Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile

Introduction Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile, founded in 1863, remains the oldest general store in Louisiana. It has grown for over a century, with its roots established directly in the people of Natchitoches. This analysis aims to identify the business-level strategy that Kaffie-Frederick has used, its resources, and the strategic firm-specific assets that allow it to sustain a competitive advantage. Business-Level Strategy Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile applies a differentiation strategy (Porter, 2008). Differentiation refers to a plan in which the organization develops new products and services that meet customers' needs while offering the lowest price in the marketplace. This strategy is evident in several aspects of Kaffie-Frederick's

Original items like the 1890s freight elevator and the 1917 hand-turned cash register make the store even more special in architectural design. Inventory: Kaffie-Frederick's product variety is also another effective, tangible asset. Contributing to the last tangible resource is the fact that Kaffie-Frederick stocks a wide variety of products. The hardware store specializes in general merchandise, home improvement items, fancy wares, and specialty items. This comprehensive list of products helps the store fulfill the needs and wants of as many people as possible, thus determining consumers' one-stop shopping (Kamasak, 2017). Intangible Resources Brand Reputation: From the information given, it can be seen that Kaffie-Frederick is long-standing and has created a good brand image. The store is also out of the mainstream, with fresh products, friendly people, and a concern for their community. This reputation is an example of an intangible asset because customers and clients are likely to be drawn to brands with these characteristics, and loyalty is expected to result from

The historical background also helps promote the store and makes it unique from other stores. Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Suppose the VRIN framework analysis of tangible and intangible resources was applied to the case of Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile. In that case, the latter can be regarded as having a sustained competitive advantage. Several factors support this conclusion, which include: Unique Historical Significance: In this context, telling a store's history and maintaining some of its original characteristics is invaluable. There is always a demand for places with a historical feel; tourists and history lovers provide a constant flow of customers, which competitors can easily beat. Strong Community Ties: As far as social assets go, a unique asset of the store is its long-time connection with the Natchitoches community. Some of these associations have been going on for over a century and help build the business's goodwill with customers. The large chain stores' competitors cannot create such latent bonds with communities. Personalized Customer Service: The personal touch to customer service provides extra value, though it must come as an anchor, since the firm may be losing money to giant