Stages Of Purchase Decision Making Process Marketing Essay

Stages Of Purchase Decision Making Process Marketing Essay Introduction Market research helps the organization to bring the data which make sense of the organizational performance. Moreover, the successful marketer has focused on the market research to bring the information which is applied in the marketing activities. Therefore, the organization become becomes stable when the marketing activities are successful (Kumar, 2010).. However, the competitive advantage is increased due to the successful inauguration of the marketing plan. For an example, the Proctor Gamble is operating huge market research to strengthen the marketing activities which brought the larger market share. Through this paper the key concepts of marketing research will be merged with the different marketing activities. 1. Requirement One 1.1 Stages of Purchase Decision Making Process Here the purchase decision making process is directly concerned with the final consumer purchase decision making process and the consumer purchase decision is differs in the particular products to products. For example, the buying behavior of toothpaste is different from i-pod. However, the purchase decision process has five stages which are reflected in the following figure one. http://www.seo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Consumer-Research-Process1.png Figure One: Purchase Decision Stage, Source: Jeannet and Hennessey, (2011) This figure is suggesting that, consumers go through all of the stages when they need to purchase (Jeannet and Hennessey, 2011). For an example, when a customer need to purchase a Mobile phone, he/she needs to have need awareness, then move to the information search in the mobile market, then make evaluation between alternatives, then make purchase, finally he/she express the post purchase behavior which reflect the positive or negative feedback. 1.2 Theories of Buyer Behavior in Terms of Individual and Market The buying behavior of the consumers differs in the different market and for that reason exper developed different theories of consumer buying behavior. According to Czinkota and Ronkainen, (2012), there are four theories of the buying behavior which is listed in the following. Complex Buying Behavior: In this situation, consumers have higher involvement in the expensive, risky, purchased infrequently, and highly self-expressive product. Dissonance Reducing Buying Behavior: Highly involvement but seeks little difference between brands. Habitual Buying Behavior: Low involvement of consumers but little brand differences. Variety-Seeking Buying Behavior: Have low consumer involvement but brand difference is significance. 1.3 Factors Affecting Buyer Behavior In the modern market, consumers need to make different buying decision in different condition which is affected by the different factors. However, consumer purchase decision is affected by the culture, society, personality, and psychology. This is listed in the following figure. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ymVd80cTshVM-RlW_dYFA2D1ARqVdQYKtSUo9h_3v_EI6u6kr7tgNltZDnhtnCG2oD8p1ZTxlxUitazeiekF0h4J94wesHDfLUFk9D63tZ4GBFy2BDSD07Ds6JN33kdSFkL1MukJKA/s1600/chart+1.jpg Figure Two: Factors affecting consumer buying behavior. Source: Craig and Douglas, (2009) Cultural: Human behavior is controlled by the culture that is followed by the people and this culture affects purchasing decision. Social: The social structure influences the purchasing behavior of the consumers. Personal: The personal characteristics influence the purchasing decision of the consumers. Psychological: The psychological factors influence the purchasing behavior of consumer like motivation toward purchasing. 1.4 Relationship among Brand Loyalty, Corporate Image, and Repeat Purchasing The brand loyalty, corporate image, and repeat purchasing have strong impact on the competitive advantage of a firm in the highly competitive market. The brand loyalty creates customer loyalty which is resulted the repeat purchasing of the customer Douglas and Craig, (2009). However, the brand loyalty, corporate image, service, price and service quality leads to increase the loyal customer and those loyal customer is the asset of a firm who enhance the brand loyalty and corporate image. The brand loyalty will authentic when the customers have true attitude to make the repeat purchasing. For example, the Pepsi is considered as the true brand loyalties which have the corporate image in the competitive market. 2. Requirement Two 2.1 Types of Market Research Techniques Generally, the market research or the marketing research is designed to collect information to implement in the marketing activities of the firm. Normally, the market research has the two techniques which are listed in the following. Primary Research: The primary research has two ways which is Qualitative and Quantitative research. In qualitative research the research can be designed through the open-ended question and focus groups. However this research technique is used to gather the descriptive information (Dodd, 2008). On the other hand, the quantitative research gathers numerical information to analyze the marketing techniques. The quantitative techniques are done through the surveys. Secondary Research: The secondary research gathers information on the topic which is already published. The secondary research information is gathered from the different institution like trade associations, chamber of commerce, universities, media like newspaper, magazines etc (Dodd, 2008).. 2.2 Source of Secondary Data The secondary data is collected from the different sources which are already published. The secondary research information is already exists. For that reason, the primary data collection is not needed and the secondary information can be gathered from the libraries, public information centre, books, business publication, magazines, newspapers, trade associations, NGOs, banks, real states, insurance companies, wholesalers, manufacturer, regional organsiation, media representatives and many others (Dodd, 2008).. 2.3 Validity and Reliability of Market Research Findings Every research does not require the high level elaboration of study. But, the marketing research needs to conduct the minimum level of study which makes the actual result of the study. The small and informal research background may bring the irrelevant or wrong result (Craig and Douglas, 2009). However, the research validity comes from the data gathering techniques, ethical consideration, and the claims that are done through during the preparation of the research. The research validity may influence greater techniques which mentioned the similarities of other research and opinions. Most of the cases the samples are too small which leads to the poor reliability of the research findings. 2.4 Preparing Marketing Research Plan The marketing research plan is designed to bring the information to implement the current marketing activities. For an example, the market research plan for the Proctor Gamble (PG) has developed to bring out the information of 4.2 billions of customer perception. However, PG has developed the marketing research to justify the brand equity in the market to provide the competitive advantage (Ahmed et al., 2010). For that reason, the company started to cater the consumer to find out the appropriate result and the company has spent tremendous amount of money, effort to bring the innovation. PG knows that, the consumers know about the products which are delivered for the development of the marketing research techniques. PG has successfully handled the market research which brought the appropriate result to determine the marketing result. Now, PG believes that was the only reason why the company is placed in the worlds top one of the brands. 3. Requirement Three 3.1 Market Size Trends within the Market The market size is calculated by the total volume or value of sales in the market and the total volume is calculated through the number of units sold and the amount spent by the customer to have the costs of goods sold. To illustrate this an example of UK book market can be considered, the UK book market is healthy and dynamic market which saw that the market size is upward. In this market, the consumers are the main driver and the publishers need to promote the new writers books rather the old writers (Ahmed et al., 2010). Because, the old writer already captured the market and new writers can expand the market which increase the market size. However, the book market size is also expanding due to non-fiction growth of the products and services which helps to expand the market size. 3.2 Competitor Analysis of Tesco Tesco is the biggest supermarket chain in the UK. The most significant issue is that, the UK supermarket and food retail market is considered as heavily consolidated. In the supermarket chain, the top five supermarket chain has the major market share which is minimum more than five and these companies are Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Wm. Morrison, and Somerfield. These five companies have more than 80 percent of the total market share in the UK. However, the competition between these companies is intense and dynamic (Henry, 2011). However, the competition is begins with plan which is set to position in the market, Tesco considers Asda and Wm Morrison low price group who has the strong market influence in the market and Asda is the second largest UKs supermarket chain. Whereas, the Sainsburys and Somerfield are considered as the smaller competitors, which have focus on the higher price. Tesco is the largest supermarket chain and consider all the competitors to set the marketing activities in the market to increase the sales of the product. In the UK supermarket chain, Tesco is holding the 30 percent market share and Asda and Sainsburys has the second and third position which belongs 16 and 17 percent market share respectably (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). However, the Morrison holding the fourth position which has the 11 percent market shares with the acquisition of the Safeway. The competitor Somerfield has the 6 percent market share for the fifth position. 3.3 Opportunities and Threats for Asda Asda is a second largest supermarket of UKs supermarket chain, which have currently booming position in the supermarket chain. However, the company was taken over by the USAs biggest brand Wal-Mart. Though, it has been taken over by the Wal-Mart, the brand name didnt change and the old brand name successfully promoted by the Wal-Mart which is completely efficient strategic decision (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). This strategy has brought some opportunities for Asda, as well as threats. This is relevant in all business practice that, the threats is existed in line with the opportunities. So the opportunities and threats need to identify to attempt for the best alternative action in the market. In the following the opportunities and threats is identified (Lewis and Slack, 2003). Opportunities Threats Sufficient Shareholder More brands but lower selling of high brand products. Currently second largest supermarket chain in UK Asda cannot be compared with TESCO(first biggest supermarket chain) Provides best value rather money to the retailer Focus on selling of Asdas product rather the big brand like Nestle, Cadbury, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever. Having high profit margin Less stores compared to the competitors Efficient procurement system Focus on great profit Table: Opportunities and Threats of Asda. 4. Requirement Four 4.1 Techniques to Assess Customer Response The assessment of the customer response is fully depends on the activities of the firms performance in the firms activity sector. Moreover, the techniques of the customer response are highly developed on the assessment and measurement of the financial planning in which the customer survey is considered as the best way to assess the customer response Doyle, P. (2008). Besides, the customer survey, an organization can assess the different yardsticks which are described in the following part of the paper. Productive Performance Indicator: The productivity of the organization will be increased when the customer response is developed. Because, the sales of the product is increased and the demand for the product also increased in line with the sales. Then, a company try to increase the productivity is increased. Then the organization can easily trace the customer responses. Financial Performance: when the customer response is positive the financial performance is upward. Because, the increased sales contribute to increase the profit margin which make the company profitable. The positive performance brings the customer response. Quality Performance: if the organization offers the better products in the market the customer try to take the full responsibility which increases the product sales. The quality performance is able when the continuous selling is running. Response Cycle Time: The customer who intends to response with the product quality then the repeat purchase increase. The sales volume represent whether the customer making the repeat purchase. This indicates the customer response of the organization. 4.2 Customer Satisfaction Survey To assess the customer satisfaction the direct survey is continued which has logical collaboration of the abandon item. But, most of the cases the survey questions do not matched with the customer satisfaction level and the perceived customer value are highly merged with customer experience (Catherine, 2011). Here, the questionnaire for customer survey is as follows. What is your gender? Which range indicates your age? How long the products are used? Which product and services is preferred by the organization to serve you. How frequent the purchasing of the products needs. The rating of the overall satisfaction level to customer level. Will you recommend to your friend and family to buy from this product. The brand attributes need to be argued or not? Rating the companys product. Which logo customer beliefs to make brand relation? How satisfied you overall with the products attributes? Is the firm is able to support your problems? If the product dont be able how the staff are offer to serve recent problems? How efficient the customer service system of the organization. This question is designed with the options which have the logical structure of the satisfied, strongly satisfied, not satisfied, and neutral. This survey result will help to find out the actual result of the survey. 4.3 Review of the Survey The survey questionnaire brings the data of specific problems and weaknesses of the organization. The term customer satisfaction will be measured when the result of the survey report will be submitted. Moreover, the actual results will carry the recent information which is carried by the research objectives (Catherine, 2011). Customer satisfaction will be brought when the result of the survey will be positive. However, the results may positive or negative both is expected. When the result will be positive the company will try to maximize the service components and features. On the other hand, if the result is negative the organization may take action to make the product development with the special feature comparing the competitors. The customer service provides the special features of the recommendation which develop the marketing activities. Training Plan The training session for the 10 mid level manage will be focused on the key procedures of the market research techniques. The market research techniques is designed to develop the authentic collaboration with the different techniques of research, how to bring the actual result, how to response with the negative result. This system will be enhanced when the research is designed to develop the specific actions of the research techniques. The ten midlevel manager will able to carry out the research of the organization. Conclusion In brief, the high level of value adds the high level of the organizations performance. The customer service is designed to provide the actual results which are demonstrated the individual customers (Bagozzi Foxall, 2009). However, the firms need to focus on the after sale service to bring the customer response which bring the brand equity in line with the corporate image. So, the research and development is the necessary part to know whether the customer is satisfied or not. Finally, the satisfied customer bring the huge benefit for the organization in long run with profitability and growth.

What Ways Does An Individuals Behaviour Change?

What Ways Does An Individuals Behaviour Change? This essay will explore whether an individuals behaviour truly changes when they are part of a group through the consideration of various perspectives, methods and underpinning epistemological assumptions and will take the viewpoint that an individuals behaviour does change when s/he is part of a group, however it is necessary to consider the context, such as societal and cultural factors and the importance of experience, interactions, social norms and values as one branch of social psychology, or one form of experimentation cannot fully predict or explain group and individual behaviour. The most prominent debates, theories and studies in relation to group behaviour will be discussed from a multi-perspective position, mainly exploring the social and cognitive aspects of group behaviour, as well as the methodology of experimentation and how group behaviour is measured. This will ensure that a reductionist approach to the subject is avoided. Key factors involved in group behaviour incl ude; obedience, conformity, groupthink, social identity theory (Tajfel, 1979), prejudice, stereotypes and schemas, which will be discussed and evaluated alongside relevant research throughout the essay. This is due to how these factors influence how an individuals behaviour changes under group influence, for example how Aschs line test portrayed the effects of majority influence (Asch, 1952). A group has been defined by some theorists as two or more individuals who perceive themselves as being members of the group or social category (Turner, 1982; Brown, 2000). Group behaviour refers to a situation in which individuals interact in small or large groups, within these groups there may be certain norms, values which are internalised within the individual (Vygotsky, 1978), communication patterns and status differentials. The majority of research conducted in the area of group behaviour is mainly based in the experimental psychology perspective; however critical and qualitative psychologists argue there is a lesser focus on the study of behaviour in context which ideally involves the acknowledgment of the impact of society and culture on group behaviour (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Fox Prilleltensky, 1997; Gergen, 1973; Himmelweit Gaskell, 1990; Renshon Duckitt, 2000), social roles, environments, experiences, relationships, and a movement away from laboratory based measurements. Within mainstream psychology there is still a focus on the cognitive and affective aspects of behaviour, whilst individual level processes which are fundamental in social and group processes are not always acknowledged. According to Nafstad Blakar (Nafstad Blakar, 2012); A full-fledged social psychology cannot be based on experimental laboratory research alone. This is because it is necessary to concentrate on methodological approaches for future research as much of the quantitative experimental psychology involved in addressing and measuring group behaviour does not acknowledge core social aspects such as social life, social behaviour and human development as social beings. One key area within group behaviour is obedience. The study of obedience entails the tendency to comply with orders from an authority figure and where group behaviour is concerned obedience entails an individual adapting their actions in order to comply with the groups wishes or rules. Concerned with the atrocities committed during Nazi Germany, Milgram explored the effects of obedience under the influence of authority (Milgram, 1974). Participants, who witnessed the confederate being strapped into a chair with electrodes in another room, were given the role of teacher whilst a confederate of the experimenter was given the role of learner; The teacher was expected to administer an electric shock for every wrong answer in what they were lead to believe was an experiment about learning, the shocks increased at 15 volt increments and when the participant refused to administer the shocks, they were given standard instructions (prods) by the experimenter, who wore a lab coat, therefore ac ting as an authority figure within the group. 65% of participants administered the full 450 volts, suggesting that obedience is related to situational pressures. In order to attempt to explain why individuals would behave in the way they did during the experiment, Milgram proposed the agency theory. The agency theory according to Milgram consists of two states; the autonomous state, in which individuals make decisions on their own ideas and beliefs, and the agentic state, in which in which individuals give up responsibility and defer the responsibility to those of a higher status. Although the agency theory does attempt to explain rare occurrences such as the obedience in events such as the Mai Lai Massacre and Nazi Germany, there may be other explanations for the obedience, as suggested by French and Raven (French Raven, 1959) who suggested there are five different types of power; legitimate power, reward power, coercive power, expert power and referent power. It is also important to note that the agency theory is more of a description of how society works, rather than explaining why individuals obey authority figures against their better j udgement in some situations. The theory of groupthink could also be applied in order to explain the phenomological behaviour in Milgrams study, as groupthink entails group decisions which are often irresponsible, dangerous, made under extreme pressure and dominated by a powerful leader, therefore Milgrams theory alone by not be sufficient in exploring individual and group behaviour. There are several ethical issues within Milgrams study such as the lack of debriefing, the distress caused to the participants and deception about the nature of the study. Also, despite Milgram carrying out several variations of his original experiment, the experiment has methodological flaws. Due to the laboratory setting of the experiment there was a distinct lack of ecological validity as the obedience portrayed in compliance with an authority figure does not necessarily represent and cannot be generalised to real life social interactions. It has been suggested that Milgrams experiment became caught up in the broader processes of psychologisation (De Vos, 2009). This is due to the power of science and the authority of experimentation which is suggested in the study, specifically where the experimenter acts as an authority figure within the peer-group, urging participants to continue with the experiment. Also, it has been argued that the experiment dramatizes peoples capacity for violence (Brannigan, 2004) and only demonstrates a short-term measure of obedience (Stainton Rogers et al, 1995). Taking these points into consideration, the need for a multi-perspective view of group behaviour can be reiterated as a concentration on laboratory experiments alone does not fully account as an explanation of group behaviour and obedience, this is further evidenced by the suggestion that Milgram does not make a concise conclusion concerning the study. We are led to no conclusions about obedience, really, but rather are exhorted [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] to be impressed with the power of your situation as an influence context (Parker, 2000). Further replications of Milgrams original study were conducted in order to address some of the issues which were presented within the experiment, such as ethical issues (Burger 2009) and methodological flaws (Meeus and Raaijmakers, 1995), therefore taking a further qualitative stance on the original study. A solely experimental approach to the study of obedience within individual and group behaviour may not necessarily be useful, although the phenomenon of obedience is portrayed in Milgrams experiment, no true conclusion or explanation is drawn due to a lack of acknowledgement of social, political and cultural factors, and a reliance on quantitative and experimental social psychology. Another area of study within individual and group behaviour is conformity. Conformity is the influence on an individual which may alter their beliefs or behaviour in response to the pressure of a group in order to internalise or fit in with a group. According to Man (Man, 1969) there are three types of conformity; these are normative, which is a desire to be liked by the group, informational, which is a desire to be correct and identification which is conformity to a social role. Aschs well known line study explores normative conformity due to the participants attempts to avoid rejection from the group and informational conformity due to the participants desire to be correct. Asch suggests that an individual will attempt to internalise with a group and display the effects of majority influence (Asch, 1952). The experiment consisted of a participant who was given a selection of lines and was asked to judge which was most similar to a comparison line in the presence of others, who were actually confederates of the experimenter who were instructed to purposely give incorrect answers. 5% of participants conformed to all of the trials, 33% conformed to over half of the trials and 25% did not conform at all. Several variations of the original experiment were conducted; when one confederate was present none of the participants conformed, however when more than three confederates were present strong conformity occurred. This suggests the effects of majority influence and pressure on the individual to act in a manner in accordance to a group, the desire to be liked and avoidance of rejection from the group. Aschs line study distinctly lacked ecological validity due to its artificial laboratory setting, which suggests that the experiment had low ecological validity and may be difficult to generalise to a real-life situation. A replication of Aschs original experiment in which the participants were British engineering, mathematics and chemistry students suggested low reliability within the original study, out of the 396 trials, a participant conformed with the incorrect majority on only one trial.. Aschs experiment has been referred to as a child of its time, due to the social, political and historical context in which Aschs experiment was conducted, as conformity was a social norm during Post-World War Two era, whilst the notion of individualism was rejected (Perrin and Spencer, 1980). The lack of reliability in the study may be due to a change in what is socially acceptable rather than a methodological flaw, and therefore it is of importance to acknowledge social norms and values whilst studying group behaviour as well as the notion that group behaviour cannot be based within experimental psychology alone (Nafstad and Blakar, 2012). One prominent theory which may be applied to real life examples of group behaviour is Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979). Social Identity Theory details how membership to a group gives an individual a sense of social identity, these groups are important in enhancing an individuals self-esteem and pride, therefore individuals may attempt to increase the status of their own group, or simply discriminate against an out-group through social categorisation. Discrimination against an out-group occurs through prejudice and stereotypes which occurs through three cognitive processes; social categorisation, which is the decision about which group you belong to, social identification, which is more overt identification with the in-group, and social comparison which is comparison to the out-group which is believed to be inferior, this in turn increases the self-esteem of the in-group (Tajfel Turner, 1979). Although it can be argued that Social Identity Theory can provide a concise and full e xplanation for the formation if in-groups and out-groups, it does not clearly define how the process occurs and also is not a predictor of behaviour (Hogg, 2000). Therefore, although Social Identity Theory can explain some aspects of group behaviour, it may not be applicable to real world phenomenon as it cannot provide full explanation for real-life group behaviour such as acts of terrorism. In real-world research, such as a psychological approach to terrorism, it has been suggested that it is necessary not to allow cognitive biases to cloud the analysis of political situations (Abrahms, 2006; Scheier, 2007). Therefore, experimental psychology alone may not be useful in analysing and explaining real-life situations. However, Zimbardo (Zimbardo, 2002) argues that terrorism is all about psychology as it is key to understanding the motives, values and ideology of terrorists; therefore it is clear there is debate as to how real-life examples of group behaviour should be studied. Although many of the most prominent studies in the area of group and individual behaviour are based within experimental psychology, there is a tendency for discursive, critical and qualitative psychologists to argue that there is a need for the exploration of social norms, values and experiences, rather than the notion held by experimental psychology which simply acknowledges that these factors have an affect. When considering the experiments and debates which are discussed within the study of group behaviour, in order for future research to attempt to provide a more concise explanations of group behaviour it may be appropriate to concentrate on people on an individual level within context as well as their actions in a group situation, for example acknowledging their experiences, relationships, values and social roles in order to draw conclusions as to why individuals act in accordance to a group instead of simply displaying extreme phenomena such as in the cases of Milgram and Zimba rdo. It has been suggested that current mainstream social psychology is primarily characterised by the study of the interactions between the individual and groups through experimental study and as a result of this, context such as social and cultural levels have not been represented to their true extent (Doise, 1982/1986). References Abrahms, M. Why Terrorism Does Not Work, International Security, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp.42-78. Asch, S. E. Social psychology. New York: PrenticeHall, 1952 Brannigan, A. (2004) The Rise and Fall of Social Psychology: The Use and Misuse of the Experimental Method. New Jersey: Aldine Transaction. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Brown, R. (2000) Group Processes: Dynamics within and between groups (2nd ed.), Oxford, Blackwell. Burger, J. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey today? American Psychologist, 64, 1-11. De Vos, J. (2009) Now that you know, how do you feel: The Milgram experiment and psychologisation. Annual Review of Critical Psychology, 7, 223-246. Accessed at: http://www.discourseunit.com/arcp/7.htm on 24th November 2010. Doise, W. (1982/1986). Lexplication en psychologie sociale/Levels of explanation in social psychology. Paris: Editions de la Maison des Sciences de lHomme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Fox, D., Prilleltensky, I. (Eds.). (1997). Critical Psychology. An Introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. French, J. R. P., Raven, B. The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright, A. Zander. Group dynamics. New York: Harper Row, 1959. Gergen, K. J. (1973). Social psychology as history. Journal of personality and social psychology, 26, 309-320. Himmelweit, H. T., Gaskell, G. (Eds.). (1990). Societal Psychology. London: Sage Publications. Hogg, Michael A.; Williams, Kipling D. (2000). From I to we: Social identity and the collective self. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice 4 (1): 81-97 Man, L (1969). Social Psychology. New York: Wiley Meeus, W.H.J., Raaijmakers, Q.A.W. (1995). Obedience in modern society: The Utrecht studies. Journal of Social Issues, 51 (3), 155-175. Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to authority: An experimental view. New York: Harper Row Parker*, I. (2000). Obedience. Granta, 71(4): 99-125. Perrin, S. Spencer, C. (1980) The Asch effect: a child of its time? Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 32, 405-406. Nafstad, H. E. Blakar, R. M. (2012). Ideology and Social Psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 6 (4), 282-294. Renshon, S. A., Duckitt, J. (2000). Political psychology. Cultural and crosscultural foundations. London: MacMillan Press Scheier, B. (2007) The Evolutionary Brain Glitch that Makes Terrorism Fail, WIRED. Accessed at: http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/07/securitymatters_0712 on 25th October 2007. Stainton Rogers, R., Stenner, P., Gleeson, K. Stainton Rogers, W. (1995). Social Psychology: A Critical Agenda. Polity: Cambridge Tajfel, H., Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Col Turner, J. C. (1982). Toward a cognitive redefinition of the social group. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Social identity and intergroup behavior (pp. 15-40). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Zimbardo, P.G. (2002) Psychology to Play Key Role in National Centre on Terrorism. Monitor on Psychology, 33 (11), December 2002. Accessed at: on 23 January 2006.

Theme Of Grapes Of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

The Journey Theme of The Grapes of Wrath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Classic novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck displays in his writing many different and interconnected themes. The main idea of the novel can be interpreted many different ways through many of the different actions and characters throughout the novel. In the first chapter of the novel, Steinbeck describes the dust bowl and foreshadows the theme:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The men came were silent and they did not move often. And the women   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  came out of the houses to stand beside their men-to feel whether this   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  time the men would break. As a theme, Steinbeck wanted the reader to see that humanity is on a journey, and for good or bad humanity continues to move ahead. Along with journey come changes, another important idea in the novel, which correlates directly with the main theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journey is the main idea in the beginning of the novel when Tom Joad first gets out of prison and is looking for a ride home. Walking home he spots a turtle. Lying on the highway, missed by a car, hit by a truck, the turtle still struggles to continue his own journey towards the southwest. So already in the novel, two journeys are taking place, one a man’s journey and the other, nature’s journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Change is evident as an idea in the novel when Tom is reunited with his childhood preache...

Religious and Spiritual Practices of Enslaved African Americans Essay

The Community of Enslaved Africans and their Religious & Spiritual Practices. During a most dark and dismal time in our nations history, we find that the Africans who endured horrible circumstances during slavery, found ways of peace and hope in their religious beliefs. During slavery, Africans where able to survive unbearable conditions by focusing on their spirituality. Christianity was amongst the slave community. Being that the vast majority of the slave community was born in America, converting slaves to Christianity was not a struggle. All slaves were not Christian, and slaves that had accepted Christianity were not official members of the church. Over time Slaves made Christianity their own. There would be occurrences where church gatherings would hold both white and black members. Slave religion was both institutional and non institutional. The slave gatherings would be both formally organized and spontaneously adapted. These gatherings would usually take place at night in the woods. Slaves enjoyed their own meetings better because they could sing and pray as they wanted. In some cases slave masters would not allow attendance of church gatherings and prayer meetings, some slaves would risk flogging to attend these meetings. Christianity was transformed into by the slave community to its own particular experience. Teachings by white masters w ere usually geared towards reminding slaves that on good behavior to their white masters, they would be accepted into heaven and even then , they would be limited to a lesser heaven than there owners. Jesus was not talked about, teachings consisted only of the laws to not lie or steal from their masters. Slaves would soon start to hold their own gatherings to just sing and pray a... .... So ultimately, owners failed at this. Moreover, many owners later came to feel that Christianity may actually have encouraged rebellion (all those stories of Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, after all, talked about the liberation of the slaves), and so they began to discourage Christian missionaries from preaching to the slaves. African Americans have taken their own spiritual, religious journey. God was looked upon as a source of peace and encouragement. The community of enslave Africans were able to use religion and spirituality as a way of overcoming the mental anguish of slavery on a daily basis. To a slave, religion was the most important aspect of their life. Nothing could come between their relationship with god. It was their rock, the only reason why they could wake up in the morning, the only way that they endured this most turbulent time in our history.

After School Programs Essay -- Elementary Education Student Activities

After School Programs Many parents today are faced with the issue of after school programs. But are these programs what we really think of them? Are they helping or hurting our children? A lot of parents want their child to be involved in school and/or extra-curricular activities, but don’t want them to be overwhelmed; whereas other parents don’t seem bothered by the effects. This paper included information about after school activities and the effects they play in today’s modern society with children. So, what do these activities do for the children? Do after school activities for children help to enrich their social and physical skills for their life long interests? A school program is defined as â€Å"community driven, expanded learning opportunities that support developmentally appropriate cognitive, social, physical, and emotional outcomes. In addition, these programs will offer a balanced program of academic support, arts and cultural enrichment, recreation and nutrition† (Coltin). These programs can run either directly after school, during evenings, weekends, summer vacations, and holidays. They are run by schools, community based organizations in the school, and community based organizations from a church or synagogue, or a private leader. Since the community and government is so willing to get the students active in these after school programs, there is such a wide variety of different ones. With such a huge selection, it is merely impossible for someone not to find a program that would be right for their children. The activit6ies vary from religious clubs, to sports, as well as language based clubs, Sports offer a huge variety for students to get involved in. There are all boy and all girl sports, as well as co-e... ... After School Program?† www.thirteen,org/edonline/concepts2class/month11/index sub1.html Kirkman, Susannah. (2000 March). ‘Bums on Seats’ Is not the Answer. The Times Educational Supplement. 24 Lamb, Sandra E. (1999, October). After-School Activities Parents Magazine. Lee, Shumow. (2001). Academic Effects on After-School Programs. Champaign, IL: Eric Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Educat5ion- Children’s Research Center. Roemer, Joseph. (1935). Basic Student Activities. New York: Silver, Burdett, and Company. Schneider, Jonathon. (2000, August). Benefits of Activities Kids Health for Parents: 2-3. Schwartz, Wendy. (1996, October). After School Programs for Urban Youth. New York, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Thompson, Nellie Zetta. (1953). Your School Clubs. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

Poem Explication: “The Dance” by William Carlos Williams Essay

William Carlos Williams’s â€Å"The Dance† (1944) illustrates the joyous, lively atmosphere of a fair. It also uses textual patterns to represent the dance depicted in Brueghel’s great painting, The Kermess. The speaker, who is describing the painting, uses the poem’s tempo, rhymes, and repetitions to accomplish this effect. â€Å"The Dance† stands out from some of Williams’s more famous poems. â€Å"The Red Wheelbarrow† (1923) and â€Å"This Is Just To Say† (1934) are both entirely motionless and describe specific moments in time. While â€Å"The Danse† address a single moment as well, it is full of motion. This obvious difference comes to life in the first line when the poem begins to describe Brueghel’s painting, The Kermess. â€Å"Kermess† literally means peasant dance. It depicts men and women dancing in celebration of the founding of a church. The speaker makes it clear that the dancers are not professionals with his description of their bodies, â€Å"their hips and their bellies off balance to turn them†¦swinging those butts† (7-9). These are evidently ordinary people dancing for joy. Williams’s text is overwhelmingly joyful. â€Å"The squeal and the blare and tweedle of bagpipes, a bugle and fiddles tipping their bellies† (3-5). These peasants are happy and lost in the â€Å"squeal† of music. One can almost hear the upbeat rhythm of bagpipes, bugles, and fiddles as they read the poem’s words. Just as the speaker describes the specific moment, the crowd is lost in this moment. They are not thinking of debt or financial problems, only the ever-moving dance. The dance becomes more wild and out of tune. The dancers never loose their love or passion, only their rhythm. They are fat and off balance, but they keep on dancing. â€Å"Those shanks must be sound to bear up under such rollicking measures† (10-11). Williams’s poem shows us that life is beautiful in the most ordinary ways. The speaker depicts ordinary people dancing in great detail. We see the splendor of a simple event. We see the life worth living. This parallels Williams’s belief that poetry is â€Å"equipment for living.† The speaker actually advises readers to live with the same enthusiasm as the dancers in Brueghel’s painting. â€Å"Prance as the dance in Brueghel’s great picture, The Kermess† (11-12). Repetition of the first line of the poem also adds to the sudden sentimental feeling. Williams mirrors the joyous rhythm of the fair with the words on the page. The poem opens with a sense of interlacing movement. â€Å"The dancers go round, they go round, and around† (2-3). At the same time that the speaker repeats the word â€Å"round,† he opens the rhyming pattern, beginning with â€Å"round.† Throughout the poem, we hear the same rhyming scheme: â€Å"round†¦around†¦round†¦impound†¦Fair Grounds†¦sound.† Like the dancers, the words bring the interlacing feel round and round through the poem. The twisting feel and movement of the poem goes very fast. There is only one full stop in the poem, which is on line eight. Additionally, the fist letter of each line remains lower case, increasing the velocity at which one reads. The reader moves with the same force and enthusiasm as the joyous dancers in Brueghel’s painting. The text moves with circular motion in two ways. First, it moves round and round with the rhyme scheme. Then, it finishes with the same line as it began, again suggesting circularity. Williams echoes the tone of a Brueghel’s painting, The Kermess, in his poem â€Å"The Dance.† The poem was written towards the end of his career, almost 20 years after he famously wrote â€Å"The Red Wheelbarrow.† â€Å"The Dance† is appropriately written in open form, as it captures the painting to words translation. The words dance like the peasants in the painting. Williams’s speaker touches on the simple life of love and dance – the life of the moment. View as multi-pages

How Retail Operations Management Objectives Can Best Be Achieved

Retailing is now one of the world’s largest industries and it is in a permanent state of change. This change has been accelerating over the past decade, (Zentes et al. , 2011: Pg. 1). This sector is not only more competitive than in the past but the consumer is also increasingly more demanding and more complex, (Gordon et al. , 2006: Pg. 22). Retailers have to predict the desires of fickle customers, buy and allocate complex sets of merchandise, set the right prices, and offer the right promotions for each individual item.However, there are often wide gaps between supply and demand, which leave retailers holding too much of what customers don’t want, and too little of what they do’, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 133). This is a huge challenge which faces the retailer of today. Fisher et al. , (2000: Pg. 115) maintains that retailing’s formula for perfection is offering the right product in the right place at the right time for the right price. This is no e asy feat for the retailer and with merchandising decisions becoming more complex, the penalties for errors too are even steeper, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 33). This is why Gordon et al. ,(2006: Pg. 24) notes that in today’s cutthroat market, there is no place for a ‘head in the sand’ attitude. The importance of the areas of ‘retailing’s formula for perfection’ as stated by Fisher et al. , (2000) will now be examined theoretically and subsequently researched in the context of a successful, independent fashion boutique, Emporium Kalu. Right Product ‘Retailers capture their customers’ interest by the nature of their product range’, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 8).Fashion markets have become increasingly complex with consumers fragmenting into small groups who have very different needs and demand very different products. Varley, (2006: Pg. 8), maintains that product helps to position a retailer against it’s competitors within a given market, but problem many companies today face is that they sell very similar products and services to those of their competitors, (Ingenhoff et al. , 2010:83). Therefore, tremendous pressure is put on retailers to offer the customer something different, (Dvorak et al. , 1996: Pg. 121). In making roduct decisions for individual stores, buyers and retail managers have long relied on instinct, (Friend and Walker, 2001: Pg. 133) but in today’s marketplace many more factors need to be considered. What is at the core of the ‘right’ product is the retailer’s target market, they need to be given a good reason to choose one retailer over another, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 8). Four major trends which affect the consumer’s choice of product have been emerging in recent times.Since the consumer is at the core of what the ‘right’ product is, the retailer must pay attention to these trends and how they relate to their target customer. . The Savvy Co nsumer Whether you are a value fashion retailer or a high end department store, it is necessary to acknowledge that today, the consumer is more tuned in to the latest trends and styles in the fashion industry. Consumers have become more savvy about fashion as they can now access information about various fashion events around the world almost immediately through internet media like blogging, video sharing and podcasts. An increased number of weekly glossies, e. g. Grazia, also fuels this consumer demand for the latest look at a faster pace (Barnes, 2006:260).The consumer now knows what ‘should’ be in-store and retailers will suffer if they cannot provide this to their customers when they expect it. 2. Celebrity power Many Irish consumers find their fashion influenced a great deal by celebrities, with this being the most likely facet of their lives to be influenced by celebrity culture, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011). Star style has never been more accessible . As a result of this constant exposure to celebrity lifestyle, 8% of Irish consumers claim that celebrities influence their purchases, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011).This report continues to detail how this high level of interest in celebrities and their lifestyles is beneficial to the clothing retailing market and can be used as a tool to attract consumers by adding value to a clothing retailer’s product range, and help to drive sales. This can be seen when brands of clothing celebrities wear or clothing lines where a retailer collaborates with celebrities and well known fashion designers become popular. â€Å"In a celebrity-obsessed world, it’s no surprise that we all want to copy what famous faces are wearing†, (www. gsn. com, 2010). Celebrities, according to Olympio, (2007) represent a â€Å"glamour that most of us have idolized and wanted for our own†. This concept can be said to be the reason why people emulate styles they have seen on celebrities, for example, Joan Collins, who in the soap opera ‘Dynasty’, made shoulder pads a signature trend of the 1980’s. This can also be seen today where Sarah Jessica Parker, in ‘Sex and the City’ helped make Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer, a household name, (www. wgsn. com, 2010).Retailers who choose to sell brands that are publicly linked or associated to a celebrity will stand to be of benefit if their target consumer aspires to be like said celebrity. 3. The Concept of Fast Fashion Gordon et al. , (2006: Pg. 22), remarks that retailers have to deal with constantly shorter product lifecycles. Fast fashion is a business strategy which aims to get new fashion product into stores in the shortest time possible and reduce the processes involved in the buying cycle consequently satisfying consumer demand, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 259, Bruce et al. , 2006: 330).This notion of consumer demand driving the fast fashion industry demonstrates the need to have the ability to act accordingly and respond quickly to these demands. Today, successful fast fashion companies have been moving away from the traditional fashion buying cycle of seasonal forecasting from historical sales one year in advance, (Bruce et al. , 2006:330), to creating smaller collections more frequently, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 261). Barnes et al. , (2006: 261), believe this is as a result of fashion trends being moulded by â€Å"what is happening on the street, in clubs, lifestyle hotspots and not 12months in advance of a selling season†.Long buying cycles have become inappropriate for the demands of modern fashion consumers. Bruce et al. , (2006: 329), maintain this is because fashion consumers â€Å"expect and thrive on constant change and so new products have to be available on a frequent basis†. It is no longer sufficient for retailers to have the same collection in-store all season; product ranges need to be constantly refreshed in order to be à ¢â‚¬Ëœright’. â€Å"Quick response is a concept that has become synonymous with the textile and apparel supply chain†, (Barnes et al. , 2006: 263).This approach to supply chain management is regarded as information driven, minimal pre-season ordering is engaged in and more frequent, in-season small orders are placed to take advantage of improved speed and flexibility, (Christopher et al. , 2004 as cited by Barnes et al. , 2006: 263). This quick response method allows companies to respond almost instantly to catwalk trends that would appeal to their target audience, therefore providing them with the ‘right’ product. The success of this high volume/low cost business model is down to constant and regular updates of fashion collections.For these types of retailer, (value) this has historically been the ‘right’ product as it satisfies the need for ‘newness’ by the consumer at a low cost, something which is central to what their target market seeks. 4. Quality Vs. Quantity: Durability has been found to be a key concern for Irish consumers as four in five R. o. I. consumers claim to make their clothes last, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011). With the occurrence of the recession, consumers are more inclined to want to get the best value for money out of all the products that they buy.In terms of the clothing industry, they are increasingly likely to claim that they make their clothing last a long time. According to Mintel (2011), 81% of R. o. I. consumers agree with this statement as they note between 2007 and 2010 there was an 11 percentage-point increase in agreement with this statement among R. o. I consumers. This highlights that Irish consumers, are increasingly moving away from disposable fashion (i. e. clothing that they may only wear a few times), and towards buying clothing that they expect to last a long time, illustrating a higher demand for quality.Consumers who are now searching for high qualit y investment pieces that will last are driving sales within the premium womenswear market. â€Å"Nearly a quarter (23%) of women are opting to invest in fewer items of superior quality clothing that will last, a substantial increase of 10 percentage points since 2010†, (Mintel, Is the Era For Fast, Disposable Fashion Coming to an End? , 2011). While consumers may be seen to be cutting back in the recession but they are still willing to pay for high quality clothing, (Mintel, Clothing Retailing-Ireland, 2011).With this trend growing, it is necessary for the retailer to evaluate whether their target market is interested or seeking this quality in order to provide the ‘right’ product to them. The type of product on offer in Emporium Kalu has been described as having ‘fashion aesthetic that is unlike anything you will find anywhere else in Ireland’, (Harris, 2011). The Emporium Kalu customer is a ‘business woman, a student, a mother, a grandmother, anyone who wants to be feminine, elegant and unique. She appreciates beautiful design, stunning quality fabrics and subtle detail.She likes to wear timeless, great fitting pieces but puts them together in an individual and personal way’, (Louise Flanagan, co-owner of Emporium Kalu, 2011). The owners of the boutique, who are in business nearly fifteen years now, really know their customer. They have fantastic know-how on what customers want, (Harris, 2011). They pride themselves on offering their consumer exclusivity and uniqueness in their labels, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). They deliver on this by offering high quality brands such as Giles, Galliano, Maria Grachvogel, Alice by Temperley, M Missoni, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, and D&G.Kate O’Dwyer, (co-owner of Emporium Kalu) has stated that ‘even if we have a label that might be stocked somewhere else, we buy it differently. We buy it with the Emporium Kalu attitude. So it is always different to what you will fin d elsewhere’, (as cited in Harris, 2011). They are constantly searching for the ‘next big label’ so keeping a close eye celebrity fashion is a must. It is through this product differentiation and clear focus on their customer that Emporium Kalu have succeeded in buying the ‘right’ product for their store.Right Place/Location ‘A common cause of business failure among retailers is the selection of the wrong store location’, (Mazze, Pg. 17). Zentes et al. , (2011: Pg. 203), agrees and adds that a good location can lead to strong competitive advantages as location is ‘unique’ and thus cannot be imitated by competitors. It is necessary however for the location of a store to be appropriate to the retail business because in order to reach the right kind of customer it is important for a store to be in a street that reflects its image, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 173).The success of a retail store depends on many factors such as the storeâ⠂¬â„¢s location in relation to the region and the state, its situation within the community, its location on the street or in the shopping centre and the characteristics of the community and trading area, (Mazze, Pg. 17). The retailer also needs to take into account, the customer’s perception of the shopping task. Mazze explains this consideration in that a customer who wishes to obtain speciality goods like gourmet foods is not greatly concerned with how far he must go or the length of time it takes to get them.This implies that store location can be directly linked to the merchandise available within. This theory put forward by Mazze can be seen in practice by Emporium Kalu. The store is located in Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland. This is not a large, heavily populated city with substantial daily footfall. It is a relatively small commuter suburb where many people reside but work in capital city Dublin. The store itself is positioned on the corner of a pedestrianised lane which meets the main street of Naas.This location ‘offers the kind of environment that attracts a more discerning shopper ‘, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 173). While Emporium Kalu’s location may not be preeminent, it offers the product ranges and service that consumers are willing to travel for. The owners leverage it’s merchandise and style expertise in a way that makes up for what it may lack in store location, so much so that it has been honoured with being ranked as one of the fifty best boutiques in the British Isles, (www. telegraph. co. uk). Right Quantity at the Right TimeVarley, (2006: Pg. 110), holds that getting the ‘right’ quantities of merchandise delivered into the retail organisation at the right time is necessary to satisfy both basic customer needs and retail management goals. The implications of getting product levels wrong are great; too much stock will threaten the profitability of a range and increase holding costs and too little stock wil l cause a loss of customers and sales, both direct and complementary. These errors can occur as a result of late deliveries, late orders or choosing the incorrect size mix.Choosing the perfect size configuration for a company store program requires careful calculation, (Cook Kimbrough, 2008: Pg. 36). A retailer must decide how much of a particular product line is needed for their store, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 110). Similar to the other ‘right’s, this decision is highly dependent on a fashion retailers target audience. Cook Kimbrough, (2008: Pg. 36), is of the opinion that a good rule of thumb is to think of the bell curve when choosing your sizes for your range. Sizes in the middle tend to sell about twice as much as the sizes at the extreme.As can be seen, the ‘right’ quantity includes many different factors and cannot be considered independently. Emporium Kalu operates with an exclusive image. They pride themselves on offering product that is ‘different to what you will find somewhere else’, (O’Dwyer as cited in Harris, 2011). They achieve this exclusivity factor through both the labels they offer and through their size configuration. They are not the business of mass selling product. ‘We want the consumer to feel special when she wears her clothing and she can be confident that she will not see other people wearing the same outfit.That is why we buy our ranges relatively wide as opposed to deep’, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). Therefore, the co-owners do not purchase large quantities of each style in-store which creates the ‘exclusive’ feeling. This strategy has proven to be extremely successful for this boutique and is the ‘right’ quantity for their customer and their retail organisation. Right Price Setting prices in today’s intensely competitive and dynamic retail environment is a complex task and developing a detailed understanding of consumer behaviour and buying patterns lies at the heart of any successful pricing strategy, (Gordon et al. 2006: Pg. 22). Retailers can use price in conjunctions with product quality, customer service quality and selling environment to make a very clear statement about the image they wish to communicate and about where they belong in the market, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 13). Therefore, pricing is directly linked to a retailers specific target market and the level of product quality they offer. This is clearly seen in the three main retailing pricing structures that Zentes et al. , (2011: Pg. 256) puts forward; 1. Value/ budget Price: Focuses on low cost and high volume selling of product. 2. Medium Price: Focuses on 3.Premium Price: Focuses on attracting customers who are less concerned with price and more interested product quality and prestige. In order for a fashion retailer to succeed with their pricing structure and charge the ‘right’ price, product quality and consumer expectations need to be aligned. Empo rium Kalu is positions themselves in the premium price segment. They attract the type of consumer described in this segment by Zentes et al’s, (2011: Pg. 256). Kate O’Dwyer verifies this and states that ‘we're about beautiful pieces because there are people who appreciate the special and unique’, (cited in Harris, 2011).Whilst on buying trips, price is not at the forefront of the minds of the co-owners, it is more about whether the collection and quality is a good fit for the store and their customer, ‘if we love a piece, we have to have it’, (Flanagan, 2011). This pricing structure prevails for Emporium Kalu as they attract customers who are in pursuit of product prestige and service over lower cost. Right Personnel What has not been included in the ‘retailing’s formula for perfection’, and should be considered as a new addition, is having the right personnel to carry out the final step in the retailing process, that is, s elling product to the consumer.The rational for this inclusion is for without converting store visits into sales, the bottom line cannot be achieved and the other ‘rights’ are meaningless. Kotler et al. , (2005:446), too acknowledges personnel importance and states that it is a key way for a brand to stand out in the mind of the consumer is through providing top quality service as service is important to customers. Having the right personnel in your store can be an invaluable tool in creating and retaining customer loyalty. Individual help by floor staff, personal shoppers or stylists will enhance the customers experience and perception of the brand.For â€Å"it is here at the customer interface that business is either won or lost†, (Jackson et al. , 2009:84). This idea of the right personnel is central to the store offering in Emporium Kalu. The owners Louise Flanagan and Kate O’Dwyer, right from the beginning were focused on not only providing the custom er with exceptional quality products and brands but also exceptional service, (Louise Flanagan, 2011). This outstanding customer service is delivered through unrivalled, individual styling and advice, personal tailoring on garments, an in-store deposit facility and one to one after hours service if required.Co-owner Louise prides the store on having staff who provide first class, attentive assistance for all customers who walk through their doors, (2011). The consumer and their requirements are valued and are given the upmost consideration. This she believes, in part, is the way forward for independent retailers today. Offering the customer more than just a product but an enjoyable experience and advice they can trust so they feel confident in their clothes too. ConclusionIn order for a fashion retailer to achieve its retail operations objectives a number of considerations need to be taken into account and the customer is central to each. When choosing the ‘right’ produ ct, the target customer needs to be at the core of all decisions. Trends in their choices, spending power and what influences them are fundamental in selecting different collections. The product has to have the ability to satisfy the consumer, (Varley, 2006: Pg. 76). Jackson et al. , (2009: 83), maintains that uniqueness in product, a high level of quality and providing unique product benefits are a â€Å"critical differentiator in fashion†.When choosing a retailer’s location, in order for it to be ‘right’, the customer’s perception of the shopping task and the characteristics of the community and trading area need to be considered. If chosen appropriately, location can be a source of competitive advantage. Getting the quantities of merchandise ‘right’ for a retail organisation is highly dependent on a fashion retailers target audience and they what they require. It is a decision that cannot be made independently and is affected by timi ng and sizing issues.In order for a fashion retailer to succeed with their pricing structure and charge the ‘right’ price, product quality and consumer expectations need to be aligned. This will create loyalty among customers if a retailer can deliver on their pricing structure. The proposed additional ‘right’ of retailing, the right personnel could prove to be key in gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace today. Offering the customer benfits other than the product like an enhanced in-store experience will aid the fashion retailer to endure the current difficult market conditions.