Analysis of the UK Food Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis of the UK Food Sector - Essay Example This article is relevant as it paints a picture of what is driving consumer attitudes in the midst of ongoing economic slowdowns that impact discretionary income levels in the household. Baker, R. (2009) Brand sector report: love in a cold climate, In-Store London. January, 29. This article focuses on the supply chain and economics of the UK food sector, with a highlight associated with growth in frozen food products and marketing activities with major supermarkets regarding how best to capitalise on changing consumer trends and behaviours. This article supports research on the food sector as it discusses value-consciousness and changes to how consumers prepare meals (i.e. reducing eating-out habits) that is steering significant growth in frozen food sales for in-home family dinners. The article describes how marketers in the food sector are using promotional activity to further drive sales in this product line, thus it has significant strengths in understanding the competitive behav iours of major food retailers. Smith, H. (2006) Store characteristics in retail oligopoly, The Rand Journal of Economics 37(2), 418. This article describes the market structure of the UK food sector, operating in an oligopoly in which there are few larger competitors and significant competitive similarities related to price and promotion. It describes the results of a study conducted with a sample of 114,058 households in Southwest England to determine the methodology of weekly grocery shopping with varying demographics. The results indicated that most consumers, 80 percent, conduct what is referred to as primary shopping in which a one-stop expenditure occurs to procure the entire week’s grocery needs. This article supports research into the driving factors of UK food retailing competitiveness related to buyer behaviour and how supermarkets utilise promotion to gain consumer attention in this one-stop buying philosophy. Pollitt, D. (2010) Hothouse training grows store manage rs for Sainsbury’s: supermarket chain develops internal talent, Human Resource Management International Digest 18(5), 5-7. This substantive research journal article indicates that in order to successfully compete in this market structure, major food retailers are undertaking a new focus on internal human capital development as a means to gain competitive advantage. Sainsbury’s has developed what is referred to as the Hothouse Programme that offers significant recruitment savings from the HR perspective, thus giving them more capital availability for other important competitive actions. This article is a strength in supporting the UK food sector in relation to how businesses consider human capital development to be a contemporary methodology in order to provide differentiated services and gain market share against major retailers. May, Y., Ding, J. & Hong, W. (2010) Delivering customer value based on service process: the example of Tesco.com, International Business Rese arch 3(2), 131-135. This resource describes the results of many different quantitative studies associated with Tesco and its brand/market reputation. It provides meaningful insights into what is driving Tesco’

Micro & Macro economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Micro & Macro economics - Essay Example The response to the increase in APA is depicted in the figure below. The line is seen to shift leftwards and repositions the IS line such that the IS curve and the APE line continue intersecting at the original GDP line. Since the decrease in need for funding the APA is matched with an increase in the funding by the nation’s producers, hence the requirement for funding remains equal to the ASF supply. The present situation is APE This case is just opposite to the above case where there is decline in the funding supply (ASF). All decreases in the ASF includes a reduction in M x V in comparison to the price index (p). During the phase, the rates of interest would be rising, tracking the point of intersection of ASF and GDP lines as they move up across the IS line. The rates of interest would remain below its original level unless and until substantial concessions on costs are able to allow profitable operations at low prices which consequently compensate for the loss in output and unemployment. The fall in the supply of funds of the country (ASF) would trigger a dramatic rise in the interest level because producers would react to the fall in sales. This would be done by the price-output adjustment which involves deflation, output, employment, interest rates and profits, until the equality is restored among the ASF, APE and GDP lines. Output and employment are expected to continue declining unless and until prof its and prices rise to their original levels. The process will end with the fall in employment and output levels, rise of interest rates and thus unchanged outputs and profits (Ashby, â€Å"Case #5m – Money-and-Credit-Caused Recession†). The figure below would depict the cost push inflation. Due to a wide spread increase in the costs of production, the profit levels, employment levels and output levels would fall. This would be accompanied with the rise in the interest levels in the nation. The employment and output would continue to fall unless and until the negative economic profits can be eliminated completely and successfully. This would happen by allowing the reduction of output till the level that prices rise by the amount equal to the increase in cost (Ashby, â€Å"Case #5c - Cost-Push Inflation†). Growth problem in the economy can be explained in the diagram below. It is seen from the diagram that an increase in the output would be followed by an increas e in the rates of interest. Producers would immediately react to the low demand in the economy. The rates of interest would fall along with the employment and output levels until they reach their original positions. Since the initial fall would be compensated by an offsetting rise in price levels, they would be maintained at the original positions. After returning to the original position, the economy would suffer a shock which would push down the levels of output, employment and rates of interest below their original positions leaving the price levels at their unchanged positions (Ashby, â€Å"