaff, it is necessary for Shakespeare to indicate that Hal is not as enchanted with... ...stability and domestic tranquility. Works Cited Fallon, Robert Thomas. â€Å"Henry V: This Star of England.† A Theatrer-Goer’s Guide to Shakespeare’s Characters. Chicago, Illinois: Ivan R. Dee, 2004. 106-122. Ornstein, Robert. A Kingdom for a Stage: The Achievement of Shakespeare’s History Plays. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1972. Roe, John. â€Å"Henry V: The Prince and Cruelty.† Studies in Renaissance Literature: Shakespeare and Machiavelli. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2002. 63-93. Shakespeare, William. Ed. David Scott Kastan. Henry IV, Part I. London: The Arden Shakespeare, 2002. Shakespeare, William. Ed. A.R. Humphreys. King Henry IV, Part II. London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., and The Arden Shakespeare, 1981. Shakespeare, William. Ed. J.H. Walter. King Henry V. London: Metheun & Co., Ltd., and The Arden Shakespeare, 1954.

Drama assessment on dennis kellys ‘DNA’

Lea being the main narrator, sat up on her knees, Inviting the audience In to listen and seemed more comforting and engaged, whereas Phil communicated with the audience with the lack of focus and response, showing have AR away Phil really is to understanding Leash's thoughts and feelings. The actors facial features were kept very minimal, neural expressions which showed no emotion allowing the other two character to really communicate and show the audience what they really think and feel.We did this to support our Interpretation of the characters and what we got from the play which was that Lea had deep feelings for Phil, which he took for granted. I played Leash's conscience, alongside†¦.. , who played Phial's. I and †¦ Walked up to each other hesitantly, showing the lack of communication between the characters as their unsure of their relationship. We help our hands out towards each other after we had separated to communicate through the use of gesture, to the audience th at we do truly need each other, we just can't show it.This was my idea, and I think it was successful because I really wanted to show to the audience the true feelings of the two characters and I think this was a good moment to communicate with the audience. I contrasted with tone of voice, as she uses a soft yet pleading tone, I respond to it with an aggressive tug of Cam's arm, silently beginning him to respond. Leash's self-conscious, in coherent character and Phial's stubborn blindness, tops them communicating, and I believe this is why their relationship is so strained and unclear. Ã'›â€ ¦ Asked us to enter the stage one by one, and to create a still image of a character, showing them at the start and end of the play. We had to then bring our image to life, using role play to show what we would have thought at those points. I was playing Brian, a miss interpreted character, which didn't get enough attention even though the situation was clearly affecting him in a strong ph ysiological level. For my first still image I stood with a slouch, protectively wrapping my arms around my odd, by lowering onto a smaller level, symbolizes Briar's vulnerability and scared nature.Avoiding eye contact too communicate with the audience, showing how uncomfortable Brain was, repeating â€Å"l can't go In there† and â€Å"l feel guilty, stuttering my words. By slurring and stuttering the words shows the audience that I'm not an overly confident character and the pressure and guilt Is getting too much for me, communicating my feelings and status within the group, saying things Like â€Å"they can't make me go in their again†, showing that the rest of the group takes advantage of his weak nature, which Is showed throughout the play. On the other hand, when †¦. Wowed his Interpretation, he showed Brian forcefully splitting out his words, showing his distaste towards the other characters In the play, glaring at the audience, communicating via facial expr ession, whereas I relied on my body language. After delivering my narration, I used a melting machine to change my Briar's over enthusiastic, UN naturalistic character in contrast to the serious situation he was in. At the end of the play, you're informed of Briar's diagnosed mental issue, so I tried to communicate that with over enthusiastic body moment and gestures, to express the erratic state of his mind.It was intriguing to see where the characters ended up after being involved in murder, and Briar's account has got to be the most shocking and legit, Dennis Kelly is clever with the way he shows his character. Miss asked us to get into larger groups to perform a conscious alley to show Phial's inner battle for his decision to kill Adam. My group was the most effective as we added various bits of narration in the mist of some role playing in unison. I was on the side which was trying to skillfully persuade Phil to choose the moral decision, too not killWe started off with the lig hts off, eliminating the audiences senses, all laughing in high pitches, moving around the blocks to make the audience vulnerable, communicating Adams feelings which he would of felt when he woke up with the woods surrounding him. I silenced the laughing and the darkness by saying the line â€Å"So however you been living? â€Å", a seemingly innocent, naturalistic question, which then .. Elaborates and turns the scene from Statisticians inspired to Retard in a quick change of pace, which is heightened with the rest of us hitting the block and our legs and add a form of an ritual.