4) Concepts 4.1) Business Model Business model is the way in which a company creates value for its customers, while at the same time generates revenue and makes a profit from company operations. According to a recent research note by Morgan Stanley analysts, “Costco operate one of the best business models in our space” (Taylor). Costco business model has the ability to use economies of scale to buy large amounts of goods from suppliers at low prices and set minimal profit markups and then to pass these savings onto its customers by providing high quality products at lower costs. Costco operates a membership only warehouse club business model. In this model, consumers can access the products and services available at Costco by paying an annual membership fee. According to Motely Fool.com, Costco membership renewal rate for last year was “91% in the U.S. and Canada and 88% globally” (Bowman). This clearly shows Costco has a strong loyal customer base, and customers value the product and services offered by Costco more than the membership fee. Morgan Stanley research states, the “underlying health and loyalty of Costco 's consumer and the profitability of the model remain intact” (Taylor). Therefore, it is clearly visible the Costco’s business model creates outstanding value for customers and yield attractive profit. 4.2) Objectives Business …show more content…
Any changes of the labor laws and tax reform can create opportunities as well as threat to the company. Costco pays high wage rate, which is well above the minimum wage requirement of labor law, to its employees, the employees’ performance is far better than the minimum paid employees. Here, the company not only meeting the legal requirement but also exceeding the requirement increases the overall business
Costco’s business strategy is different from their competitor’s in the wholesale retail industry because their purpose is to keep overhead down and pass the savings to their customers. They do this by choosing not to advertise, sell fewer brands and having an innovative approach by having their own manufacturing facilities for a variety of merchandise. Costco does not market their warehouses and their marketing is through word of mouth from current customers who also must have a membership to shop at Costco. When compared to Walmart Costco sells four brands of toothpaste and Walmart sells sixty brands of toothpaste. Costco can buy more for less from the manufacturer of the four brands of toothpaste and pass the savings on to their customers. Costco’s strategy is to sale a limited number of items because this strategy according to (Lutz, 2013) “increases sales volume and helps drive discounts.” Because of Costco’s profitability in the retail market they have managed to continue to be profitable even in an oppressed economy. Costco’s focus is on high-end customers indicated by some of the brands they carry such as Coach Handbags. Costco offers three different levels of membership and is only open to customers who have a membership. Costco’s philosophy is they do not advertise or markup items more than 15% in order to save their customer’s money. These practices lowers the overhead costs and continues passing the savings to the customer. Costco is an international company and has (Costco Wholesale Corporation, n.d.) “462 locations in 43 U.S. States & Puerto Rico; 87 locations in nine Canadian provinces; 25 locations in the United Kingdom; 10 locations in Taiwan; 9...
Being a stocker for Costco Wholesale is a straightforward job. The stocker comes in each morning and presented with the day 's’ tasks. The stocker is monitored throughout the day by the department manager to make sure all tasks are being met in a timely manner. Costco Wholesale works less like a business and more like a well tuned machine. If one cog in a machine is faulty or rusty then the whole system will run inefficiently. Managers need to work with subordinates to further improve productivity. To avoid ineffective managers, managerial candidates should be democratically elected by future subordinates.
Customers are able to trust Costco. The company makes sure that people will know the better quality goods that it sells than other companies. The first thing that customers get successful their budget. Many customers or other business will know that their finances would start off growing well. Costco always advertises to customers about their discounts. Customers will have annual to come and Costco, using their member card. They can browse all products Costco will carry. “The Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed more than 26,000 subscribers about their shopping experiences at 10 of America’s major chains: Costco, JCPenney, Kmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart.” (Herb Weisbaum)
Costco Wholesale Corporation was an uncommon type of retailers called wholesale clubs. These clubs differentiated themselves from other retailer by requiring annual membership purchase. Especially in case of Costco, their target market is wealthier clientele of small business owners and middle class shoppers. They are now known as a low cost or discount retailer where they sell products in bulk with limited brands and their own brand. The company is competing with stores like Wal-Mart, SAM’s, BJ’s, and Sears.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an international chain of membership warehouses operating on the concept that offering members lower prices will produce high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover (“Annual Report” 4). While Costco warehouses are designed to help reduce costs for small-to-mid-sized companies, memberships are also available for individuals (“Company Profile”). The two memberships offered by Costco include Business and Gold Sta...
Promotion: Costco doesn’t have any conventional marketing/ promotion strategies like their competitors as they are not big on advertising. They email and mail their members flyers and product descriptions which help them maintain their customer retention. However, they don’t actively advertise to new customers, primarily relying on their current customers to advertise by word of mouth like Kimberley Peterson, the
This essay describes how Costco has undergone evolutionary changes from its inception to present through its value chain model to become a success story. For example, in its distribution system, Costco utilizes the cross-docking technology to help in the conveyance of products in the different locations. This ensures that there are no product delays in the respective markets (Guo, 2016). Accordingly, Costco can attract more customers who prefer the warehousing services provided by the company.
Key Issues: At the end of 2012, Costco was a successful business; however, there are some issues that they would need to deal with. These issues mainly arise from their previous successful ventures as a warehouse wholesale company. The first issue is that Costco has competitors that can actually be and are a threat to their success. Competition allows a company to improve itself and prove its prowess to its customers. However, when a competitor is able to provide the service at a much reduced cost, problems will arise.
Employing the stability strategy will keep management steady and protect itself from environmental threats. Costco has had rapid growth in the past few years. The stability strategy would be used in combination with a pricing strategy of a slight markup in prices. Currently with a 15% markup, which is below average there is room to increase this even if only by a slight amount. Through Costco’s differentiations strategy of developing an image and reputation of quality in its products as evidence through the high volume of Kirkland brand toilet paper being sold and increase in wine sales that is setting itself apart from other retailers. Through this increase in quality Costco can charge higher prices for products. Increasing the markup to 18% from 15% would be small enough amount that customers will not be overly affected by the results, yet yielding an increase in profits for the
Zott, C., Amit, R. And Massa, L. (2011) ‘The Business Model: Recent Developments and Future Research’, Journal of Management, vol.37, no.4 pp.1019-42 [Online]. Available at http://jom.sagepub.com/content/37/4/1019 [Accessed 24th November 2013]
Numerous definitions of strategy exist, in most circumstances strategy can loosely be explained as an overall plan of deployment of resources to ascertain a favourable position within a market (Zablah, Bellenger and Johnston 2004; Grant 1994, p 14). Further, imbedded in many successful organisations are strategies, the importance of which is to remain relevant in the market, and successful in the various attributes of business; profiteering, employee motivation, maintaining sustainable core competencies, effectiveness in operation, or efficiency in the conduction of operations. Therefore challenges involved in the formulation and implementation of a strategy can revolve around the overall external market, as well as internal
According to Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010), a business model is utilized to demonstrate the rationalization of the methods an organization utilizes to create, capture and deliver value. The business model serves as a blueprint for strategy implementation through the processes, structures and systems of the organization; accordingly, nine building blocks can be utilized to describe the logic behind the company’s intentions to make profit (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010). The nine building blocks named by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010) are customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue stream, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure. These building blocks are used to describe the: imperative groups of organizations or people that will be served, value created by services and products within a defined segment of customers, communication and capacity with which value will be delivered, relationship types within the specific segments, cash generated in customer segments, assets that are critical to a successful business model, critical functions that must be carried out by the company to ensure a successful business model, network of partners and suppliers make the model work, and costs that are required for business model operations (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010).
When the buzzword of business model was very active and reactive during the internet boom, many individuals did not understand the concept of the proper business model for the proper business (Magretta, 2002). When not utilizing the right type of model for the organization, the model will be misused and distorted (Magretta, 2002). Understanding the traditional organization and learning organization, will allow an organization to determine which time of organization they desire the most.
The conceptualisation of the business model innovation is focused on three main concepts, they are value creation, Business system and value capture. The conceptualization of the business model innovation is that defining the new forms of the business model and depict characteristics and analysing the occurrence of the innovation in the business models to develop the business organisations.
KMLab Inc. offers an interesting definition: “a Business model is a description of how your company intends to create value in the market place. It includes that unique combination of products, services, image and distribution that your company carries forward. It also includes the underlying organization of people and the operational infrastructure that they use to accomplish their work. In some ways...