Coffee Industry Analysis

2770 Words6 Pages

Based on the assessment of the five forces, industry attractiveness and profitability will also be examined. A summary of the analysis will conclude this piece of the report. POTENTIAL ENTRANTS (RW) Potential entrants into the instant coffee market are faced with some barriers to entry which include industry incumbent’s defensive maneuvers, capital requirements, technology, consumer brand preference, and cost advantages for industry incumbents. High barriers of entry reduce the risk of new entrants into the market, and low barriers increase this risk. COST ADVANTAGES FOR INDUSTRY INCUMBENTS – HIGH (RW) Industry incumbents are able to enjoy better cost advantages in the instant coffee industry because they have already been in business for a while and have learned to reduce their costs in critical areas. Also, because companies have been in operation, they automatically have learned greater efficiency in operation than a new entrant into the market. Larger producers in the market also enjoy better economy of scale due to the sheer size of their operation. This means those companies can sell product at lower prices with equal or better profit margins per unit. A new entrant would be hard pressed to meet these economies of scale. New entrants into this market will face higher costs initially than industry incumbents which makes this barrier to entry high. STRONG BRAND PREFERENCE – HIGH (RW) There is a strong presence of brand preference when it comes to consumer taste in the coffee industry. Most consumers drink the same brand to which they were first introduced. This might be the brand of coffee their parents drank or even the brand that their work provides in the office. When brand switching does occur, it usually is to anoth... ... middle of paper ... ..., the price of the good fluctuates. To help with this, Kraft’s risk management team monitors the external factors to purchase this raw material when it is most favorable, (Kraft Foods Group, Inc.). STRENGTHS • Strategic partnership with farmers. • Risk management team partnering up with procurement team. WEAKNESSES • Fluctuation in currency rates. • Competition for coffee beans. OPERATIONS (PRODUCTION) Kraft has a total of 36 manufacturing facilities, 34 located in the United States and 2 in Canada. Eight of these facilities are specifically designated for beverages production; coffee is manufactured throughout North America. Although not all facilities are specifically designed for production of coffee, various facilities can be modified to produce multiple products. By having more than one production facility focused on producing coffee more of a demand can be

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