Gender Equality in Australia-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Compose an Essay on Sexual orientation Equality in Australia. Answer: Draft presentation Throughout the years there has been incredible exertion which has been made with respect to the sexual orientation uniformity. The social orders have changed gradually their perspectives on ladies working close by the men in various open and privately owned businesses that have been ruled by men beforehand (Bohnet, 2016). In this exposition plan it will features how this article would be talked about. The arrangement has different subtopics which would be talked about in the article. Subjects These are the angles which are talked about in this point. A portion of the key topics which will be examined are on sex and sexuality, bigotry, class disparity, and the privileges of the people (Bohnet, 2016). Contention Ladies ought to be given equivalent right to men. There have been changes which are going on to disconnect this part of sexual orientation balance. Because of the various social liberties associations, the job of the ladies in the work place has expanded. Key ideas There are various key ideas which will be examined comparable to the sexual orientation fairness these are as per the following; Formal and Substantive Equality Poststructural Approaches Sex disparity, Feminism and Law Agreement Approaches Commented on catalog Diverse research will be drawn from different sources, for example, articles and books according to the subject of sexual orientation uniformity. These sources will give a survey of a portion of the work that has been done with respect to this theme. Key cases The significant case has been ladies have not been working close by with the men in various open and privately owned businesses and the male have commanded this domain for long (Comim Nussbaum, 2014). There has been exertion made in regard to this sexual orientation balance. References Bohnet, I. (2016). What works: Gender correspondence by plan. Harvard University Press. Comim, F., Nussbaum, M. C. (2014). Capacities, Gender, Equality. Cambridge University Press.

Sloboat Case Study Free Essays

Sloboat Case Study March 7, 2013 Capstone Seminar Sean McNamara, Matthew Sylvia, Michael Regghetio Analysis of Sloboat Case Study For this situation we assume the job of Rick Craner, the money related bookkeeper for Sloboat Shipping Inc. Rick is confronted with arranging, sorting out, and assessing the company’s money related movement for the 2012 monetary year. We are furnished with a few notes on Sloboat budgetary exchanges, and we are entrusted with figuring out these exchanges to give a reasonable assessment and introduction of Sloboat’s monetary standings toward the finish of the 2012 financial year. We will compose a custom paper test on Sloboat Case Study or on the other hand any comparative theme just for you Request Now It is imperative to take a gander at all of the exchanges portrayed for the situation concentrate before pushing ahead. The contextual analysis separated these exchanges into â€Å"financing† and â€Å"investing†. Coming up next are exchanges that happened under â€Å"financing†: * 7% securities payable gave on November 1, 2010 * Bonds pay premium semi-every year on May first and November first * Market loan fee on the date of issuance had been 8% * SSI chosen to resign half of the 7% securities on August 1, 2011 * Additional 30,000 normal offers gave on June 14, 2011 * Common profit of $0. 5 for each basic offer on December 1, 2011 with date of record of December fifth and dissemination on December twentieth coming up next are exchanges that happened under â€Å"investing†: * SSI possessed 250, 7. 5% obligations of â€Å"OnCap Financial†, bought in late monetary 2011, bonds paid enthusiasm on March first and September first and set to develop on Ma rch 1, 2014. On January 31, 2012, the market diminished to 5% and SSI sold all the remarkable securities. * SSI claimed 20,000 offers in Lowland Resources. On October 2, 2011 SSI got a 5% stock profit. Each offer was exchanging at $22. 62. On December 15, 2011 SSI chose to sell 60% of its property (12,000 stocks). SSI paid a $400 financier charge. On February 29, 2012, the rest of the offers were exchanging at Statement of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2011| | ASSETS| | Current Assets:| | Cash| $| 12,736 | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 260,156 | Inventory| | 47,987 |  | | 798,854 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |  | | 742,108 | Total Assets| | 1,540,962 | Liablities Shareholder’s Equity| | Liabilities| | Current liabilities:| | Bond intrigue payable| $| 23,333 | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |  | | 34,583 | Long-term liabilities:| | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 961,694 |  | | 961,694 | Total Liabilities| | 996,277 | Shareholders’ equity| | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible favored stock| | 37,500 | 150,000 approved; 5,000 outstanding| | Common stock| | 253,000 | 500,000 approved; 20,000 outstanding| | Stock profit to be distributed| | 15,430 | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |  | Total Shareholders’ equity| | 544,685 | All out liabilities and Shareholders’ value | $1,540,962 | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2012| | Cash Reciepts| | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | Trading contributing †Bonds| | 272,331 | Trading contributing †Stocks| | 268,610 | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | Cash Disbursements| | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | Bond interest| | 52,500 | Dividends| | 30,150 | Total| | $| 611,167 | * $19. 45 (8,000 stocks). Explanation of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2012| | ASSETS| | Current Assets:| | Cash| $| (468,111)| | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 310,644 | Inventory| | 47,987 |  | | 368,495 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |  | | 742,108 | Total Assets| | 1,110,603 | Liablities Shareholder’s Equity| | Liabilities| | Current liabilities:| | Bond premium payable| $| 73,821 | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |  | | 85,071 | Long-term liabilities:| | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 480,847 |  | | 480,847 | Complete Liabilities| | 565,918 | Shareholders’ equity| | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible favored stock| | 37,500 | 150,000 approved; 5,000 outstanding| | Common stock| | 253,000 | 500,000 approved; 20,000 outstanding| | Stock profit to be distributed| | 15,430 | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |  | Total Shareholders’ equity| | 544,685 | Total liabilities and Shareholders’ value | $1,110,603 | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2013| | Cash Reciepts| | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | Trading contributing †Bonds| | 272,331 | Trading contributing †Stocks| | 268,610 | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | Cash Disbursements| | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | Bond interest| | 52,500 | Dividends| | 30,150 | Total| | $| 611,167 | Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Debit Credit Step by step instructions to refer to Sloboat Case Study, Free Case study tests

Are Loot Boxes Going to be Banned

Are Loot Boxes Going to be Banned Are Loot Boxes Going to be Banned? Are Loot Boxes Going to be Banned?You may have heard about pay-to-play, but what about pay-to-win?The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently concluded a workshop on loot boxes. Those who do not regularly play video games may not have heard about loot boxes before. They may find it odd that the concept is receiving the scrutiny of the federal government, as well as various state governments and other governments around the world.The concern could be more understandable if you refer to loot box mechanics by a different name: selling gambling to children.What are loot boxes?Video games have been selling add-on content for decades now. While computer game expansion packs were standard throughout the nineties, the new millennium has brought a wealth of ways to give your wealth to game publishers. With the widespread adoption of free-to-play mobile games, publishers needed a way to guarantee regular income from users.“Games now are designed for easy and free (‘freemium’) entry,” ex plained Jim Wasserman, former business litigation attorney and writer at Your Third Life. “Gamers get into the game easily, but at some point they start topping out in ability to win with just the free resources. At that point, the game offers ‘bonus packs’ (loot boxes) for real money that offer the possibility of better in-game gear/cards. The insidiousness is that there is only a possibility of getting what the player wants, so it is a gamble in buying one.”While this monetization method may have started with free-to-play games, it has since made the jump to full-priced experiences. Whereas once there was outrage over the announcement of $2.50 “horse armor” in the Elder Scrolls, games like FIFA 2019 now include loot box mechanics that encourage players to spend money for just the chance of getting what they want.Is it gambling?Spending money for the chance at a desired result seems like it could fit a wide definition of gambling.“These ‘pay-to-win’ loot boxes are arguably a type of gambling, which has long been illegal in many places and almost exclusively illegal to minors,” said regulatory attorney Braden Perry. “Loot boxes usually contain a number of different items of different rarities. The rarer the item, the less chance the purchaser has of finding it.”For a personal example of how these quasi-gambling mechanics can impact children, Wasserman shared his story with us: “Kids dont want to let their characters/levels that they built up whither, and younger ones dont understand the notion of odds. They think that if 1-in-10 has something good, they need to buy 100, as my own son once expressed when young. Kids are using parents credit cards without the parents knowing, and perhaps worst of all, the process inculcates bad long-term spending habits and financial understanding. One has to keep ‘buying up’ to stay in the game; there is little to no game reward for saving.”The law steps inConcern over loot boxes and the prospect of child gambling has led to intervention from governments around the world, according to Samuel Franklin, CEO of Games Finder.“An inquiry held in late 2018 within Australia explored these risks and the need for intervention while providing a list of five fundamental recommendations that strike at the heart of the issue,” Franklin said. “These would provide a preventative foundation based around warning label disclosures and having game age ratings scaled up where loot boxes are present.  This is in contrast to other countries that are taking a more direct approach, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, that have made it clear that loot boxes are in breach of their current gambling laws and thus illegal.”Franklin explained some countries have opted for greater transparency rather than outright prohibition: “China and South Korea have been content to require disclosure of all probabilities of obtaining specific items from loot box mechanics and fining companies that fail to comply.”Aside from the FTC workshop, there is already legislation under consideration at the federal level in the United States.“One interesting piece of legislation has been introduced by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO),” Perry said. “It’s called The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act and would ban loot boxes and ‘pay-to-win’ microtransactions in titles targeted at or popular among minors, similar to the FTC’s COPA analysis. But like COPA, the proposed legislation would be highly subjective and difficult to enforce. While I believe it’s more of a ‘shot across the bow’ at the industry as these loot boxes become more popular, the gaming industry should take note. You will likely see the gaming industry attempt self-policing policies to prevent overarching legislation.”So while thats the current conversation around loot box legislation in the United States, we would still advise against gambling on whether legislation will pass.ContributorsSamuel Frank lin is the founder of Games Finder, a video game recommendation website for finding similar games. Sam has been in the gaming industry for more than 10 years as a writer and YouTube content creator. He also has a compliance background in Australia working with businesses to meet obligations set out by the leading regulatory bodies, ASIC and APRA. Follow him  @GamesFinder.Braden Perry is a litigation, regulatory, and government investigations attorney with Kennyhertz Perry, LLC.   He has the unique tripartite experience of a white-collar criminal defense and government compliance, investigations, and litigation attorney at a national law firm; a senior enforcement attorney at a federal regulatory agency; and the chief compliance officer/chief regulatory attorney of a global financial institution. Perry has extensive experience advising clients in federal inquiries and investigations, particularly in enforcement matters involving novel or emerging issues. He couples his technical know ledge and experience defending clients in front of federal agencies with a broad-based understanding of compliance from an institutional and regulatory perspective. Follow him  @bradenmperry.Jim Wasserman is a former business litigation attorney who taught economics and media literacy for 20 years. Jim’s three-book series on teaching behavioral economics and media literacy,   Media, Marketing, and Me, will publish in 2019. Jim currently lives in Granada, Spain, and with his wife, writes a blog on retirement, finance, and living abroad at YourThirdLife.com. Jim dreamed of a Hemingway-like life of writing in Spain, but so far to that end has only amassed a houseful of cats.

How to Build Writing Skills in Students With Dyslexia

When you think of the word dyslexia reading problems immediately come to mind but many students with dyslexia struggle with writing as well. Dysgraphia, or written expression disorder, impacts handwriting, the spacing of letters and sentences, omitting letters in words, the lack of punctuation and grammar when writing and difficulty organizing thoughts on paper. The following resources should help you better understand dysgraphia and work with students to improve writing skills. Understanding Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Dyslexia and dysgraphia are both neurological based learning disabilities but both have specific symptoms. Its important to learn the symptoms, types of dysgraphia, and treatment options. Dyslexia impacts writing skills in many ways. Students with dyslexia show a significant difference between what they can tell you verbally and what they are able to convey on paper. They may have trouble with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sequencing. Some may have dysgraphia as well as dyslexia. Knowing how this learning disability affects writing can help you develop specific strategies for working to improve writing skills. Teaching Students With Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Once understood, you can make some accommodations in the classroom to help improve writing and learning in students with written expression disorder. For example, experimenting with different kinds of pens can help you find what is most comfortable for your student, and improve legibility. Written assignments completed by students with dyslexia are often filled with spelling and grammar errors, and the handwriting is sometimes illegible, causing a teacher to think the student is lazy or unmotivated. A plan of action provides a step-by-step approach for organizing thoughts and information to help make the writing process easier. when teaching writing skills to students with dyslexia. Ideas for Lesson Plans Arm yourself with specific strategies to incorporate into your daily teaching that will help you work with students with dyslexia and dysgraphia improve their writing skills. One suggestion is to put away the red pen when grading papers and use a more neutral color to avoid the student becoming discouraged when seeing all the red marks when you return an assignment. Building Sequencing Skills: From the time we are very young, we learn to complete tasks in a specific way, such as tying shoes or using long division. If we do the task out of order, the end result is often wrong or doesnt make any sense. Sequencing skills are used in writing as well, making our written information make sense to the reader. This is often an area of weakness for children with dyslexia. Students with dyslexia can frequently see the big picture but have trouble understanding the steps it takes to get there. Plan a lesson requiring students to take parts of an event or story and put them in the correct, chronological order.Journal Writing: Helps students in middle school practice writing skills by keeping a daily journal. Writing prompts are given each morning or as a homework assignment and students write a few paragraphs. Varying the writing prompts helps students practice different types of writing, for example, one prompt might require descriptive writing and one mig ht require persuasive writing. Once a week or every other week, students choose a journal entry to edit and revise.Create a Classroom Book: This lesson can be used from 1st through 8th grade and gives you the opportunity to teach social lessons as well as writing lessons. As you complete classroom books, put them in your classroom library for students to read again and again, helping them learn about and become more tolerant of one anothers differences.Writing Newspaper Articles: This project not only works on informative writing skills, but it fosters cooperation by teaching students to work together to create a classroom newspaper.Outline Writing Prompt: Teachers often give students writing prompts to help generate writing ideas, however, students with dyslexia may need additional assistance in organizing information. Provide a step-by-step guide that goes through the process of putting together an outline that organizes information.

A Brief Note On Mexican And Japanese Immigrants - 1054 Words

The 1920s served as a crucial time for the society in America. One large problem that occurred was the disputes regarding immigration and residing immigrants. Specifically, the main groups targeted during these years were Mexican and Japanese immigrants. Both in their own ways, these groups endured inequality from the white working class, agribusiness corporations, and native counterparts. Mexican and Japanese immigrants were both treated unfairly through labor experiences, racial discrimination, and problems with immigration and citizenship rights. Although the 1920s is often associated with social freedoms and a booming economy, these factors of prejudice illustrate that many individuals experienced hardships. Agribusiness landowners†¦show more content†¦Another case of oppression toward Mexican immigrants was lynching. Lynching was increasingly brought back from late 1800s, when only a few hundred Mexicans were lynched. Any Mexican charged with theft or property crimes would be hung. Lynching of Mexicans in the 1920s turned into a way of revenge from the success of Mexican mining. Mexicans would be accused of crime as an excuse to be lynched, but were killed due to unjust acts of mob violence from their native counterparts. Between harsh labor conditions and lynching, there was hope from Mexican immigrants for change. The rights of these people were taken away in more ways than one, causing immigrants to push past the racial inequality, although not outwardly offensively. Ramona Diaz believed, â€Å"through education and intermarriage will come a great improvement and progress.† Mexican immigrants had a lot of hardships, and through it, were still in favor of making change. In addition to Mexican immigrants, Japanese immigrants also suffered through these tough years. The main form of prejudice for this group was racial discrimination. One factor the Japanese dealt with was the Anti-Japanese exclusion movement. Japanese immigrants were labeled as an undesirable race, and were removed from homes, businesses, and communities, through acts of violence, in an attempt to eliminate Japanese immigration. Citizens â€Å"were determined to exhaust every power toShow MoreRelatedThe Frontier Or Some Like Takao Ozawa Essay2498 Words   |  10 Pagesquestion of what it means to be an American. There are various responses, some by â€Å"native born† such as, Fredrick Jackson Turner who wrote the propaganda piece: The Significance of the Frontier or some like Takao Ozawa, an immigrant from Japan who defines Americanness in his legal brief for naturalization. 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HM Hennes Mauritz Ab in Retailing Free Essays

string(339) " Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Internet retailing The rapid growth of clothing and footwear sales through internet retailing is expected to continue and give H opportunities to reach a wider audience, especially in its core demographic target, teenagers and young adults, whose purchases are often influenced by the internet\." Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB in Retailing December 2009 Scope of the Report Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Scope †¢ This global company profile covers the following products focusing on the year 2009: Retailing: US$10,430 billion Store-based Retailing: US$9,829 billion Non-Store Retailing: US$601 billion Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers: US$791 billion Homeshopping: US$190 billion Internet Retailing: US$243 billion Disclaimer Much of the information in this briefing is of a statistical nature and, while every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy and reliability, Euromonitor International cannot be held responsible for omissions or errors Figures in tables and analyses are calculated from unrounded data and may not sum. Analyses found in the briefings may not totally reflect the companies’ opinions, reader discretion is advised Learn More To find out more about Euromonitor International’s complete range of business ntelligence on industries, countries and consumers please visit www. euromonitor. We will write a custom essay sample on HM Hennes Mauritz Ab in Retailing or any similar topic only for you Order Now com or contact your local Euromonitor International office: London + 44 (0)20 7251 8024 Vilnius +370 5 243 1577 Chicago +1 312 922 1115 Dubai +971 4 609 1340 Singapore +65 6429 0590 Cape Town +27 21 552 0037 Shanghai +86 21 63726288 Santiago +56 2 4332226 2 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positioning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 3 Strategic Evaluation Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Key Company Facts Hennes Mauritz (H) AB Headquarters Regional Involvement Stockholm, Sweden Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, North America, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa Clothing and footwear specialist retailers, homeshopping, internet retailing H robust performance in battle with Inditex †¢ The world’s second largest clothing and footwear Sector Involvement World clothing and footwear 1. 7% (2009) specialist retailers share 1. 5% (2008) Retail sales value growth (US$) -4. 1% (2009) 17. % (2008) specialist retailer in 2009, behind Inditex, and ahead of Gap, H continued to record strong sales growth in 2008 and 2009. This was achieved partly thanks to a strong performance in its largest market, Germany, with sales in local currency terms up by double-digits. †¢ Inditex’s and H battle for the world’s largest clothing and footwear retailer position is closely fought, while Gap, which was the world’s largest player in this channel until 2007, has been significantly left behind by the leading two. Hennes Mauritz (H) AB – Sales excl. VAT vs Profit After Tax 90,000 SEK million 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Sales excl VAT Profit after tax 18,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 SEK million 16,000 H profits remain healthy †¢ H registered sales excluding VAT of SEK88. 5 billion (US$13. 7 billion) in 2008, an increase of 13% over the year, with profit after tax also up 13% to SEK15. 3 billion (US$2. 4 billion), which highlights the group’s high margin. †¢ Its major rival, Inditex, recorded revenue of EUR10. 4 billion (US$14. 5 billion) in 2008, up 10% on the previous year, with net profit up 0. % to EUR1. 3 billion (US$1. 8 billion). Gap registered sales of US$14. 5 billion, down 8% in the year, as it suffered from poor conditions in its core US market, though the company’s net profit grew by 16% to US$967 million, helped by cost savings. 4 Strategic Evaluation Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Q3 results: Resilient Performanc e, Continued Expansion Hennes Mauritz (H) AB – Q1 to Q3 Sales excluding VAT (SEK billion) Profit after tax (SEK billion) Net margin (%) 73. 4 (2009) 62. 2 (2008) 10. 2 (2009) 10. 2 (2008) 13. 9 (2009) 16. (2008) Resilient performance, with sales driven by store network expansion †¢ H sales excluding VAT grew by 13% to SEK23. 6 billion (US$3. 4 billion) in the third quarter ending August 2009. Group profits after tax continued to rise, up by 4% to SEK3. 5 billion (US$506 million). †¢ However, same-store sales declined slightly in local currency terms, with consumer sentiment remaining subdued and hindering sales of non-grocery retailers, especially in the US, while the German market was resilient and strong gains were made in Italy. †¢ For the nine months to August 2009, sales were up by 18% to SEK73. billion (US$10. 6 billion), with growth boosted by new store openings. Profits after tax were up by 0. 2% to SEK10. 2 billion (US$1. 5 billion). Low inventory lev els were a major factor contributing to keep costs down. Inditex records lower sales growth than H †¢ Inditex recorded revenues up by 7% to reach EUR4. 9 billion (US$7. 1 billion) in the six months to July 2009. Growth in Asia’s emerging markets continued to boost revenues, especially in China and Hong Kong, offsetting a negative economic environment in its Spanish domestic market where it saw a strong decline in like-for-like sales. Although impacted by the recession in Europe, Inditex’s profits were resilient, helped by efficient cost controls. The group recorded net income down by only 8% on the previous year to EUR375 million (US$550 million), despite sustained investments in network expansion. 5 Hennes Mauritz (H) AB – Net Sales excl VAT vs Profit After Tax 75,000 72,500 70,000 SEK million 67,500 65,000 62,500 60,000 57,500 55,000 52,500 50,000 2008 Q1 to Q3 Net sales excl VAT 2009 Q1 to Q3 Profit after tax 12,000 11,500 SEK million 11,000 10,500 10,0 00 9,500 9,000 8,500 8,000 Strategic Evaluation Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International SWOT – Hennes Mauritz (H) AB Brand recognition: low price and style Combining style innovations and low prices are staple attributes of the H brand on which it has built strong consumer recognition. High profile advertising and collaboration with designers help make stores shopping destinations and raise the desirability of its ranges. Operational efficiency A strong control of the whole logistics process helps H achieve low costs, while low inventory contributes to maintain margins. Reliance on outsourcing The reliance on production outsourcing, unlike other rivals such as Inditex, puts H at greater risks of damaging its reputation in terms of product quality and poor labour conditions in developed countries. Modest presence in emerging markets Despite being a global player present in 33 markets, H has developed its presence in Europe and North America mostly, unlike Inditex operating in over 70 countries including many emerging markets. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Internet retailing The rapid growth of clothing and footwear sales through internet retailing is expected to continue and give H opportunities to reach a wider audience, especially in its core demographic target, teenagers and young adults, whose purchases are often influenced by the internet. Untapped potential in emerging markets Urbanisation, increased disposable incomes and changing lifestyles making the population more aware of fashion trends give major growth opportunities in large emerging markets such as China and Russia. There is also potential in markets where H is absent such as Turkey and Romania. Non-food expansion of grocery retailers Hypermarkets and mass merchandisers including Carrefour, Target, Tesco and Wal-Mart are set to continue developing their offer of non-food products and compete directly against H in the value segment of clothing and footwear retailing. Fast fashion becoming more competitive H faces a growing threat from a number of direct competitors with increasingly global ambitions at the low-priced end of the market such as Associated British Foods with Primark, Fast Retailing with Uniqlo and Marks Spencer, alongside a resurgent Gap. 6 Strategic Evaluation Retailing – Hennes Mauritz Euromonitor International Key Strategic Objectives and Challenges Speed to market and price strategy Fast product turnaround, flexibility and speed to market are major elements determining fast fashion retailers’ operational efficiency. H record is strong comparable to Inditex in most aspects, although Inditex has an advantage regarding speed to market, as a resu lt of its vertical integration business model. In the midst of the global economic crisis particularly affecting clothing and footwear specialists, H chose to avoid heavy discounting in order to maintain its margins and profits. However, more aggressive price wars may force it to discount more and hit its margins. Ongoing international expansion with a focus on emerging markets H presence in emerging markets is less important than Inditex’s, which has a major store network in Latin America and more stores in the Middle East and Africa. Expanding in emerging markets remains a priority for H, although growth prospects remain strong in developed markets such as Canada and the US where it can enter numerous new cities, especially in Southern States where it has a modest presence. H CEO KarlJohan Persson appointed in July 2009 restated the group’s global expansion targets, although it appears to be slower than expected, with around 160 new stores likely to be opened out of 225 initially planned for 2009. Maintain brand image and increase desirability Collaborations with designers will need to be continued and reinvented to make products more desirable, make stores more popular shopping destinations and strengthen the emotional bond with consumers and H. Distinctive store layout has been used successfully by Inditex with its Zara chain to convey the desirability of its clothes, and this is a strategy that H could also implement to make the store designs a more important aspect of its strategy. This could allow H to maintain an advantage over smaller rivals with increasing global ambitions for their brands such as Primark and Uniqlo. Late entry into internet retailing Although growth in internet retailing sales is particularly promising for clothing and footwear retailers, H has been a late entrant and will struggle to seize the opportunities offered by this channel. It has left numerous other retailers including pure play internet retailers such as Amazon and Asos and the homeshopping specialist Otto take a lead. Hence, it will be difficult for H to target these consumers and generate traffic to its websites, although it could rely on high-profile advertising and innovative sites to succeed. 7 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positioning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 8 Competitive Positioning Retailing – Hennes Mauritz Euromonitor International H Performs Strongly but Growth is Matched by Inditex †¢ International expansion and fashionable product assortment led to strong growth for H and its main rival Inditex, despite a marked slowdown in 2009 due to the global economic crisis and the strength of the US dollar. Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers – World – Retail Value RSP excl Sales Tax – US$ – % Year-on-Year Growth 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 0 -4 -8 -12 2005 % y-o-y growth A C B 2006 World C Mode Brenninkmeijer Co INDITEX – Industria de Diseno Textil 2007 2008 Hennes Mauritz (H) AB Gap Inc, The 2009 A – H sales record strong growth, on a par with C, thanks to global store network expansion. However, Inditex outperforms H thanks to more aggressive network expansion not only in Western Europe, but also in emerging markets. B – Gap under-performs its main rivals, hindered by a strong reliance on its low-growth domestic market and a less aggressive price strategy than H. Gap’s image also suffers from a product assortment perceived as more staid than H and Inditex’s. C – The rise of the US dollar against other global currencies in 2009 is causing a fall in value sales for all retailers. H low-priced positioning and its wide global presence helps the company remain resilient in a challenging environment for non-grocery retailers. 9 Competitive Positioning Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Competitive Context: Inditex and H on the Rise World – Top 10 Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers 2005-2009 Company name INDITEX – Industria de Diseno Textil Hennes Mauritz (H) AB Gap Inc, The C Mode Brenninkmeijer Co Ross Stores Inc Fast Retailing Co Ltd Shinamura Co Ltd Limited Brands Inc Benetton Group SpA Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp 5-year 2009 % 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 trend share ? Gap loses its crown †¢ Gap saw declining sales in 2007 3 3 2 1 1 1. 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2 1 4 6 8 12 5 11 2 1 4 6 8 14 5 12 3 1 4 5 8 11 7 10 2 3 4 5 6 11 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1. 7 1. 5 1. 4 0. 8 0. 8 0. 5 0. 5 0. 5 and 2008, due to unfavourable economic conditions in its US domestic market, which accounted for 81% of its global sales through the clothing and footwear specialists channel. †¢ Compared to H, Gap’s higher price positioning hindered its sales, especially in 2008 and 2009 as the global economic crisis dampened consumer spending. Fast Retailing and Shinamura rising Japan-based Fast Retailing posted a strong performance among the top ? 10 10 12 14 10 0. 4 10 global players, helped partly by the strengthening of the yen to the Note: 2009 provisional data US dollar. Competing with a similar price positioning to H, Fast Strong growth for H, overtakes Gap but is surpassed by Inditex Retailing expanded outside Japan, †¢ Strong sales growth for H over the 2005- 2008 period enabled it to especially in China and South overtake key rival Gap. H business model based on low-priced fast Korea, and announced at the end of fashion proved highly popular with consumers. 008 its intentions to open stores in †¢ However, Inditex recorded a stronger performance than H, thanks to a European markets and in the US. more aggressive expansion strategy, especially in emerging markets. The latter was partly helped by a greater reliance on franchised outlets. Although †¢ As Japan’s second largest clothing and footwear retailer, Shinamura’s H new store opening strategy was also ambitious, its presence in ranking was also boosted by emerging markets remained modest compared to Inditex’s. avourable exchange rates, but also †¢ Inditex also benefited from a vertical integration business model enabling it to thanks to new store openings. renew collections more frequently than its main rivals, including H. 10 Competitive Positioning Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International H and Inditex Neck-and-Neck †¢ H and Inditex have both been highly successful in the clothing and footwear specialists channel over the 2004- 2009 period. Their positioning based on low-priced fast fashion enables them to appeal to a wide range of consumers, especially since 2008 and with the major world economies entering recession. Their fast fashion business model also gives the two players the flexibility to change collections rapidly to adapt to consumer tastes, although Inditex has the edge over H in this respect. †¢ International network expansion was also a major part in driving sales of both companies, although Inditex has a greater presence in emerging markets, especially thanks to a wide reach in Latin America. Thanks to its greater reliance on franchising, new market entry requires fewer resources and entails less risk for Inditex than for H, which is more biased towards company-owned outlets. Although both companies saw their World – Retailing Sales 2004-2009 retail sales in US dollar terms hit by the fall in the value of the euro 15,000 against the US dollar, they retained their lead over Gap. The latter’s 12,500 strong dependence on the US market proved a disadvantage, as it suffered 10,000 disproportionately from the recession in its domestic market in 2008 and 7,500 2009, which it could not offset with expansion in emerging markets, where it remains absent. ,000 †¢ In addition, Gap adopted a less aggressive pricing strategy than its 2,500 peers, thus losing share rapidly to H and Inditex, but also to players 0 in other channels in the US such as 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 mass merchandisers Target and WalHennes Mauritz (H) AB INDITEX – Industria de Diseno Textil Mart. Retail value sales rsp excl tax (US$ mn) 11 Competitive Positioning Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Overall Stagnation in Sales per Outlet World – Top 10 Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers – Sales per Outlet 2004-2009 – US$ Fixed Exchange Rates Company name INDITEX – Industria de Diseno Textil Hennes Mauritz (H) AB Gap Inc, The C Mode Brenninkmeijer Co Ross Stores Inc Fast Retailing Co Ltd Shinamura Co Ltd Limited Brands Inc Benetton Group SpA Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp Note: 2009 provisional data 2004 3,130,909 7,103,455 5,233,467 7,658,816 6,571,607 5,663,966 3,168,427 2,541,956 916,038 8,482,203 2005 3,222,196 7,072,943 4,976,290 7,435,090 6,719,945 4,185,028 3,129,442 2,686,424 911,815 9,062,259 2006 3,245,793 7,102,853 4,882,942 7,276,803 6,967,172 3,720,254 3,222,800 2,799,494 896,071 9,090,081 2007 3,374,326 7,194,397 4,648,360 7,195,536 7,136,890 3,884,908 3,196,295 2,778,019 913,342 9,032,800 2008 3,291,002 7,279,016 4,180,204 6,979,826 6,784,922 4,520,068 3,201,177 2,636,235 949,993 8,904,762 2009 3,267,473 7,303,864 3,753,935 6,843,244 7,238,611 5,203,178 3,163,9 17 2,543,005 960,191 8,068,446 % growth 2004/2009 4. 4 2. 8 -28. 3 -10. 6 10. 1 -8. 1 -0. 1 0. 0 4. 8 -4. 9 Modest growth in sales per outlet for most players, including H †¢ The growth trend in sales per outlet broadly matches the trends in overall sales growth for the top four global retailers, with H and Inditex outperforming C and Gap. Higher sales per outlet for H compared to Inditex largely reflects H larger average outlet size. †¢ Downward price pressure and prevalent discounting in apparel retailing, accompanied by the growing reliance on production outsourcing to low labour cost countries in the clothing industry, contributed to the stagnation or slight decline in sales per outlet for most retailers, especially for C and Fast Retailing. Sharp contraction for Gap †¢ Gap’s higher-priced positioning and its relative resistance to discounting led to a sharp drop in sales per outlet, as it pted to maintain its margins at the expense of overall sales growth. 12 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positi oning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 13 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International A Global Player Still Dependent on Western Europe †¢ Among H top 10 global markets in 2009, all of them were located in Western Europe apart from one, the US. This highlights the company’s modest presence in emerging markets. Western Europe will account for 84% of the group’s sales in 2009. This proportion exceeded 90% in 2005, which illustrates H relative success in expanding its presence globally in order to offset the maturity and saturation in Western Europe’s clothing and footwear retailing. †¢ The company’s largest market, Germany, will account for 26% of world sales in 2009. No other market had a share of global sales exceeding 10%, while the domestic market, Sweden, accounts for 5%, which shows that H is not overly dependent on the economy of a single market. In comparison to H, Inditex is more dependent on its domestic market, which will generate 37% of its world sales in 2009. Both companies seek to extend their global reach, especially in emerging markets, although Inditex has a clear lead in this respect. Hence, H operates in 33 markets as of October 2009, compared to around 70 markets for Inditex. Hennes Mauritz (H) AB – Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers (Company’s 10 Largest Markets) 2. 0 1. 5 %CAGR 2009-2014 Netherlands Norway Spain 1. 0 Austria 0. 5 Sweden 0. 0 -0. 5 -1. 0 -1. 5 -2. 0 -2. 5 0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000 Market Size 2009 (US$ mn) 125,000 150,000 175,000 France Switzerland USA Opportunity Zone Germany United Kingdom Bubble size shows company sales in market, range displayed: US$536 – 3,497 mn 14 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Western Europe: Ongoing Expansion for HM and Inditex HM has a wide presence covering most Western European markets, in which its two main competitors are Inditex and CA. All three companies have seen their share increase over the 2004-2009 period at the expense of smaller players, especially those with a national presence only. †¢ The shares of HM and Inditex were driven by aggressive continuous network expansion across most markets. HM has seen major ongoing store network expansion in most major European markets in 2008 and 2009, especially in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Its business model has proved to be relatively recession-proof, thanks to its low prices. †¢ CA has been distanced by the two largest operators. Positioned as a value retailer targeted at families, CA lost ground thanks to a less fashionable image and an inferior international presence. The company is absent from major European markets including Italy and the UK, and over 50% of its sales in Western Europe are derived from the German market. Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers: Retail Value RSP excl Sales Tax – Company Shares by GBO 4 % value share 3 2 1 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 14 12 % value share 10 Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB Company Shares – Top 6 Markets – Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers – Retail Value RSP excl Sales Tax 8 6 4 2 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 CA Mode Brenninkmeijer Co Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB INDITEX – Industria de Diseno Textil France Netherlands Sweden Germany Spain United Kingdom 15 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Western Europe: Primark Emerges as New Major Player Primark expends beyond the British Isles to emerge as a new European player †¢ Primark, owned by Associated British Foods, only recently expanding outside Ireland and the UK with its first outlets in Spain in 2008 and Portugal and test stores in Germany and the Netherlands in 2009, has ambitions to develop a wide pan-European network. A new market entry is planned in Belgium in 2010. The success recorded by its first stores in Spain indicates that it could become a major Europe-wide player. With a strong brand image based on low prices and trendy collections following fashion trends closely, Primark targets teenagers and young adults, thus competing directly against HM in terms of demographic and price positioning. Clothing Footwear Specialist Retailers – Western Europe and United KingdomRetail Valu e RSP excl Sales Tax – Company Shares by GBO 6 5 % value share 4 3 2 1 0 WE – Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB WE – Associated British Foods Plc (ABF) 2005 2006 2007 UK – Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB 2008 2009 UK – Associated British Foods Plc (ABF) 16 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Recent and Planned Market Entries: Japan, South Korea †¢ Although geographic expansion has been a central feature of HM’s strategy, it has focused until recently on Europe nd North America, in contrast to Inditex venturing in several markets in Latin America and Asia Pacific and CA’s major presence in Brazil. Recent new market entries in Japan in September 2008 and the planned entry in South Korea in spring 2010 confirm HM’s adoption of a strategy to be less dependent on Europe and North America. Successful new entry in Japan in 2008 †¢ With its first store in the upmarket shopping district of Ginza in Tokyo, HM’s market entry was successful. Initial reception was very favourable to the new chain, with around 50,000 shoppers visiting the Ginza store over the first week of opening, and a second Tokyo store was opened in November 2008 in the trendy district of Harajuku. The Harajuku outlet was the first HM worldwide to sell the fashion label Comme des Garcons, with a collection designed by the Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. This strategy helped create anticipation ahead of the new store opening among fashion-conscious consumers and gives HM a more exclusive image in Japan than it has in other markets. †¢ Two more outlets in Tokyo are planned by the end of 2009 and a fifth is due to open in 2010, in Osaka. In order to expand faster in the mature Japanese market and to match the scale of its larger rival Inditex, HM is considering acquisitions to be a possible expansion strategy. Intense price competition in Japan †¢ In a market hit by severe recession in 2009, price competition for clothing and footwear items has intensified. This as highlighted by mass merchandiser chains Justo (Aeon), Ito-Yokado (Seven I) and Seiyu (Wal-Mart) starting to offer jeans at around ? 1,000 in 2009. Among HM’s most direct competitors in terms of price and image, the dynamic player Fast Retailing with the Uniqlo chain combini ng low price and fashionable ranges, followed a similar price move in 2009. However, regardless of price HM has an advantage in terms of fast fashion in being able to source and offer new products and refresh its collection more frequently than Fast Retailing. South Korea – following in the footsteps of Inditex †¢ Following its successful entry in Japan, HM plans to open its first outlet in South Korea in March 2010 at a flagship store in Seoul’s business district of Myungdong. In a market less saturated than Japan’s and with fewer major international clothing and footwear specialist chains, HM is expected to be successful. However, similarly to Japan, HM enters after Inditex has already established a footprint in 2007 and expanded rapidly since. 17 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Further Growth in Large Emerging Markets: China, Russia †¢ With little presence in emerging markets, HM is attempting to catch up with rivals, especially by expanding in large emerging markets, especially in China and Russia. Ongoing expansion in China to continue †¢ Following market entry in Hong Kong in 2007, HM expanded rapidly in 2008 and 2009 with new stores in mainland China. Sales in China accounted for almost 1% of global sales in 2009. The first outlet in Beijing was opened in April 2009 south of Tiananmen Square, with HM becoming the first foreign retailer to be present in this newly renovated part of the city. In order to create more anticipation around the store opening among consumers, it coincided with the launch of a new collection in collaboration with the designer Matthew Williamson. HM’s presence in China is expected to continue expanding rapidly through new store openings, both in existing cities and by entering new cities where it can target the rapidly growing number of middle-class urban consumers. Among HM’s global rivals, although Inditex expanded in China and Hong Kong earlier than HM and has a stronger presence with more outlets, it has a less developed supplier network in Asia than HM, and as a result it can struggle to offer competitive prices to compete against HM and also against local players, which may lead to the a doption a more differentiated positioning than in other markets. †¢ With Gap planning to enter China in 2010, it is likely that a greater number of international clothing and footwear specialist retailers will enter the market. Competing in a similar price segment to HM, Fast Retailing announced at the end of 2008 its long-term objective to have 100 Uniqlo outlets in China. Russia – untimely entry but sound long-term prospects †¢ HM opened its first store in Russia in Moscow in March 2009. However, suffering from a fall in gas and oil revenues, the country’s deep recession in 2009 is worse than previously anticipated and makes HM’s market entry untimely. Rival Inditex has developed a major presence in Russia over several years, which has allowed the group to take advantage of the booming economy until 2008 to expand and establish a wide customer base. Longer term, HM is set to emerge from the recession relatively unscathed thanks to its low-priced positioning and to have major growth prospects. Key point: With no presence in Latin America unlike CA and Inditex, HM could benefit from entering the large markets of Brazil and Mexico where its low prices should help build a major customer base. 18 Geographic Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Franchise Deals Give New Middle East Opportunities Middle East and Africa expansion set to gather pace †¢ HM’s presence in the main Middle East market, the United Arab Emirates, continued to increase rapidly in 2009 hanks to the franchise agreement signed in 2006 with the Kuwait-based company MH Alshaya Group. †¢ Opting to expand through franchise stores and using a similar growth model as Inditex represents a major new development in HM’s global expansion strategy in emerging markets, which is likely to help accelerate its global expansion. †¢ Thanks to the partnership with Alshaya Group, HM entered the markets of Bahrain and Oman in 2009, and also opened its first two stores in Egypt in the second half of the year. HM is likely to enter other new markets in the Middle East and Africa by the end of 2009, or in 2010, including Lebanon. †¢ Under another franchise deal signed with the local company Match Retail, HM plans to enter Israel in 2010. Dedicated store concept for Saudi Arabia †¢ As store concept adaptation is an important ingredient in the success for foreign retailers operating in the Middle East and Africa, and require close attention, franchise partners are in a better position than HM to implement new concepts. †¢ For example, in order to comply with local sharia law that forces shops to have segregated areas for men and for women, for its market entry in Saudi Arabia in autumn 2008, HM opted to adapt its store concept to be only open to women and staffed by women. 19 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positioning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 20 Category Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Modest Growth Forecast for HM’s Main Channel †¢ HM’s sales through the clothing and footwear specialist retailers channel will account for around 97% of its sales in 2009. This channel is forecast to record modest growth over the 2009-2014 period. While channel sales were hindered by the global economic crisis in 2008 and 2009, they are likely to recover to some extent, although they will remain affected by low price pressures on clothing prevailing within this distribution channel as well as in other channels. HM has stronger prospects than most other clothing and footwear specialist players thanks to its wide international presence and low-cost and flexible business model allowing the group to undercut most rivals while remaining at the forefront of fashion trends. †¢ The remainder of HM’s sales is accounted for almost equally by homeshopping and internet retailing, although the latter is increasingly supplanting the former, mirroring the wider industry trend. Expanding internet retailing presence will help offset the growing saturation of clothing and footwear retailing. Unlike Inditex, which is also present in the furniture and furnishings stores channel in a number of markets under the Zara Home brand, HM does not operate other store-based formats. Hennes Mauritz (HM) AB – Global Retailing Presence Prospects by Channel 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 0 100,000 Internet retailing % CAGR 2009-2014 Clothing footwear specialist retailers Homeshopping 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 Market Size 2009 (US$ million) 700,000 800,000 900,000 Bubble size shows company sales in this channel (2009). Range displayed: US$169 – 13,118 million 21 Category Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Battling Against Hypermarkets and Mass Merchandisers Grocery retailers and mass merchandisers increase price pressure on clothing and footwear specialists †¢ Clothing and footwear specialist retailers are increasingly seeing more intense competition from rivals operating †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ mostly in other store-based channels, such as mass merchandisers and hypermarkets. As HM is positioned in the low-priced segment in clothing and footwear retailing, it is vulnerable to the direct competition from these channels and needs to cultivate its clear competitive advantage in terms of fashion and desirability. An example of the intensifying competition affecting clothing and footwear retailers is the price war between Fast Retailing (Uniqlo) and mass merchandisers Aeon (Jusco) and Wal-Mart (Seiyu) in Japan to sell jeans at around ? 1,000 in 2009. In the US, Gap’s sales have been eroded by the success of mass merchandiser Target’s aggressively priced clothing ranges. In Western Europe, the expansion of major hypermarket operators including Auchan, Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart into non-food products is set to continue as they seek to improve margins. Although this trend has slowed down to some extent in 2008 and 2009 due to the global economic crisis, with grocery retailers refocusing at least temporarily on more recession-proof food items, the longer-term trend is expected to see hypermarkets attempting to be more competitive in their offer of clothing and footwear, with more appealing ranges to compete more directly against specialist non-grocery retailers. In the UK, Wal-Mart’s Asda chain, thanks to the increased sales of its George apparel range in 2009, threatens to overtake Marks Spencer and Associated British Foods’ Primark chain to become the country’s largest clothing retailer. Tesco saw clothing sales improve in the first half of 2009 alongside growth in non-food sales, up by 8%. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s is planning to increase space allocated to non-food ranges in 2010 and 2011 and widen the reach of its successful TU range of clothes by offering it at more stores. 22 Category Opportunities Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Internet Retailing: HM’s Late Entry HM and Inditex both rise to the challenge and plan to develop internet retailing †¢ Beyond store-based rivals, clothing and footwear specialist retailers are increasingly battling against internet retailers and most of them react by developing or expanding their own online retailing activity. With consumers’ familiarity with ordering online generally on the rise, coupled with efforts from internet retailers to make their websites more visually appealing and user-friendly, consumers’ confidence in ordering clothes via the internet has been strongly boosted. Major homeshopping retailers which are also leading players in clothing, for example, Otto, are increasingly moving online. Similarly, HM’s homeshopping sales in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and the Nordic countries are gradually migrating to internet retailing. The company’s significant exp erience in homeshopping in these markets prepares it well to tackle the logistics aspects to make internet retailing operations efficient across European markets. †¢ Both Inditex and HM made announcements in 2009 indicating that they are gradually joining the fray and expanding online in most European markets. Inditex will start operations in major European markets by early 2010, while HM will launch its website in autumn 2010 in the UK. Thanks to its wide product assortment, the vast choice increases HM’s chances of success in internet retailing although this requires the site to be designed in a way to be easy to navigate. †¢ However, HM is a late entrant in the channel and appears to have made a protracted move, with a plethora of major other operators including Amazon, Asos, the John Lewis Partnership, Marks Spencer and Tesco having already obtained a strong foothold in UK online clothes retailing. Rival Gap also plans to launch its own website in the UK, following its earlier initiative in 2009 to sell its products on the Asos. com website. In the US, Gap has a multibrand website and offers combined delivery on cross-brand orders. Aggressive expansion from internet retailing specialists and grocery retailers †¢ Major grocery retailers have high ambitions for online clothes sales, as shown by Tesco’s relaunch of its UK clothing website in September 2009 offering private label and brands, and with Wal-Mart’s Asda offering the George label at Asda Direct since 2008. Websites of grocery retailers also often offer the added convenience of click-and-collect services. Among specialist internet retailers, Amazon’s acquisition of the US online clothes retailer Zappos for US$850 million in August 2009 signals its ambitions in apparel retailing, and its low prices and high number of visits from customers give it key competitive advantages. Key point: With internet retailing making price comparisons between retailers easier, HM should focus on advertising its low prices and promotions on its transactional website, while also emphasising the more fashionable design of its clothes in order to differentiate its website from Amazon and the grocery retailers. 23 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positioning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 24 Brand and Operational Strategies Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International HM: A Widely Recognised Global Brand Strong brand awareness and image †¢ HM’s strong brand image is associated with value and stylish collections, helped by the collaborations with famous designers. The latest example is the creation of the Jimmy Choo collection to be launched in November 2009. Such events create a great amount of publicity and media coverage to generate added footfall. †¢ In a similar way to Inditex, HM relies on opening stores at a few flagship locations in major cities in order to build its brand image. Examples of such stores include the Harajuku store in Tokyo and the Champs Elysees store in Paris planned for 2010. †¢ Highlighting the HM brand’s high level of awareness, it was ranked 21st among the top 100 most valuable global brands according to Interbrand in 2009, with a value exceeding US$15 billion. In comparison, Zara ranked only 50, while Gap came in at number 78. High-profile advertising with celebrities is widely used by HM, unlike Inditex. HM spends around 5% of its revenues on advertising. HM Brand geographic Asia Pacific, Eastern involvement Europe, Middle East and Africa, North America, Western Europe Brand channels Clothing footwear specialist retailers World ranking share 1 and 1. 6% (2009) in clothing and footwear specialist retailers Multi-brand approach from Inditex †¢ In sharp contrast to HM’s almost exclusive Brands other than HM gain greater importance †¢ The more upmarket COS successfully launched in the UK in 2007 enabling the group to target wealthier customers and potentially increase its margins. It was subsequently extended to other markets: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The Swedish chain Monki, acquired in 2008 and known for its sophisticated and colourful store designs, is not being rebranded and was expanded outside Sweden in 2009 with two stores in Denmark. This should allow HM to diversify its customer base. reliance on its eponymous brand, Inditex has adopted a strategy based on building a vast brand portfolio including Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Zara and Zara Home. †¢ The key competitive advantages resulting from this company’s multi-brand strategy is its ability to target a wide range of consumer groups with brands and products tailored to various tastes in order to bring exclusivity and differentiation. The level of independence of the company’s major brands is also an important aspect of Inditex’s capacity to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Group synergies are ensured thanks to the group’s vertical integration, which also contrasts with H strategy of outsourcing. 25 Brand and Operational Strategies Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Operations and Private Label Strategies Production outsourcing vs.. vertical integration †¢ H sources around 70% of its product assortment from Asia and over one third is purchased from China. It relies heavily on outsourcing production, with over 21 production offices worldwide (10 in Europe, 10 in Asia and 1 in Africa) liaising with over 750 factories. In contrast, Inditex sources the majority of its products from Europe, and most of its production is made in-house in order to cut the time lag between product design and in-store availability. †¢ Although production in Asia helps H undercut Inditex on price, it also makes it more vulnerable to currency fluctuations, with the value of the US dollar strengthening in 2009 against European currencies and making imports from Asia more expensive in its main market, Europe. This reduced at least temporarily the scale of its competitive advantage over Inditex. Low inventory levels †¢ H operational efficiency is reflected in the level of inventory being usually low thanks to the frequent renewal of its collection. However, the focus on reducing inventory in order to protect margins has been detrimental to sales in some months in 2009, especially over the summer, when the company had relatively few items available for markdowns. Although H generally achieves low inventory costs, it is likely to be often surpassed by Inditex in this respect. As one of the pioneers of the fast fashion business model with new ranges being introduced every two weeks, Inditex is particularly efficient in incorporating feedback from stores daily into the development of new products, thanks to vertical integration and as such, H cannot replicate this model. Private label ranges under various names †¢ All of H product assortment consists exclusively of private label. Private label ranges have various names to arget different genders and customer types. For example, Hennes is targeted at 25-35 year-old women, L. O. G. G. is a casual sportswear label and MAMA is a maternity range. Key point: As European consumersâ⠂¬â„¢ awareness of ethical issues increases, H is vulnerable to negative publicity surrounding working conditions at factories producing its clothes in Asia. Since it outsources a greater share of its products from Asia than Inditex and has less control over its supply chain, H auditing of factories must be strict and transparent to limit the chances of poor labour conditions being publicised and tarnishing its brand reputation. 26 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz Euromonitor International Strategic Evaluation Competitive Positioning Geographic Opportunities Category Opportunities Brand and Operational Strategies Recommendations 27 Recommendations Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Key Recommendations Develop more premium chains alongside core low-priced offering †¢ H focus on affordability remains Internet retailing to be differentiated and wide-reaching †¢ As H is a late entrant in the New market entries and expansion in existing markets †¢ Entering into new emerging a core element of its success and contributed to make the retailer resilient in a recessionary economic environment. Although its low-priced and fashionable image with its eponymous brand H should not be jeopardised, in addition to cultivating it, the retailer should also attempt to widen its customer base and especially target wealthier consumers with its other banners such as COS and Monki stores offering edgy fashion. This could also help increase profits once the economy recovers and consumers become less cost-conscious. internet retailing arena in most European markets and arrives in a crowded and competitive market where Amazon and Otto have made inroads, it will need to offer innovative transactional websites that can convey effectively the textures, colours and finish of its clothes in order to differentiate its offer but still highlight the low prices. H presence in internet retailing could also be extended to markets where it does not see k to open physical stores, mirroring the example of Marks Spencer delivering products to around 80 countries since autumn 2009. markets, especially in neighbouring markets to those where it operates, offers considerable growth opportunities for H. †¢ Romania and Turkey are large European markets where the store concept is likely to be popular and where rival Inditex has developed a major store network. In Latin America, Mexico offers opportunities in the value segment of clothing and footwear retailing. Although it is well covered by C and Wal-Mart, H can cater for more fashionconscious consumer groups. In Asia Pacific, H burgeoning presence could accelerate by expanding to new cities, especially in China and Japan. In the latter market, new store concepts and collections or new banners such as COS and Monki could be tested. 28 Retailing – Hennes Mauritz  © Euromonitor International Experience more†¦ This research from Euromonitor International is part of a glob al strategic intelligence system which offers a complete picture of the commercial environment . Also available from Euromonitor International: Global Briefings The state of the market globally and regionally, emerging trends and pressing industry issues: timely, relevant insight published every month. Global Company Profiles The competitive positioning and strategic direction of the leading companies including uniquely sector-specific sales and share data. Country Market Insight Reports The key drivers influencing the industry in each country; comprehensive coverage of supply-side and demand trends and how they shape the future outlook. Interactive Statistical Database Market sizes, market shares, distribution channels and forecasts; the complete market analysed at levels of category detail beyond any other source. Strategy Briefings Executive debate on the global trends changing the consumer markets of the future. Learn More To find out more about Euromonitor International’s complete range of business intelligence on industries, countries and consumers please visit How to cite HM Hennes Mauritz Ab in Retailing, Essay examples

Water Transitions Essay Example For Students

Water Transitions Essay Water TransitionsBrackish water is a fairly salty mixture of freshwater and sea water. It isunique in numerous ways and is a life giving ecosystem. To understand whatbrackish water is, a background should be known about its sources. First of all, there is freshwater. Out of all the water on the planet, only threepercent of it is fresh, and only one fiftieth of one percent is readily available. Freshwater is not pure in that it contains minerals and other particles. There arenumerous plants and animals that depend on freshwater for their lives. Humans areone of them. Seventy percent of the human body is made up of freshwater (744Headlam). Next, there is saltwater, or seawater. Seawater consists of fifty-five percentchlorine, and thirty-one percent sodium (Groliers). It makes up approximatelyninety-seven and two tenths percent of the total volume of the worlds water, andcovers more than seventy percent of the earths surface (Groliers). Sea waterdoesnt just contain hydrogen, oxygen, sodium, and chlorine; it also contains everynaturally occurring element. Although seawater has a fairly constant ratio of majorelements, salinity and seawater can fluctuate. Normally, the salinity is thirty-four tothirty-seven parts per thousand (ppt.), but on a particularly rainy morning, the salinitymay decrease to something as low as thirty-two ppt. (Stuller 29). The mixing of freshwater and sea water forms a third type of water, known asbrackish water. Brackish water can be found in a variety of mixing zones such asriver deltas, freshwater title marshes, estuaries, fjords, and in the middle of theocean(Stuller 30). To begin with, freshwater traveling towards the sea carries suspendedparticles. As the particles make contact with saltwater, an electrochemical reactioncalled flocculation takes place. The clay with a positive charge, and the sodiumchloride with a negative charge, combine and form a heavier particle that descendsto the bottom of the mixing zone and creates a layer of mud (Stuller 28). This is oneof the reasons that a mixing zone is a thriving ecosystem. A salt wedge estuary isone of these transitional zones. The water closest to the surface has a lower salinitycontent than the water nearest to the estuarys floor because the water is notthoroughly mixed and saltwater has a higher density than freshwater (Stuller 31). Another zone is a fully mixed zone which is apparent in fjords. Also, there are zonesin the middle of the ocean called either submarine springs, or seeps. These arewhere freshwater from under the ground seeps through the ocean floor. There isalso a parallel situation, in which salt water can seep into a freshwater ecosystem,but this can be fatal to many animals (Stuller 31). Transitional zones are homes forall kinds of marine life, such as manatees in Charlotte Harbor. We will write a custom essay on Water Transitions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The most prevalent mixing zones are estuaries. Estuaries are drownedcostal river valleys where salt and freshwater are present to form brackish water(Groliers). The circulation in estuaries is stratified with river water flowing above seawater with some vertical mixing taking place (Groliers). As indicated earlier,sediments accumulate at the upper reaches of estuaries because of flocculation. This in turn spikes diatom growth, diatoms are eaten by possum shrimp, andpossum shrimp are eaten by striped bass. Some other common fish, present inbrackish water ecosystems are mullet and silversides (Groliers). Thus, the foodcycle continues. Brackish water has some very interesting qualities. It represents unity of twovery diverse ecosystems. The mixing of seawater and freshwater is extremelybeneficent at the right time in the right place, but in the past it may have beenharmful. Scientists speculate that an ice age may have been triggered by freshwateroccupying a location where saltwater was supposed to have been. There is a deepocean current of very salty water beneath the gulf stream travelling from the tropicsto the North Atlantic. As it reaches the North, it disturbs surface water, the saltywater rises and discharges heat, and then it cycles back to the tropics. What couldhave triggered an ice age, a surge of freshwater (Stuller 33). .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .postImageUrl , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:hover , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:visited , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:active { border:0!important; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:active , .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407 .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf278341500bdb50d74045566fd9c7407:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Civil rights movement EssayCategory: English

8 customer service tips every retail employee should have

8 customer service tips every retail employee should have Dealing with sometimes demanding, sometimes ornery, sometimes outright hostile customers may be the biggest challenge any retail employee must face. Retail places all employees in a veritable public relations position because the way employees handle customers reflects on the business as a whole. That’s why management is generally adamant about all employees possessing ace interpersonal skills- even if those employees don’t spend their days behind the customer service desk. So no matter if you’re a stock clerk, cashier, or floor manager, you may learn a thing or 8 by perusing these customer service skills every retail employee needs to know to succeed. 1. Be patientThis one is Customer Service 101. Simply being patient may also be tougher than it sounds. A customer, especially an agitated one, can really try your patience with demands or complaints. Just remember that your customer’s needs and emotions come before your own. Take the time to listen to your customer’s problems without allowing him or her to dominate the conversation or distract you from your duties. When you figure out the problem and how you can solve it, politely wrap up the conversation so you can take care of your customer’s request. Most customers will appreciate a swift end to their ranting if they think their needs are about to be met.2. Remain positive- no matter whatDon’t wait for the customer to set the tone of a discussion, because a disgruntled one probably won’t be gearing up for the most pleasant exchange in the world. Greet all comers with a smile and a cheerful, â€Å"How may I help you?† Hopefully your positivity will rub off on the customer so that the tone of the conversation doesn’t go south.3. Be ready for anythingOne thing any retail worker learns quickly is that the workday is unpredictable. Things can be going smoothly for hours, but all it takes is for one sourpuss to bust through the door for the workd ay to take a wrong turn. So always be ready for any eventualities. Remember that you are at work, and you must deliver quality customer service on a dime regardless of your own state of mind.4. Know your businessFew things will frustrate customers in need more than the notion that they are talking to someone who cannot help them. What’s more, few things are more frustrating or bewildering for retail employees than feeling as though they don’t know what a customer wants. Prevent those situations by knowing the ins and outs of all aspects of your business. For example, you may not work in layaway, but you should still know what it is in the event a customer wants to pay for an item at a later date. Having an answer to any question will set the customer at ease and keep you in control of all situations.5. Hone your communication skillsAnother key to staying in control is communicating well. This does not just mean speaking audibly, confidently, and properly. It also requi res you to be aware of your own body language. Maintain eye contact with the customer. Uncross your arms. Stand up straight. These traits convey the air of confidence that will make your customers feel as though they are in good hands.6. Find the problemWhile it is your duty to always communicate well, you cannot always expect the same from your customers. Yet it is still your job to help them. So you may have to sift through some irrelevant or confused talk to figure out what exactly your customer wants. That should be your goal, no matter how angry or garbled the language that’s coming your way.7. Read between the lines if necessaryUsually, you don’t have to be a body language expert to read your customers effectively, as customers tend express their moods clearly. Some may be tricky though. For example, a customer may ask for help with a particular work-related issue, but the real agenda is that he or she is lonely and just wants to talk to someone. In such cases, b e polite, be sensitive, but bring the conversation to as quick of an end as possible so you can get on with your duties. In other cases, customers might just be looking for a fight. Never take the bait. Bring the confrontation to as quick and polite a conclusion as possible, and if necessary, just walk away and allow security to step in before things get out of hand.8. Stay coolNo matter what the customer’s tone or problem may be, you must always greet them with professionalism. Don’t let them rattle you. Keep your cool. Get into character as if you are playing the role of the world’s greatest customer service representative- even if your main job is to stock shelves or work the register.Always remember that you are an important member of the organization and it is your job to represent the company positively, competently, and calmly whenever dealing with its customers.

Rubiks Cube - A History of the 1980s Puzzle

Rubiks Cube - A History of the 1980s Puzzle The Rubiks Cube is a cube-shaped puzzle that has nine, smaller squares on each side. When taken out of the box, each side of the cube has all the squares the same color. The goal of the puzzle is to return each side to a solid color after you have turned it a few times. Which seems simple enough- at first. After a few hours, most people who try the Rubiks Cube realize that they  are mesmerized by the puzzle and yet no closer to solving it. The toy, which was first created in 1974 but not released onto the world market until 1980, quickly became a fad  when it hit stores.   Who Created the Rubik's Cube? Ernà ¶ Rubik is the one to praise or to blame, depending on how mad the  Rubiks Cube has driven you. Born on July 13, 1944 in Budapest, Hungary, Rubik combined the divergent talents of his parents (his father was an engineer who designed gliders and his mother was an artist and a poetess) to become both a sculptor and an architect. Fascinated with the concept of space, Rubik spent his free time - while working as a professor at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest - designing puzzles that would open his students minds to new ways of thinking about three-dimensional geometry. In the spring of 1974, just shy of his 30th birthday, Rubik envisioned a small cube, with each side constructed of moveable squares. By the fall of 1974, his friends had helped him create the first wooden model of his idea. At first, Rubik just enjoyed watching how the squares moved as he turned one section and then another. However, when he attempted to put the colors back again, he ran into difficulty. Oddly entranced by the challenge, Rubik spent a month turning the cube this way and that way until he finally realigned the colors. When he handed other people the cube and they too had the same fascinated reaction, he realized he might have a toy puzzle on his hands that could really be worth some money. The Rubik's Cube Deputs in Stores In 1975, Rubik made an arrangement with the Hungarian toy-manufacturer Politechnika, who would mass produce the cube. In 1977, the multi-colored cube first appeared in toy stores in Budapest as the Bà ¼và ¶s Kocka (the Magic Cube). Although the Magic Cube was a success in Hungary, getting Hungary, a Communist country, to agree to allow the Magic Cube out to the rest of the world was a bit of a challenge. By 1979, Hungary agreed to share the cube and Rubik signed with the Ideal Toy Corporation. As Ideal Toys prepared to market the Magic Cube to the West, they decided to rename the cube. After considering several names, they settled on calling the toy puzzle Rubiks Cube. The first Rubiks Cubes appeared in Western stores in 1980. A World Obsession Rubiks Cubes instantaneously became an international sensation. Everyone wanted one. It appealed to youngsters as well as adults. There was something  about the little cube that captured everyones full attention. A Rubiks Cube had six sides,  each a different color (traditionally blue, green, orange, red, white, and yellow). Each side of a traditional Rubiks Cube consisted of nine squares, in a three by three grid pattern. Of the 54 squares on the cube, 48 of them could move (the centers on each side were stationary). Rubiks Cubes were simple, elegant, and surprisingly difficult to solve. By 1982, more than 100 million Rubiks Cubes had been sold and most had yet to be solved. Solving the Rubik's Cube While millions of people were stumped, frustrated, and yet still obsessed with their Rubiks Cubes, rumors began to circulate as to how to solve the puzzle. With more than 43 quintillion possible configurations (43,252,003,274,489,856,000 to be exact), hearing that the stationary pieces are the starting point for the solution or solve one side at a time just was not enough information for the layman to solve the Rubiks Cube. In response to the massive demands by the public for a solution, several dozen books were published in the early 1980s, each spouting easy ways to solve your Rubiks Cube. While some Rubiks Cube owners were so frustrated that they began smashing open their cubes for a peek inside (they hoped to discover some inner secret that would help them solve the puzzle), other Rubiks Cube owners were setting speed records. Starting in 1982, the first annual International Rubiks Championships were held in Budapest, where people competed to see who could solve the Rubiks Cube the fastest. These competitions are places for cubers to show off their speed cubing. As of 2015, the current world record is 5.25 seconds, held by Collin Burns of the United States. An Icon Whether a Rubiks Cube fan was a self-solver, speed-cuber, or a smasher, they had all become obsessed with the small, simple-looking puzzle. During the height of its popularity, Rubiks Cubes could be found everywhere - at school, on buses, in movie theaters, and even at work.  The design and colors of Rubiks Cubes also appeared on t-shirts, posters, and board games. In 1983, Rubiks Cube even had its own television show, called Rubik, the Amazing Cube. In this kids show, a talking, flying Rubiks Cube worked with the aid of three children to foil the evil plans of the shows villain. To date, more than 300 million Rubiks Cubes have been sold, making it one of the most popular toys of the 20th century.

The Syrian Civil War and the Regional Stability Essay

The Syrian Civil War and the Regional Stability - Essay Example Bashar al-Assad revealed to the citizens that he will abolish the party after he entered into power, in 1970 (Hirsch 35). However, he never abolished the party, but rather transformed it. Assad structured the Ba’ath party in order to make it fit in the dictatorial format of his presidential regime. The Syria government deployed the Army in order to control the Syrian uprising and they ordered soldiers to control and take action on any public protest. However, the demonstrations evolved later into a serious armed rebellion and some of the groups became armed terrorist. These created the commotion and crushes across the nation; thus impacting the regional stability of the Syrian nation. Thesis: Despite the political issues of the Assad dynasty and unapparent end of Syria crisis, politicians have emerged with political agendas regarding the way they can solve the political impact of Syria civil war on the regional stability of Middle East. Impact of Syria Civil War on the Regiona l Stability of the Middle East The Syria Civil War has contributed to varied impacts on the regional stability of the Middle East. First, the Syrian uprising is a threat to socio-economic development of the Middle East. ... The Middle East has become the home for multiple ethnicity and religious conflicts including the Kurds, Muslims, Arabs people, Christian community, Assyrians and many others. The conflicts has been sparkled by the Syrian Civil War; thus creating national disasters in the Middle East. Activist claims that more than 30 000 Syrians have lost their lives while others have lost their properties in the Syria uprising, which started on March of 2011 up to the present (Handler 42). This, many people from these regions have economically and politically felt the impact of the instability in the Middle East economies. Secondly, the harshly domestic war in Syria has contributed to local displacement and international isolation of many people. The international isolation revealed some signs of lessening after France and Russia made significant efforts of bringing the issue of Middle East conflicts back to the international fold. However, the Syrian violated the UN verdict that led to the banning of Lebanese militia, which also contributed to the annex of US sections on the war issues. The debate is now on the way US can respond to the escalating Middle East crisis that have led to increased internal displacement of many people. The IDPs have increased because Syrian uprising has impacted the stability of the Middle East economies; hence causing heavy constraints on the economic resources of Middle East economies. The Syria war has tremendously contributed to refugee problems and the internal displacement of people is further expanding. Pollack, Brookings Institution., Institute for the Study of War and American Enterprise Institute for Public

Plot the overcoat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plot the overcoat - Essay Example (Graffy, 2000) The story entails an exposition that defines the initial premise of the story and Akakiy’s character, a passive civil servant, who is highly skilled in what he does but due to his appearance and aloof nature is often mocked by his superiors and inferiors alike. The focus of the story is then shifted towards Akakiy’s overcoat that has immense significance in the story to the protagonist because the coat was symbolic of social acceptance and a new life for him. However, the overcoat also serves as the main source of conflict and complication in the story, as all the other characters of the story do not understand the significance of the coat to Akakiy. Other characters deem it as an ordinary object, which on the other hand was symbolic of social acceptance for Akakiy as mentioned earlier. Akakiy’s old overcoat is ragged and does not really help to protect Akakiy from the icy cold weather of St. Petersburg.

Cause and Effect Essay - Impact of Stereotypes and Stereotyping

Cause and Effect Essay - The Impact of Stereotypes In today's society, our natural reaction is to put people into a specific class that we feel they fit into upon our first impression. When we were in high school, they were called clicks. There were your jocks and your cheerleaders, who were usually the most popular students. Along with stoners, nerds, and then the people who really didn't fit into any crowd, they were just there. When we were in high school, all of us wanted to be in the "cool crowd". As described in When I was growing Up by Nellie Wong, "I discovered the rich white girls...imported cotton dresses...and thought that I too should have what these lucky girls had..." In stereotyping people, we perhaps have ruined some great minds. However, when high school was over and the real world came true, high school jocks and cheerleaders didn't have much of a lead on the rest of us. Their popularity became nothing after high school. Our stereotyping of each other could have been very harmful. Some students were intelligent but never given a chance to prove it because of the way they dressed or because they smoked. We could see it in our teachers eyes, and our own, when a student walked in with glasses and a pocket protector we assumed that he was smart and way above the intellect of the class. Same as when we saw a person dressed in all black leather with chains walking in; we think that they will never make anything out of themselves. Now as adults, we work with all types of people. Most of us probably don't realize that all the people we used to make fun of in high school for studying hard or getting good grades are now the potential leaders of our nation. That jokes on us. However, wha... ...ave ruined some great authors, engineers, doctors or even presidents because of our cruel stereotypes. It's hard for society to realize that their simple classification of a person without knowing them directly could have such an effect. If we were to understand that just because we choose to where certain clothes or play sports, that it doesn't mean this is the only thing we know. Society itself is full of plenty of intelligent people, however, most of them will never get a chance to prove this because, either we won't give them a chance anymore, or they have just given up. Why should anyone try to prove their importance to us if we aren't willing to believe them? We've never cared about them, so why should they care about us? As a stereotyping society from as early as childhood, we have set ourselves up for problems, which might never be resolved.

Great Talkers Little Doers

In addition to commercial advertising and ideological propagandathere is social advertising, which refers to the advertisements whichdeal with social causes and are aimed at the welfare and well-being of the people. Its target audience is not specific class but the masses whocan be educated about socially relevant issues like health, familywelfare, literacy, national security, to mention a few issues only. Theimportance of such advertisements has reached such heights thateven the government falls back upon them quite often to highlight theissues to immediate concern.Undoubtedly, in today’s context, carryingout campaigns through social communication is of paramountimportance. The society, the economy, the politics and the mediaexposure are bringing about changes which are so radical and dynamicthat they are creating dissonance and upheavals. In order to withstandthe negative effects of changes, we certainly need these kinds of campaigns through advertising or propaganda, for su stainingcommunication with the masses at large. In short, advertising not onlyinfluences the buyer’s perception but also his responses to socialproblems.It has its negative effects but the positive side far out-stripsthe negative side. WE TALK MORE, WORK LESS Undeniably, there are millions of people in India who think little,act even less but talk too much. Indulgence in idle gossip, disgruntledattitudes, bitter criticism of all and sundry, frustration over their sorryplight, fate and â€Å"kismat†, have in fact become national pastimes. Thenumber of those who can claim that they keep their tongue within theirlips and never talk in vain is limited. The talk of the common people,mostly irresponsible, creates the impression that they have little to do.Indians are indeed typical of the people of the Orient who have nothingworthwhile to say, and yet contrive to spend the longest time in sayingit. Those who have endless time on their hands are great babblers. Thinking and r eflection postulate a certain degree of education andintellectual development. About 64 per cent of the people in India areilliterate; so they have not developed the qualities of thinking andreflection. Montesquieu truly said that the less men think, the morethey talk. India is a land of myriad tongues. The 1961 census listed1652 languages as mother tongues spoken in India, and the 1971census, retaining he number, presented a somewhat more realisticpicture. Judged by any standard, India is Babel of tongues, perhaps thelargest in the world. This Babel has been the outcome of a cumulative process resulting from the influx of various races into the countrythrough the centuries. Talkers are never good doers; this explains theproverbial sloth, idleness and complacency of the average Indian. Ourmaterial output, our productivity and production, our net contributionto the country’s Gross National Product (GNP) are all far too low.Whilepeople should learn to use their hands and to be active all the time(like the Japanese who have raised their country to the pinnacle of glory despite the havoc done to their economy during World War II), wehave mastered the technique of whiling away time talking and talking,doing little positive, constructive and concrete work. Jawaharlal Nehru, in a speech way back in 1952, said he wastired of people who merely talk about various things. However wise youmay be (in India the number of truly wise, sagacious men and womenis limited), he said, you can never enter into the spirit of a thing if youonly talk about it and do nothing.We do not know the value of time; sowe do not mind spending precious hours in idle gossip. In part thedisinclination to be up and doing all the time is the result of ourfatalistic beliefs and attitudes. Most of us tend to believe that what Godhas ordained cannot be averted. What will be, will be; so, they argue,why needlessly waste energy in thwarting God’s will? Besides, there are many among us who be lieve that flattery isthe shortest route to success in today’s India. The great talkers, thewily, garrulous politicians who sway audiences through their loud talk,all manage to mislead the people and promote their selfish ends.Aflatterer is in the excellent company of imitators because imitation isconsidered the sincerest form of flattery. The easiest weapon adoptedby flatterers and sycophants is smooth talk, not work. A ready and glibtongue has at times proved to be a more precious weapon than gifts of cash and kind. Through a facile tongue the flatterers continually createillusions and a world of make-believe. Almost all great talkers are greatflatterers; praise inevitably becomes their forte. Then there are those hose talk mostly comprises advice to alland sundry on everything on earth. Like air and water, advice too canbe had free. Self-appointed advisers are great talkers; they talk theirway into your hearts and they even drive away rationality, good senseand the quality of discriminating between chalk and cheese. Asking foradvice is to tout for flatterers. And flattery feeds the ego and isexhilarating. Most talkers become bores. But let it be said in defense of the growing tribe of talkers that they do manage at times to relieveboredom.A quiet gathering at which all those present are serious-minded people deeply engrossed in thought and philosophy wouldappear to maintain the silence of the graveyard. The talkers relatefunny incidents, describe lively experiences and entertain theircredulous listeners, quieten and comfort the people, for hours together. There is no tax on talk and gossip. So the idle, endless talker flourishesat the cost of the silent, constructive worker. It is the latter who canhelp ensure national progress, not the ceaseless twisters of the tongue,even though the latter manage to find credulous audiences.True,sincere and genuine workers cannot stand non-sensical postures,including nonsense talk. But work does not lie in marching up anddown the streets, shouting slogans and lodging protests. Many of ustend to resort to strikes and work stoppages. Undeniably, our future amongst nations, and the good name of our country, depends entirely upon our work and work alone. Muchvaluable work can be done silently and without becoming noisy orindulging in aimless talk. If everyone realises the truth of this dictum,the salvation of the country would not be far off