Ideology vs. united church of Canada’s advertisement Essay Example for Free

Ideology vs. united church of Canada’s advertisement Essay Ideology is a ‘Representation’ of the Imaginary Relationship of Individuals to their Real Conditions of Existence Louis Althusser, 1970 Many companies use advertisement as their way of attracting customers. They tend to create ideological perspective within their advertisements to show their stand on the society’s standards. Most of the time, advertisements are made for women. If men and babies’ needs were advertised, women are still part of it. It shows that in the ideology of the society, women are the determiner or the decision-maker of what should be use as a necessity or luxury. This is what advertisement for, it radicalize the essence of what is important and necessary. Advertising is significant because, in consumer capitalism, individuals depend on it for meanings a source of social information embedded in commodities that mediate interpersonal relations and personal identity. Advertising should therefore be conceived as an important institution in the consumer society because it produces patterned systems of meaning which play a key role in individual socialization and social reproduction. However, in the context of ideology and advertisement as a whole, advertisements are made because we want to prove something or we want to impose a law on a certain aspect of the society. Through this, we could be able to spread our ideas and perspectives towards different issues and arguments that exist in the society today. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze a certain advertisement in connection to the Ideological State Apparatus of Louis Althusser to determine its meaning and rationalization. The chosen advertisement is a child advertisement. The advertisement showed a picture of a baby with a medical wristband stating â€Å"WARNING: some re-assembly of priorities and beliefs may be required. † This advertisement suggests that parenthood is not an easy thing. As parents, people tend to view life more seriously. Once a baby is born, everything will change not according to plan but according to responsibility. Wandercafe. ca stated in the advertisement that â€Å"parenthood changes everything – including how you view the world. † Most often, this scenario happens if the baby is a wanted child because if it is not, parents tend to disregard their responsibility towards their children especially the fathers. Nevertheless, being a parent is a gift from God as we all know. In the perspective of the society and our culture, we view parenthood as a form of required responsibility. Once a child is born, we need to settle our priorities as based on the needs of the child and would not focus on our necessities and luxuries. In poor families, even if the parents could not eat, as long as their child has its milk, problem would not exist. This situation shows that parents can do everything and anything just to make their child safe and healthy. This is what the advertisement is trying to impose – parenthood is an obligation that should be taken into consideration because it requires re-assemble of priorities and beliefs. In the perspective of ideology and advertisement, this advertisement can be said as part of the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). According to Louis Althusser (1970), an Ideological State Apparatus is a certain number of realities which present themselves to the immediate observer in the form of distinct and specialized institution. Because the advertisement came from the people of the United Church of Canada, it can be said as a religious Ideological State Apparatus. He also stated that the distinction of ISAs from (Repressive) State Apparatus is that the Repressive State Apparatus functions ‘by violence’, whereas the ideology State Apparatus function ‘by ideology’. This is the fact that the (Repressive) State Apparatus functions massively and predominantly by repression (including physical repression), while functioning secondarily by ideology. (There is no such thing as a purely repressive apparatus.)†¦ In the same way, but inversely, it is essential to say that for their part the Ideological State Apparatuses function massively and predominantly by ideology, but they also function secondarily by repression, even if ultimately, but only ultimately, this is very attenuated and concealed, even symbolic. (Althusser 1970) Advertisement has different impact to society and its institutions such as education, culture, and religion. In the chosen advertisement, these three factors exist as they give contribution to the perspective and ideology of the ad. It was seen through different aspects and reasons. In the institution of education, this advertisement educate people especially parents to become aware with their responsibilities and obligations towards their child or children because it was the most important thing that should be taken into account. When it comes to culture, it shows the stand of the society when it comes to parenthood because this is part of the culture – parents should abide by the rule of the law that they should love their children for they have conceived them. In the religious institution or the church, this advertisement shows what is right in opposition to evil. Church stated that parents should do their obligations not by their choice but by the rule of the church because it was the teaching of God. In the pre-capitalist historical period which I have examined extremely broadly, it is absolutely clear that there was one dominant Ideological State Apparatus, the Church, which concentrated within it not only religious functions, but also educational ones, and a large proportion of the functions of communications and ‘culture’. It is no accident that all ideological struggle, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, starting with the first shocks of the Reformation, was concentrated in an anti-clerical and anti-religious struggle; rather this is a function precisely of the dominant position of the religious Ideological State Apparatus. (Althusser 1970) In the chosen advertisement, Church is dominant and ‘repressive’ in some angle because it tried to impose a law or a rule. It was shown in the medical wristband of the baby. Using the word â€Å"warning† is an implication of notice that there must be an action to consider. The ideology of the advertisement is actually true when it comes to responsibilities of the parents but the Church overpowers the parents on what they should do and act. Though it was just a simple warning, capitalism can be seen based on its attack and point of justification. As a whole, the advertisement means more than what it wanted to say. The ideology of the church can be said as a form of repression or simply a justification of what is true as based on the standard of the society. Advertisement has different meanings based on the perceiver. It was the audience’s obligation to perceive the advertisement on their own context and ideology. Ideology is innate for all of us. It should not be taken for granted because it is an armor of our thinking, rights, and stand towards the rules and laws of the society. Culture, education, and church are underlying institutions that we need to consider in analyzing a certain advertisement because these factors are the most important aspects of humanity whether we oppose or consider their specificities from the past, present, and future civilization. Works Cited Althousser, Louis. Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. La Pensee, 1970. 27 November 2007 http://www. marxists. org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology. htm Wandercafe. ca. baby. 27 November 2007 www. wandercafe. ca Harms, John and Kellner, Douglas. â€Å"Toward A Critical Theory of Advertising. † Illumination. (n. d. ) 27 November 2007 http://www. uta. edu/huma/illuminations/kell6. htm.

Customer Satisfaction Case Study of Hotel

Customer Satisfaction Case Study of Hotel Customer satisfaction: A case study of the Travelodge Hotel. Docklands, London. Dissertation declaration â€Å"Is it possible for hoteliers to provide a quality of services that meets with customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the quantity of services that are provided?† Abstract Budget hotels in the hospitality sector are continuing to make significant inroads into the market shares previously enjoyed by the standard hotel chains, even in select areas such as the City of London. However, the question is whether this new type of accommodation supply is being created at a cost to the consumer in terms of customer value and satisfaction. Using the Travelodge hotel Docklands as a case study, this research attempts to address this issue. From the result of a SERVQUAL measurement survey conducted with 48 of the hotels customers, the conclusion is reached that, whilst in theory there is no reason why the customer quality of service should be less, in practice the customers expectations that are attached to a lower price do not equate with the perceptions of the hotel management in some areas, particularly in relation to human resources. There is therefore a need for the management of such establishments to achieve a better level of balance between these two determinants. Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale for research 1.2 Customer retention 1.3 Aims 1.4 Objectives 1.5 Overview Chapter 2: Background 2.1 Tourism in the UK 2.2 Tourism in Docklands Chapter 3: Literature Review 3.1 Customer satisfaction 3.2 Service quality 3.3 Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality 3.4 Summary Chapter 4: Research Methodology 4.1 Research method choice 4.2 Data collection 4.3 Performance of the research Chapter 5: Data presentation and analysis Chapter 6: Implications of the research findings Chapter 7: Conclusion 6.1 Application 6.2 Recommendations Chapter 1:  Introduction The vast majority of commercial concerns, irrespective of whether their business is product or service orientated, are aware of the fact that continued business success is dependant upon determining that the quality of service they provide for the customer equates to or exceeds the perceived expectation of satisfaction that customers have when they decide to enter into transaction with the business. Furthermore, as Michael Porter (1985 and 2004) suggests in his researches into the subject of competition, quality of service can also be used as a strategy to gain competitive advantage, particularly in a crowded marketplace, which certainly exists within the tourism industry. In the context of delivering the quality of service that satisfies the customer, perhaps the hotel industry finds itself in a unique, although some would say unenviable position. Most other industries and sectors only engage with the consumer for a matter of moments during the course of their visit. However, with the hotel industry the interaction this business sector has with the consumer can last from several hours to many days. Similarly, with a number of customers in close proximity, it can be also be said that customer-to-customer interactions form part of the product (Kandampully et al (2001, p.28). In addition, the number of interrelated services within a hotel is invariable far more complex and diverse than other businesses will be offering. For example, in a retail environment, the connection with the customer is the quality of the product and service quality at the point of sale and after sales service. However. With a hotel, customer satisfaction can be influenced by a number of factors. From the product aspect, this will include the standard and quality of the main product, namely the hotel room, in this case relating to the dà ©cor, furnishings, facilities available, cleanliness and cost against performance. In terms of services provided, the hotel will also be judged by several diverse elements. These include the relation built between customers and front office staff, cleaners and employees in other facilities being offered, for example the service received from employees engaged within the waiting, bar-tending, local knowledge and health facility aspects of the busine ss. As a result of these service and quality issues, and in an effort to ensure that these meet with the expectation and satisfaction levels of their customers, one would therefore expect that the market players within the hotel industry would be constantly seeking ways to improve upon the services that their establishments offer. If this is the case, how is it then that, over the past two to three decades, the industry has seen a proliferation of budget and low cost hotel chains emerging, one of the most well known of which within the UK is the Travelodge brand? 1.1 Rationale for research It is the question regarding how budget hotel chains are managing to deliver customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the levels of services being provided that forms the rationale for this paper. There has been a reasonable amount of research dedicated to the delivery of customer satisfaction by the method of adding to the levels and qualities of the services being offered, as would be the case in the tourism industry, for example with five star hotels. However, research into the ability of a commercial organisation to maintain the same standard of customer satisfaction levels, particularly within the UK tourism and leisure industry, when that organisation is operating a â€Å"low-cost† strategy, which by definition is primarily focused on driving down the business costs by reducing the levels of services being made available to the customer, is more limited. 1.2  Customer retention Another factor that makes the â€Å"low-cost† strategy and its removal of services within the hotel industry sometimes difficult to understand is that most literature concentrates upon the fact that providing a quality service that matches customer satisfaction is important in terms of customer retention (Parasuraman 1997, Schiffman and Kanuk 2000 and Porter 1998). On the surface therefore the rule of keeping customers returning by offering them less does seem to contain a dichotomy of views that are incompatible. However, many of the some of the recent observers, Including Zeithaml (1988), Agrawal (2000) and Porter (2004) in his later works, have begun to study this particular issue, finding that there can be a relationship between the less services and customer satisfaction. It is the intention for this paper to add value to these opinions. 1.3  Aims From the explanations given above therefore it can be seen that the aim of this research is to address the following question: â€Å"Is it possible for hoteliers to provide a quality of services that meets with customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the quantity of services that are provided? In an effort to assist in the provision of a definitive response to the hypothesis set, it is intended to use as a case study research carried out at a specific location of the budget hotel chain Travelodge, namely their establishment in Docklands, London. 1.4  Objectives In the process of defining the theoretical and practical response to the hypothesis, as well as adding value to the existing research conducted with the subjects that are covered, these being customer satisfaction and service quality within a tourism and leisure environment, the following three objectives have been set: Customer perception and satisfaction Although there has been considerable literature relating to customer perception and satisfaction determinants, within this research the intention is to broaden this area to take account of how these issues can be best related to the â€Å"budget† service provider and by what methods such organisations can determine that a) the reduction of services reaches an optimal level and b) how other areas of service quality can be introduced in a manner that will continue to improve the business relationship with and retention of customers without adversely impacting upon the business â€Å"low-cost† strategy. Gaps within service quality measurement. Using the â€Å"SERQUAL† method of measurement, which is discussed in more detail in chapter three, we shall look particularly at the â€Å"gap† element of this methods in an attempt to define how these have can and have been applied effectively and successfully to the budget hotel business model despite the fact that these models concentrate upon the task of reducing the levels of services being made available to customers in return from price advantages. The future. From the results indicated above, it is intended to ascertain whether the process of understanding how the use of quality of service in a budget business environment can provide lessons that could be applied to other â€Å"premier† brand hotel businesses within the industry or if these results are strategy specific and therefore not transferable across different business models. The significant data which has been used to provide the foundation for this research paper has been collected through the use of then primary quantitative method of structured questionnaires and interviews, which will be discussed in more detail in chapter four. 1.5  Overview Following this introductory chapter, the second chapter in this study provides a brief background into UK tourism, including the levels and reasons for tourisms within the docklands area, as well as a history relating to the Travelodge hotel chain and its Docklands unit. In chapter three a critical literature reviews is conducted into the major areas of customer satisfaction, service quality and the various theories and models that have been developed to measure these aspects of the business operations. Chapter four is where the methodology for the main research carried out in support of this research is explained in greater depth. It will include an understanding of the strengths and limitations of the chosen research method, together with details of the manner of the performance of these methods. This will be followed in chapter five by the data findings and an analysis of these findings, the implications of which will be further discussed in chapter six. The paper will be drawn to a conclusion in chapter seven, at which point any relevant and appropriate recommendations will also be presented. Following the conclusion of this study, a reference list of all the resources used, together with appendices that contain additional information and data that is considered to add value to the understanding of this paper will also be attached. Chapter 2  Background As stated previously, tourism is one of the most important industries in the UK economy. Therefore, as the core theme of this research is related to an organisation within this industry, it is appropriate to provide some background relating to UK tourism and the Docklands area in particular, as wells as the organisation that is forming the case study, namely the Travelodge hotel group. 2.1  Tourism in the UK The level of tourism in the UK has seen a diverse change depending upon the criteria that one uses. For example, with regards to domestic travel of UK residents, this saw a reported decline of –4.0% in the last 8 months of 2006 when compared with the previous year, although there were still nearly 102 million overnight trips (Visit Britain 2008 b, p,4). Conversely, the numbers of overseas visitors increased by 9%, rising to nearly 33 million trips (Visit Britain 2008 a, p.8), as can be seen from the following table (figure 1). In total therefore, tourism in the UK in 2006 saw a participating total of approaching 135 million customers, who visits were for both leisure and business purposes (see figure 2). With between 59% and 74% of the domestic journeys involving overnights stays of one to three days (see figure 3) and 42% of overseas journeys having the same duration, this provides a significant existing market opportunity for the UK hotel industry and room for continued growth, especially as at present it is estimated that only around 30% of the domestic visitors choose Hotels and guest houses for their accommodation needs (see figure 4). However, with hotel occupancy rates having fallen in recent years, especially in the capital, although this was partially due to terrorist attacks (Chetwynd and Knight 2005), it is important for hoteliers to ensure that they are providing the necessary level of quality service to capture this market. 2.2  Tourism in Docklands Visit Britain statistics (2008 a, p.11) indicates that of the total inbound tourism trade during 2006, nearly 16 million visitors chose London as their destination, with many more domestic tourists swelling that number. Similarly, compared with the rest of the UK, the hotel occupancy levels in London remain at a reasonably high level of around 72% (Visit London 2008, p.4), due mainly to the high mix of customers from the domestic and international leisure and business sectors. Having spent over  £12 billion on regeneration of the area, London Docklands is taking its fair share of visitors, with 24 hotels at present and a further five in development (LDVC 2008), of which the Travelodge budget hotel in Coriander Avenue, E14 is one. 2.3  Overview: Travelodge – London Docklands The Travelodge brand of hotels, which was originally formed in the US, has seen a number of owners since then, with the latest being a  £675 million acquisition for the group by Dubai International Capital in 2006. It is the UK’s second largest budget hotel chain with over 300 units in the UK offering around 22,000 rooms (Editorial 2007), although the company expects that to expand to 32,000 within the next three years, an plans to more than double this expansion by 2020. In 1985 the group was the first hoteliers to strip out what it considered to be non-essential services in an effort to reduce costs of hotel stays to the minimum, which in 2007 were around  £26 a night. Another example of the budget cost example can be seen from the group’s Docklands hotel, where normal rates of  £49  £59 per night can be reduced to as low as  £29 if they are booked around three weeks in advance. Travelodge’s mission statement is aptly summed up on their website as â€Å"Pay for things you don’t want? That’s crazy!† (Travelodge 2008). They further go on to explain this statement by outlining the fact that the quality of their services to the customer is the provision of nice beds, clean rooms and a value for money price which the inclusion of items such as room service, extra towels, toiletries and other items that are seen by other hoteliers as value added services, would prohibit the business from achieving. According to press releases (Travelodge 2008 b), the company has seen significant growth during the course of 2006, with revenues increased by 19% and room occupancy by 24%. These results are in line with the reports issued by the Mintel group (Kuhn 2007), which shows that in the four years to 2006 the budget hotel sector grew by 38% , out performing other sectors of the industry that could only manage 12%, to exceed the  £1 billion barrier of revenue for the first time. It can be seen from this background and the statistics that the budget hotel industry is obviously making inroads into traditional hotel markets. However, the question which this research will address is whether this is simply based upon the price advantage or if other service quality and customer satisfaction issues have also influenced the growing popularity of the budget hotel sector. Chapter 3  Literature Review During the course of the past six or seven decades there has been a considerable amount of literature and research produced that has endeavoured to address the issues of customer satisfaction and service quality, as well as a number of models of measurement that can be utilised in respect of the latter. This critical literature review will discuss a selection of these studies and in particular endeavour to identify whether there is a link between these and the model that has been deemed appropriate for the budget hotel sector, or indeed where gaps in current literature exists. 3.1  Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction has been the subject of a reasonable amount of academic literature over the past few decades from a number of perspectives. For example, researchers such as Porter (1998), Parasuraman (1997) Agrawal (2000) and Harrison (2003) have all outlined the benefits of customer satisfaction as an integral aspect of competitive advantage. As Hennig-Thurau, and Hansen (2000, p.62) comment in their study on relationship marketing, it is the intention of all businesses â€Å"to try and engender a high level of customer satisfaction in order to positively influence our customers repurchasing and communicative behavior†. There is little doubt that the level of satisfaction experienced by customers will impact upon the way they react to a product or service, in other words it drives their behaviour (Schiffman and Kanuk 2000). However, the difficulty that all academics have wrestled with over the years is in defining exactly what â€Å"customer satisfaction is† and, perhaps more importantly, which determinates influence the achievement of customer satisfaction. Hennig-Thurau and Hansen (2000, p.8) define customer satisfaction as being the â€Å"emotional or empathic reaction† that occurs within the customer as they judge the experience of the product or service against the expectations they had prior to that experience. Richard Oliver (quoted in Holbrook 1999, p.56) rests with the definition that ideals and excellence is equal to satisfaction. Ziethaml (1998) adds further substance to these definition by explaining that satisfaction is all about the perception of value when adjudged again st price, quality, need and payment, In summarising this position, Zeithaml (1988, p.14) stated that â€Å"Perceived value is the consumer’s overall assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given †¦ value represents a trade-off of the salient give and get components,† in other words the cost of ownership against the value perceived. This is a definition that has been accepted by a number of other researchers, including Christopher (1996), although as Dr Brennen (2003, p.4) observes, there is some departure from this consensus in respect of the component parts that make up customer satisfaction, with some observers only including price as a denominator whilst others include the total cost of ownership. Nevertheless as Suzan Boztepe (2007, p.56), points out, to identify customer satisfaction, â€Å"The emphasis is on the point of exchange, and money is seen as a fundamental index of value.† It is as that moment, when the product of service has been purchased and used, in the respect that a contractual agreement has been entered into, that the customer makes a value judgement about what they have been given in exchange for what they have paid. In this situation it is therefore usually the case that the higher the level of quality of service promotes a higher level of satisfaction (Kandampully et al. 2001, p.8). In respect of the determinates that engender satisfaction within a customer, there do of course extend beyond the simple and direct use of the product or service. Parasuraman (1997, p.1) refers to this position when he talks above the â€Å"attributes and consequences arising from that use,† which indicates that satisfaction levels can be increased or decreased by other internal and external factors. Boztepe (2007, p.58) agrees with this comment, promoting the view that the context and environment within which the use is received will impact upon the customers enjoyment or satisfaction with the experience. In the context of the hospitality environment of hotel industry that is the basis of this study, this aspect is very important. For example, if the human service in a particular establishment is good but the physical environment, in terms of dà ©cor, equipment etc is not, this would reduce the customer’s enjoyment and therefore lower the satisfaction and value they g ain from the experience. Similarly, in the case of the hotel attention has to be paid to the external factors. For example, if the service from employees and the environment is good, but other guest create a situation that is disturbing or unpleasant to the customer, this nay also adversely affect their satisfaction with the experience and the value they gain from it. Therefore, it can be seen from the forgoing that when providing a service or product the supplier, or in this case hotelier, has to understand not only how the customer behaves or is likely to react to the value of the service provided, but also be aware of the factors that might adversely influence that behaviour. If that is not understood â€Å"the likelihood of consumer satisfaction diminishes, as does the potential for a profitable business† (Holbrook 1999, p.116). After all, as Porter (1998, p.411) succinctly explains the situation, in order to gain competitive advantage, the aim of the business should be to ensure that the whole format of the various elements of the business supply chain should be geared towards delivering a product or service to the end user that adds â€Å"to their convenience and satisfaction.† To achieve this position the marketer has to understand the whole of the customer behavioural process, which includes what drives them to make the origi nal choice, known as the pre-purchase period, how they will react to the actual use or consumption of the product and their reaction after that use, the post-purchase period (Holbrook, 1999, p.43). If the business bears these aspects in mind, and reacts positively to them, there is more opportunity to be able to provide the customer with a unique product of service that will be perceived by them to have a greater level of value and therefore being more satisfying (ibid p.121), which has the added benefit of potentially engaging the customers loyalty and therefore makes the retention of the customer more likely. In a practical sense this position cannot be achieved unless there is a quality of service. 3.2  Service quality Following on from an understanding of the factors that determine what values give satisfaction to a customer, it has been found that, in essence, this is uniquely linked with service and the quality of that service, which is another area where there has been a concentration of literature over the past few decades. In terms of definition of the words, because of the nature of this paper, the definition of service being relied upon is that promoted by Kolter (1999), who stated that: â€Å"A service is any benefit or activity that one party can offer to another, which is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied to a physical product.† Harrison (2003) and Holbrook (1999) regard quality as being the originator for meeting the expectation of value and satisfaction for the customer. In this respect, Holbrook (1999, p.13) states that â€Å"quality, generally, is an externally mediate perception that a product or service possesses excellent levels of the key quality dimensions which define quality for that product/service.† From the commercial aspect therefore, it is apparent that businesses have a need to use service quality in order to attract customers and to retain their loyalty in a manner that will lead to them continuing to purchase the service in the future, in other words quality is one of the core competing elements (Berry and Parasuraman 1991). An essential element of this will be to aim to provide the customer with an experience of service quality that they perceive to be of a higher value than they can expect to receive elsewhere, at least for the same price and conditions (Hennig-Thurau and Hansen (2000, p.169). Service quality has to permeate through all aspects of the business which, as has been identified earlier, will include the way that employees react to clients, the dà ©cor and content of the environment where the service quality takes place and the control of external determinates. These latter â€Å"situational / environment characteristics† (Holbrook 1999, p.30) are extremely important in a hotel environment as they will directly impact upon the customers perception of value and satisfaction. For example, if when arriving at the hotel the customer is required to wait for some time to become registered and given their room keys, this could adversely affect their satisfaction levels. Furthermore, this experience may reflect in their post–purchase behaviour, for example with the memory of the experience being marred by this one incidence, thus reducing the value they have gained and the likelihood of re-booking. However, what has to be remembered is that each business is unique and will therefore have to find its own way of using service quality in an effort to gain competitive advantage. What works for one sector of an industry or even an individual business may not work for another. In fact trying to change a business service quality strategy to emulate that of another business may do more harm than good (Porter 1998, p.531). For instance, the service quality format and strategy developed by budget hotels such as Travelodge may not work for the five-star hotel sector of the industry. Nevertheless, as can be seen from this discussion, it is important for the commercial organisation to research the are of service quality as it impacts upon their particular business model as this will provide them with â€Å"valuable insights† into how to promote their goods or services in a way that is deemed to provide the customer with the level of service quality that they are expecting (Hennig-Thurau and Hensen 2000, p.13) 3.3  Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality There are a number of methods for measuring the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality that have been discussed in literature over the years, both from the academic and practical viewpoint. For the purpose of this research it has been decided to use the SERQUAL method originally developed and later revised by Parasuraman et al (1991). However, prior to reviewing this particular method and the reasons for its choice, it would be of benefit to briefly discuss some of the other measurements that are available. Other methods One method of measurement that is particularly popular in the hospitality sector, especially with guesthouses, is the use of comments and feedback from the customer. As Porter (1998, p.147) acknowledges this system of testimonials does have value in the respect that it provides the supplier with a direct indication of the levels of value and satisfaction experienced by the customer. However, the difficulty with this process is twofold. Firstly, the construction of the process may be misleading for the customer and the business (Kandampully et al 2001). For example, a simple complaints format does not show areas where the business is succeeding. The second aspect of this process is that it is not sufficiently defined. The business managers need to know in which specific service quality areas they are performing well or not. Without such definition it is difficult for them to be able to address areas that are perceived by the customer as a concern. Two other methods that prove quite popular are the general satisfaction and the continuous monitoring surveys and polls. Both of these have their drawbacks. In terms of the former, whilst it is in many ways similar to the SERVQUAL method chosen, its concentration upon the customers perceptions leaves it weak in terms of providing practical results that can be directly implemented by the business. Continuous surveys on the other hand have the inherent problem of adding to administrative costs within the business and, in addition, there may be issues with sampling (Visit Britain 2008 b). These can result from the fact that, being random in nature, continual update of relevant data is required, which may not always be easy for an individual business to acquire or manage. SERVQUAL Measurement The SERVQUAL method of measurement is one that has been â€Å"extensively applied† (Shahin 2005, p.4) and has been found by many to be particularly useful in providing a â€Å"true measure of customer service† (Kandampully et al 2001, p.68). It is seen to be relevant to the hospitality sector and has been used extensively in this area of commerce. Although in some cases this model has been extended by researchers to a dozen elements, essentially the foundation of the SERVQUAL process is founded on five key factors (Sahney et al 2004), which are: Tangibles. Physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel. Reliability. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Responsiveness. Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance (including competence, courtesy, credibility and

Judaism Essay -- Religion, Jewish People, Palestine

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. This is the Shema, perhaps the most important prayer in Judaism, in which God tells the Jewish people to take Him into their hearts. It is important to know this, as this idea of Israelites and Israel as a holy place to Judaism becomes religious justification for Jewish settlement in Palestine. How something like a "simple" prayer become so complicated? How does a religion become a nation, a race? What is justified in the name of religion – is it war, terror, colonization? In the Israeli novel Khirbet Khizeh, by S. Yizhar, the issues of Zionism and colonization are discussed through the raw description of a platoon's mission to remove Palestinians from their village. It is an emotional and poetic novel describing what seems at first to be simple: making sure that Palestinian settlements are evacuated, but it becomes so much more complicated as human faces and feelings are added to the narrator's conscience. By retelling of the Palestinian expulsion during the Arab-Israeli War, Yizhar expresses the human pain and ceaseless consequences of creating a settlement on another’s land in the name of nationalism. Yizhar shows the Zionist rhetoric through the combat soldiers, but through this recognition of Zionist reasoning, he questions the rights of the Zionists to takeover Arab villages-and for that matter, all of Palestine-to create a Jewish nation. Modern Zionism has roots from 1850 until the present day, and the ideals of Zionism emerged as secular nationalism and Anti-Semitism in Europe, in particular Eastern Europe, increased. The principles of Zionism differ from one Zionist extreme to another, but the main uniting fac... ...us times in previous history. Palestinians were left without a home, and â€Å"with the dispersion, the Palestinian question became one of the refugees, to be handled by the Arab states† (Smith 205) as a result of Jewish nationalism. The Arab-Israeli War was a war which removed thousands from their homes to create room for a new nation, and the consequences are very real in Palestinian, Israeli, and Arab lives today. The issues surrounding it remain major points of debate and contention in politics today, as any observer could see from a glance at a news station or newspaper. There were many accounts of the creation of the state, and Yitzir attempts to create a more complex picture of the Palestinian expulsion. The Jewish state was created on May 14, 1948, whether people â€Å"believed† in the state’s right to exist-or not-and it is a powerful force.

From Element to Riches Essay -- essays research papers fc

From Element to Riches A diamond in a sense is the most communal, elegantly, used jewel used in circulation today. Do people in actuality understand the concept and edifice of this mineral? A diamond is known as the hardest rock in existence and to most of the world it is a piece of jewelry, but do we know what the chemical composition of a rock and how is it formed? A diamond in actuality is carbon in its most concentrated form. While a few diamonds may have trace impurities such as boron or nitrogen, most diamonds are composed mostly of carbon. Carbon is a chemical that is fundamental in the process of life and used in various amounts of ways on the Earths surface. In diamonds, carbon atoms share all four valance electrons with adjacent carbon atoms, which form a tetrahedral unit. The covalent bond that is formed in this process is responsible for many of the diamonds superlative properties. As a result of the highly symmetrical arrangement of eight atoms that are fundamentally arranged in a repeating structural unit diamond crystals can form a variety of different shapes known as crystal habits. The octahedron is the most common of these crystal habits, but others include cubes dodecahedra and combinations of theses shapes. All however, are manifestations of the cubic crystal system to which the mineral diamond belongs. Diamond crystals t hat are real do not have entirely smooth faces which can be seen in the trigons that reflect the subtle changes of height in the diamonds face. However some raised trigons that point the same direction as the crystal face can occur from dissolution, etching, and the crystals natural growth. Another notable property that the diamond is well known for is its hardness. Diamonds are the hardest substance known, receiving a ten on Moh’s hardness scale. While diamonds are not fragile or prone to breaking they can fracture or shatter. The best place for splitting a diamond is along one of its lines of cleavage as the crystal is know to have fewer chemical bonds on the plains of its octahedral face which allows for its perfect cleavage. Two of the most valued attributes of the diamond are its brilliance and luster, qualities obtained from the diamonds great ability to refract light. Light that passes through a diamond is reduced to approximately 77,000 mi... ...uses such as super electronics, indomitable optical windows, and un-scatchable surfaces, to many more things that have yet to be thought up. This mineral is definitely a very unique and diverse substance, unmatched by any known to man. So while the diamond may be appealing to the eye, this beauty is one with depth and purpose far beyond that which meets the eye. Bibliography Bonsor, Kevin. â€Å"How Diamonds Work.† HowStuffWorks. 1 Dec. 2004. http://science.howstuffworks.com/diamonds.htm â€Å"Diamond.† BambooWeb Dictionary: Open Content Encyclopedia. 1 Dec. 2004. http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/d/di/Diamond.html "Diamond." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Online. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service. 4 Dec. 2004. . â€Å"The Nature of Diamonds.† American Museum of Natural History. 1 Dec. 2004. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols :: essays research papers

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols The three dichotomous symbols in A Separate Peace by John Knowles reinforce the innocence and evil of the main characters, Finny and Gene. Beside the Devon School flow two rivers on opposite sides of the school, the Naguamsett and the Devon. The Devon provides entertainment and happiness for Gene and Finny as they jump from the tree into the river and hold initiations into the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Finny, Gene, and their friends use the Devon's warm water to play in during the carefree summer session. The Devon brings out Finny's carefree character and personality when he jumps from the limbs of the tree. Not one Upper Middler in Devon has ever jumped from the tree; Finny becomes the first. After surfacing, Finny says that jumping from the tree causes the most fun he has had in weeks. However, the Naguamsett and the Devon completely contrast. When Gene and Finny emerge from the Devon, they feel clean and refreshed. However, Gene describes the Naguamsett as "ugly, saline, fringed with marsh, mud and seaweed" (68). When Gene starts a fight with Quackenbush and falls into the Naguamsett because Quackenbush calls Gene "a maimed son-of-a-bitch," Gene surfaces from the Naguamsett feeling grimy, dirty and in desperate need of a bath (71). Much like the clean, refreshing water of the Devon and the ugly saline water of the Naguamsett, Gene's carefree attitude of the summer session vastly differs from the angry, confused attitude of the winter session. Likewise, the two sessions, the summer and winter, give a different sense of feeling toward school and life at Devon School. The summer session allows Finny to use his creativity. Finny invents blitzball and founds the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. The students let their carefree attitudes flow during the summer. Finny and Gene willingly break the rules to have fun during the summer by skipping class and going to the beach. Finny also wears the school tie as a belt to the traditional term tea. Gene feels that Finny cannot leave the room without being disciplined, but Finny manages to talk his way out of the mess. However, the winter session causes a sense of strictness. The sermons now exhort the thought of "what we owe Devon," but in the summer the students think of "what Devon owes us" (65). The masters and class leaders try to enforce continuity, but Gene realizes that resurrecting the summer session becomes impossible. Finny is not in school, no longer shall the students have their carefree attitudes, and the class officials and masters now

Ambition in Life – Essay

I firmly believe that school is much more than what we understand it to be. Education enlightens a person in the same way a lamp brightens a dark room. But in order to ignite the light of education in a person, a teacher plays the role of the lamp carrier. Through my educational life I've considered education as a process to not only gaining knowledge but also a method of igniting our thoughts, and the process of development of a person starts from his early school age. In the developing country like India where half of the population lives below the poverty line, a movement to give the children their right to equal education is required. Having come across students who dropped out of schools because of lack of interest, I feel the urge to be a part of system where a teacher is not only qualified to teach but who can also be a mentor to the students. Teach for India is one such initiative which is working on motto of ending inequity in education and ideas of educating children beyond the conventional methods of our educational system. I realized that by being a Teach for India fellow not only I will be imparting knowledge to the young ones but will also help them in grooming. So it work not only for education sector it also work for community development. I purposely want to join the fellowship as oppose to working in other education-focused organization are as follow:- 1 . Having received the best education myself, I understood the power of knowledge and the impact it can have on the society. By putting me in the class room of young guns of India , Teach for India provide me the chance to advertise new generation not to make the mistakes which they seems to make in absence of proper resources and guidance. 2 . Prior to and during the two-year Fellowship, Teach For India provides Fellows with adequate leadership training to ensure that they are successful leaders in any field once they complete the Fellowship. 3 . Finally and foremost thing it makes me feel me proud to be a good citizen of India who has contributed to some extent to my motherland.

Food Retail in Europe

INDUSTRY PROFILE Food Retail in Europe Reference Code: 0201-2058 Publication Date: June 2010 www. datamonitor. com Datamonitor USA 245 Fifth Avenue 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 USA t: +1 212 686 7400 f: +1 212 686 2626 e: [email  protected] com Datamonitor Europe 119 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3DA United Kingdom t: +44 20 7551 9000 f: +44 20 7675 7500 e: [email  protected] com Datamonitor Middle East and North America Datamonitor PO Box 24893 Dubai, UAE t: +49 69 9754 4517 f: +49 69 9754 4900 e: [email  protected] datamonitor. om Datamonitor Asia Pacific Level 46, 2 Park Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia t: +61 2 8705 6900 f: +61 2 8705 6901 e: [email  protected] com Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Market value The European food retail industry grew by 8. 5% in 2009 to reach a value of $1,663. 1 billion. Market value foreca st In 2014, the European food retail industry is forecast to have a value of $2,477. billion, an increase of 49% since 2009. Market segmentation I Hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discounters sales proved the most lucrative for the European food retail industry in 2009, with total revenues of $798. 5 billion, equivalent to 48% of the industry's overall value. Market segmentation II Germany accounts for 14. 1% of the European food retail industry value. Market rivalry The industry is becoming consolidated with large chain supermarkets or hypermarkets wielding more power over smaller specialty, luxury or organic food outlets. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 2 CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MARKET OVERVIEW Market definition Research highlights Market analysis MARKET VALUE MARKET SEGMENTATION I MARKET SEGMENTATION II FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Summary Buyer power Supplier power New entrants Substitutes Rivalry LEADING COMPANIES Metro AG Carrefour S. A. Lidl Dienstleistung Tesco PLC MARKET FORECASTS Market value forecast APPENDIX Methodology Industry associations Related Datamonitor research Disclaimer 2 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 15 17 18 19 20 21 21 25 29 30 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 3 CONTENTS ABOUT DATAMONITOR Premium Reports Summary Reports Datamonitor consulting 38 38 38 38 Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 4 CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7: Table 8: Table 9: Table 10: Table 11: Table 12: Table 13: Table 14: Table 15: Table 16: Table 17: Europe food retail industry value: $ billion, 2005–09(e) Europe food retail industry segmentation I:% share, by value, 2009(e) Europe food retail industry segmentation II: % share, by v alue, 2009(e) Metro AG: key facts Metro AG: key financials ($) Metro AG: key financials (â‚ ¬) Metro AG: key financial ratios Carrefour S. A. : key facts Carrefour S. A. : key financials ($) Carrefour S. A. : key financials (â‚ ¬) Carrefour S. A. : key financial ratios Lidl Dienstleistung: key facts Tesco PLC: key facts Tesco PLC: key financials ($) Tesco PLC: key financials (? ) Tesco PLC: key financial ratios Europe food retail industry value forecast: $ billion, 2009–14 10 11 12 21 22 22 23 25 27 27 27 29 30 31 31 32 34 Europe – Food Retail Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 5 CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7: Europe food retail industry value: $ billion, 2005–09(e) Europe food retail industry segmentation I:% share, by value, 2009(e) Europe food retail industry segmentation II: % share, by value, 2009(e) Forces driving ompetition in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Drivers of buyer power in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Drivers of supp lier power in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Factors influencing the likelihood of new entrants in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Factors influencing the threat of substitutes in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Drivers of degree of rivalry in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Metro AG: revenues & profitability Metro AG: assets & liabilities Carrefour S. A. : revenues & profitability Carrefour S. A. : assets & liabilities Tesco PLC: revenues & profitability Tesco PLC: assets & liabilities Europe food retail industry value forecast: $ billion, 2009–14 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 19 20 23 24 28 28 32 33 34 Figure 8: Figure 9: Figure 10: Figure 11: Figure 12: Figure 13: Figure 14: Figure 15: Figure 16: Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 6 MARKET OVERVIEW MARKET OVERVIEW Market definition The food retail market includes the retail sales of all food products, both packaged and unpackaged, as well as beverages (including retail sales of all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages). All on-trade sales of food and beverage are excluded. All currency conversions are calculated at constant average 2009 exchange rates. For the purposes of this report, Europe consists of Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Western Europe comprises Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Eastern Europe comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 7 MARKET OVERVIEW Research highlights The European food retail industry had total revenue of $1,663. 1 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7. 4% for the period spanning 2005-2009. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discounters sales proved the most lucrative for the European food retail industry in 2009, with total revenues of $798. 5 billion, equivalent to 48% of the industry's overall value. The performance of the industry is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 8. % for the fiveyear period 2009-2014, which is expected to drive the industry to a value of $2,477. 4 billion by the end of 2014. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 8 MARKET OVERVIEW Market analysis The European food ret ail industry has experienced very strong growth in recent years and the forecast is for this to gently accelerate towards 2014. The European food retail industry had total revenue of $1,663. 1 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7. 4% for the period spanning 2005-2009. In comparison, the German and UK industries grew with CAGRs of 2. 1% and 4. 2% respectively, over the same period, to reach respective values of $234. 8 billion and $186. 1 billion in 2009. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discounters sales proved the most lucrative for the European food retail industry in 2009, with total revenues of $798. 5 billion, equivalent to 48% of the industry's overall value. In comparison, convenience stores and gas stations generated sales of $381. 3 billion in 2009, equating to 22. 9% of the industry's aggregate revenues. The performance of the industry is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 8. % for the fiveyear period 2009-2014, which is expected to drive the industry to a value of $2,477. 4 billion by the end of 2014. Comparatively, the German and UK industries will grow with CAGRs of 2. 5% and 3. 4% respectively, over the same period, to reach respective values of $265. 5 billion and $219. 4 billion in 2014. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 9 MARKET VALUE MARKET VALUE The European food retail industry grew by 8. 5% in 2009 to reach a value of $1,663. 1 billion. The compound annual growth rate of the industry in the period 2005–09 was 7. 4%. Table 1: Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009(e) CAGR: 2005–09 Source: Datamonitor Europe food retail industry value: $ billion, 2005–09(e) $ billion 1,248. 6 1,321. 6 1,412. 4 1,533. 3 1,663. 1 â‚ ¬ billion 897. 9 950. 4 1,015. 8 1,102. 7 1,196. 1 % Growth 5. 8 6. 9 8. 6 8. 5 7. 4% DATAMONITOR Figure 1: Europe food retail industry value: $ billion, 2005–09(e) Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 10 MARKET SEGMENTATION I MARKET SEGMENTATION I Hypermarket, Supermarket, & Discounters is the largest segment of the food retail industry in Europe, accounting for 48% of the industry's total value. The convenience stores & gas stations segment accounts for a further 22. 9% of the industry. Table 2: Category Hypermarket, Supermarket, & Discounters Convenience Stores & Gas Stations Food and Drinks Specialists Drug Stores & Health and Beauty Stores Cash & Carries & Warehouse Clubs Other Total Source: Datamonitor Europe food retail industry segmentation I:% share, by value, 2009(e) % Share 48. 0% 22. 9% 14. 9% 3. 4% 1. 4% 9. 4% 100% DATAMONITOR Figure 2: Europe food retail industry segmentation I:% share, by value, 2009(e) Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 11 MARKET SEGMENTATION II MARKET SEGMENTATION II Germany accounts for 14. 1% of the European food retail industry value. France accounts for a further 13. 5% of the European industry. Table 3: Category Germany France Italy United Kingdom Spain Rest of Europe Total Source: Datamonitor Europe food retail industry segmentation II: % share, by value, 2009(e) % Share 14. % 13. 5% 12. 2% 11. 2% 7. 8% 41. 1% 100% DATAMONITOR Figure 3: Europe food retail industry segmentation II: % share, by value, 2009(e) Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 12 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS The food retail market will be analyzed taking supermarkets, hypermarkets and specialist retailers as players. The key buyers will be taken as end-consumers, and food manufacturers, farmers, agricultural co-operatives as the key suppliers. Summary Figure 4: Forces driving competition in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR The industry is becoming consolidated with large chain supermarkets or hypermarkets wielding more power over smaller specialty, luxury or organic food outlets. In our analysis of the global food retail industry, retailers such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, and specialist outlets, will be taken as industry players and end-consumers will be understood as buyers. With a range of different players within the industry, the size and financial strength of each varies accordingly. With consumers generally facing no substantial switching costs, this buyer mobility forces larger retailers to maintain attractive pricing schemes. Specialist, luxury, or organic retailers do not face the same price sensitivity due to the unique level of product differentiation, yet due to the nature of such products, they exist more as niche markets and are not able to secure a large volume of consumers. Specialist outlets may have no choice but to commit to long term supplier contracts in order to secure a steady supply of quality or specially prepared products. Whereas, supermarkets and hypermarkets have a higher number of options and can hold looser relationships with a larger number of suppliers. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 13 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Where branded products attract loyal consumers, the distribution channel for manufacturers is protected and retailers face pressure to stock the popular items. With established supermarkets and hypermarkets present, potential new entrants may struggle to compete with aggressive marketing and pricing policies. Nonetheless, relatively low entry and exit costs within the industry and the emergence of thriving health and ethical niches offer examples of possible niches in which new entrants may flourish sheltered from direct competition with current players. Food service (takeaways, vendors and restaurants) can be seen as a substitute to food retail products however for the vast majority of people it currently exists as an occasional accompaniment rather than a wholesale alternative. Subsistence farming is a more direct substitute, sometimes replacing standard retail behavior outright, yet it is no longer common. The absence of switching costs for consumers ensures a competitive climate within the food retail industry. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 14 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Buyer power Figure 5: Drivers of buyer power in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Retailers range widely in size with large chain supermarkets or hypermarkets such as Tesco and Metro AG wielding power over smaller specialty, luxury or organic food outlets whose grip on the industry is significant but currently limited. Accordingly, the financial muscle of industry players differs depending on the type of player. The sheer volume of potential customers in key areas of the food retail industry diminishes the standing of any individual customer. The revenue generated by any particular consumer is minimal, but collectively they represent wider consumer interests and retailers cannot afford to disregard the sensitivities of buyers. Price and convenience are two central concerns however they are not necessarily the principle factors. A rise in health consciousness has driven a growing demand for nutritional quality in food products. The culture of convenience now faces the challenge of a counter-trend in which a shift back towards fresh, simple or traditionally prepared foods undermines the retail position of frozen foods and similar products. The emergence and development of ethical niches adds further momentum to this movement within the industry. The response of food retailers must accommodate such diverse interests. A number of retailers operate incentive schemes for frequent shoppers and this can help secure customer retention. By discouraging movement across retail outlets, consumer mobility is reduced and, in the long term, buyer power can be weakened. Although high brand recognition does not automatically translate into consumer loyalty, if it is supported by a product range in which popular food products are central, the retailer can Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 15 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS often draw indirectly on the loyalty base that manufacturers have established. Specialty, luxury or organic retailers can, due to the high level of product differentiation, justify price levels that would otherwise be unsustainable yet the limited volume of consumers places restraints on the power of such players. Buyer power overall is moderate. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 16 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Supplier power Figure 6: Drivers of supplier power in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Suppliers to the food retail industry include food manufacturers, farmers, and agricultural co-operatives. In order to ensure stability and offset the dangers of local sourcing problems or price fluctuations, large retail companies often maintain relationships with a wide range of suppliers. This diffuses dependency, minimizing the risks to retailers and strengthening their standing in relation to their suppliers. Long term contractual obligations are avoided where possible, and switching costs kept to a minimum. With a firm hold on key distribution channels, the leading retailers can dominate negotiations with certain suppliers. This is often difficult for smaller retailers such as specialist, luxury or organic outlets. The limited number of suppliers in niche areas and the centrality of product quality or preparation type limit’s the available range of sourcing options. With switching costs subsequently higher, the balance of power shifts somewhat from smaller retailers to specialist suppliers. Whilst the need to satisfy consumer demand for popular products bolsters manufacturers, many others face the problem of a high degree of retailer mobility as they switch suppliers in accordance with pricing pressures. The position of many large retail companies has also been strengthened internally with a surge of own brand products sidelining certain suppliers. Suppliers who are able to differentiate their product can wield some power over retailers, should their product be popular with the end consumer. Supplier power overall is moderate. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 17 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS New entrants Figure 7: Factors influencing the likelihood of new entrants in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Large-scale, established retailers hold a natural advantage in operating businesses that benefit significantly from economies of scale, employing aggressive pricing schemes that cannot be matched by smaller retailers. Strong branding exercises and fast paced expansion deepen this asymmetry. Nevertheless, large retailers are not invulnerable to the threat of new entrants. Exit and entry costs within the industry are relatively low, encouraging potential entrants. The rapid growth of health consciousness and a swell of ethical goods form attractive avenues for new entrants seeking to move into a niche area that offers inbuilt protection from pricing pressures and mainstream marketing. Given the presence of many large-scale retailers, and the security of heavy branding, direct head-to-head competition is extremely difficult for new retailers. Strong growth makes the market attractive to prospective new entrants. Overall, the threat of new entrants is moderate. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 18 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Substitutes Figure 8: Factors influencing the threat of substitutes in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR The chief alternative to food retail is food service. Supported by strong marketing campaigns in the case of fast food companies, and cultural traditions with respect to sit-down restaurants, both types represent a relevant alternative for many consumers. However, for the vast majority of people, these accompany food retail rather than replace it. A more direct substitute is found in subsistence agriculture in which individuals or families farm food to provide for their own personal needs. This is no longer common, however, since the emergence of market capitalism and the impact of this substitute on food retail is fractional. Environmental concerns, increasing health consciousness, and fears over political or economic instability may, in the long term, give this substitute a more significant role. However, it is unlikely to threaten food retailers in the foreseeable future being both labor intensive and often involving considerable start-up capital. The threat from substitutes is weak to moderate. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 19 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Rivalry Figure 9: Drivers of degree of rivalry in the food retail industry in Europe, 2009 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Competition is often fierce within the food retail industry. The lack of substantial switching costs for consumers places pressure on retailers to secure their custom and loyalty. The limited level of differentiation across the basic product range pushes larger retailers into competitive pricing policies. The close similarity of players increases rivalry as they attempt to differentiate themselves through products and price to attract customers. Whilst some companies operate in other industries and can absorb the temporary impact of declining food sales, or high supply prices, for many, ood retail lies at the heart of the business. This basic dependency gives rise to aggressive competition. Rivalry is strong overall. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 20 LEADING COMPANIES LEADING COMPANIES Metro AG Table 4: Metro AG: key facts Schluterstrasse 1, 40235 Dusseldorf, DEU 49 211 6886 4252 49 211 6886 2001 www. metrogroup. de December MEO G Frankfurt DATAMONITOR Head office: Telephone: Fax: Website: Financial year-end: Ticker: Stock exchange: Source: company website Metro Group (Metro) is a German trade and retail company organized into independent sales divisions. The group operates 2,195 outlets with approximately 12,350,000 square meters of selling space. It has a presence in 33 countries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The company employs around 300,000 people. Metro operates in four business segments: Metro Cash & Carry, Real, Media Markt and Saturn and Galeria Kaufhof. Metro Cash & Carry is engaged in cash and carry wholesaling. Operating under the brands of Metro and Makro, it is the group's biggest sales division. Metro Cash & Carry's assortment of products is aimed at commercial and wholesale customers. It operates 665 stores in 30 countries. Real offers a range of food products and an assortment of non-food items. The selling space of the Real stores ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 square meters, with store assortments including up to 80,000 items. Real is based on a large-format hypermarket concept and operates 333 hypermarkets in Germany and 108 stores in Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine. Media Markt and Saturn sell consumer electronics across Europe. Galeria Kaufhof operates a chain of department stores in Germany and Belgium. The department stores offer modern lifestyle apparels for men and women and are present in shopping areas and downtown centers. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 21 LEADING COMPANIES In addition to these divisions, Metro provides real estate management services through its subsidiary, Metro Group Asset Management. The company oversees more than 750 properties totaling eight million square meters of commercial space worldwide. It also operates more than 70 shopping centers. Key Metrics The company recorded revenues of $91,119 million in the fiscal year ending December 2009, a decrease of 3. 6% compared to fiscal 2008. Its net income was $722 million in fiscal 2009, compared to a net income of $776 million in the preceding year. Table 5: $ million Metro AG: key financials ($) 2005 77,482. 1 902. 4 40,000. 8 32,613. 0 246,875 2006 83,266. 6 1,658. 9 44,702. 2 36,293. 7 263,794 2007 89,461. 3 1,366. 9 47,099. 4 38,048. 6 275,520 2008 94,493. 6 775. 9 47,034. 0 38,941. 3 290,940 2009 91,118. 8 721. 7 46,814. 3 46,814. 286,091 Revenues Net income (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Employees Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Table 6: â‚ ¬ million Metro AG: key financials (â‚ ¬) 2005 55,722. 0 649. 0 28,767. 0 23,454. 0 2006 59,882. 0 1,193. 0 32,148. 0 26,101. 0 2007 64,337. 0 983. 0 33,872. 0 27,363. 0 2008 67,956. 0 558. 0 33,825. 0 28,005. 0 2009 65,529. 0 519. 0 33,667. 0 33,667. 0 Revenues Net in come (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 22 LEADING COMPANIES Table 7: Ratio Metro AG: key financial ratios 2005 1. 2% 4. 2% 1. 5% (0. 2%) 81. 5% 2. 3% $313,851 $3,655 2006 2. 0% 7. 5% 11. 8% 11. 3% 81. 2% 3. 9% $315,650 $6,289 2007 1. 5% 7. 4% 5. 4% 4. 8% 80. 8% 3. 0% $324,700 $4,961 2008 0. 8% 5. 6% (0. 1%) 2. 3% 82. 8% 1. 6% $324,787 $2,667 2009 0. 8% (3. 6%) (0. 5%) 20. 2% 100. 0% 1. 5% $318,496 $2,523 Profit margin Revenue growth Asset growth Liabilities growth Debt/asset ratio Return on assets Revenue per employee Profit per employee Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Figure 10: Metro AG: revenues & profitability Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 23 LEADING COMPANIES Figure 11: Metro AG: assets & liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 24 LEADING COMPANIES Carrefour S. A. Table 8: Carrefour S. A. : key facts 26 quai Michele, TSA 20016, 92695 Levallois-Perret Cedex, FRA 33 1 55 63 39 00 www. carrefour. com December CA Paris DATAMONITOR Head office: Telephone: Website: Financial year-end: Ticker: Stock exchange: Source: company website Carrefour is one of the leading grocery and consumer goods distribution groups in the world. The group operates more than 15,000 stores. Carrefour's primary grocery formats includes hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discount and convenience stores. Carrefour primarily organizes its business segments based on geographic presence: France; Europe excluding France; Asia; and Latin America. In addition, the group's business operation can be segmented on the basis of its store formats (as mentioned in the previous paragraph). Carrefour is the leading hypermarket retailer in the world. The group operates about 1,302 hypermarket stores across the world, of which 228 hypermarkets are in France, 494 in European countries outside France, 288 in Latin America, and 292 in Asia. In Brazil, the group operates its hypermarket business under the Atacadao brand name; these hypermarkets offer a range of competitively priced companyowned and branded products in both food and non-food categories. In addition, the hypermarkets also offer services like insurance, financial services, home computer support, travel and entertainment reservations and mobile phones. The group operates approximately 2,919 supermarket stores in 11 countries under the banners Carrefour Express, Carrefour market, GB, GS and Champion. The supermarkets offer a wide selection of mostly food products and some non-food products related to apparel, culture and leisure, and tableware. Carrefour's hard discount segment, Dia, operates about 6,252 hard discount stores in Spain, France (under Ed and Dia brands), Portugal (under Minipreco brand), Greece, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil and China. The group's hard discount stores offer a range of food, basic health, and cleaning products at discounted rates. Europe – Food Retail Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 25 LEADING COMPANIES The group's other activities comprise convenience stores, cash and carry foodservice stores, and ecommerce retail format. Carrefour operates about 4,813 convenience stores and 144 cash and carry stores. Convenience stor es are mainly operated by the franchisees under the banners Marche Plus, Shopi, 8 a Huit and Proxi in France; DiperDi in Italy; Carrefour Express and Carrefour GB in Belgium; Carrefour 5 Minut stores in Poland; Carrefour City stores in Spain; and Carrefour Convenient Buy in Thailand. These stores primarily offer a wide selection of food products; these also offer a range of services such as home delivery, dry cleaning, 48-hour photo development, ticket distribution, photocopying, stamps and newspapers. Cash and carry foodservice stores provide wholesale and retail self-service mainly intended for businesses. Carrefour operates cash and carry foodservice stores under the trade name Promocash. Most of the cash and carry stores are operated by franchisees. In addition to the above mentioned store formats, Carrefour also sells its products through various ecommerce websites. Carrefour operates an online grocery store, Ooshop, a leading French online supermarket in terms of sales. It allows customers to shop on the Internet, and select from product listings including fresh and frozen items, at the same price as they would pay in Carrefour's hypermarkets, with the added benefit of home delivery. Carrefour France hypermarket's non-food website, CarrefourOnline. com, offers products such as leisure products (DVDs, games, software, music, books and more), audio and video, household electrical goods, as well as music downloads and even flower and bicycle delivery. Carrefour. es, the group's e-commerce website in Spain, offers both food and non-food products. Key Metrics The company recorded revenues of $119,533 million in the fiscal year ending December 2009, a decrease of 2. 6% compared to fiscal 2008. Its net income was $608 million in fiscal 2009, compared to a net income of $2,140 million in the preceding year. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 26 LEADING COMPANIES Table 9: $ million Carrefour S. A. : key financials ($) 2005 116,399. 7 2,199. 8 64,311. 1 51,259. 436,474 2006 121,561. 3 3,381. 2 66,093. 8 48,356. 4 456,295 2007 128,305. 2 3,447. 4 72,212. 0 57,385. 0 490,042 2008 122,678. 1 2,139. 7 72,420. 6 57,191. 7 495,000 2009 119,532. 5 607. 7 71,685. 0 56,229. 5 495,000 Revenues Net income (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Employees Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Table 10: â‚ ¬ million Carrefour S. A. : key fi nancials (â‚ ¬) 2005 83,710. 0 1,582. 0 46,250. 0 36,864. 0 2006 87,422. 0 2,431. 6 47,532. 0 34,776. 0 2007 92,272. 0 2,479. 2 51,932. 0 41,269. 0 2008 88,225. 2 1,538. 8 52,082. 0 41,130. 0 2009 85,963. 0 437. 0 51,553. 0 40,438. 0 Revenues Net income (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Table 11: Ratio Carrefour S. A. : key financial ratios 2005 1. 9% 2. 8% 9. 4% 7. 5% 79. 7% 3. 6% $266,682 $5,040 2006 2. 8% 4. 4% 2. 8% (5. 7%) 73. 2% 5. 2% $266,409 $7,410 2007 2. 7% 5. 5% 9. 3% 18. 7% 79. 5% 5. 0% $261,825 $7,035 2008 1. 7% (4. 4%) 0. 3% (0. 3%) 79. 0% 3. 0% $247,835 $4,323 2009 0. 5% (2. 6%) (1. 0%) (1. 7%) 78. 4% 0. 8% $241,480 $1,228 Profit margin Revenue growth Asset growth Liabilities growth Debt/asset ratio Return on assets Revenue per employee Profit per employee Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 27 LEADING COMPANIES Figure 12: Carrefour S. A. : revenues & profitability Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Figure 13: Carrefour S. A. : assets & liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 28 LEADING COMPANIES Lidl Dienstleistung Table 12: Lidl Dienstleistung: key facts Rotelstrasse 30, 74166 Neckarsulm, DEU 49 732 30 6060 www. idl. de December DATAMONITOR Head office: Telephone: Website: Financial year-end: Source: company website Lidl & Schwarz Stiftung (Lidl) operates a chain of grocery stores. The company primarily operates in Europe. Lidl operates about 6,800 deep-discount department stores and no-frills Lidl supermarkets throughout Europe. In Germany it operates about 3,100 stores. The company offers about 800 different products in its stores mostly under Lidl's own brand. These include dairy products, frozen foods, sausages, fresh meat and poultry, fruit and veg delivered fresh every day, and a range of breads. Lidl is also expanding its presence into Denmark, Hungary, Norway, and Slovenia. Key Metrics Financial information for this company is unavailable. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 29 LEADING COMPANIES Tesco PLC Table 13: Head office: Telephone: Website: Financial year-end: Ticker: Stock exchange: Source: company website Tesco PLC: key facts New Tesco House, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN8 9SL, GBR 44 1992 632 222 www. tescoplc. com February TSCO London DATAMONITOR Tesco is a leading food and grocery retailer. The company operates 4,331 stores in 14 countries worldwide. It operates in the UK, other European countries, the US and Asia. The company operates in a single segment: retail. However, Tesco's operations can be examined by the store formats operated by it: Express, Metro, Superstore, Extra and Homeplus. The company has over 960 Express stores (up to 3,000 sq ft) offering fresh food at convenient locations. These stores sell a range of up to 7,000 products including fresh produce, wines and spirits and bakery products. The company has over 170 Metro stores (approximately 7,000-15,000 sq ft) in town and city centre locations. It offers a tailored range of food products including ready-meals and sandwiches. Tesco operates about 450 superstores (approximately 20,000-50,000 sq ft) at which it offers food as well non-food products such as DVDs and books. Tesco's Homeplus stores (approx. 35,000-50,000 sq ft) are dedicated to non-food including clothing. Tesco has more than 175 Extra stores (approximately 60,000 sq ft and above) which offer a variety of food and non-food product lines ranging from electrical equipment to homewares, clothing, health and beauty, and seasonal items such as garden furniture. Additionally, about 115 Extra and Homeplus stores have opticians and around 270 of them have pharmacies. In addition to stores, Tesco offers retailing services through its online shopping channels, tesco. com and Tesco Direct. The company also provides broadband internet connections (Tesco broadband) and telecommunications services (Tesco Mobile and Home Phone) through a 50-50 joint venture with O2, a mobile phone company. Tesco also provides financial services through Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) which offers a choice of 28 products ranging from savings accounts and credit cards to car and travel insurance. All its financial products are also available for online purchase. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 30 LEADING COMPANIES Key Metrics The company recorded revenues of $84,676 million in the fiscal year ending February 2009, an increase of 14. 9% compared to fiscal 2008. Its net income was $3,376 million in fiscal 2009, compared to a net income of $3,320 million in the preceding year. Table 14: $ million Tesco PLC: key financials ($) 2005 57,602. 2 3,042. 4 31,811. 6 17,695. 242,980 2006 67,234. 5 3,553. 7 35,167. 3 20,447. 6 273,024 2007 66,461. 4 2,959. 8 38,664. 9 22,188. 6 318,283 2008 73,720. 0 3,319. 9 47,014. 4 28,463. 7 345,737 2009 84,675. 6 3,376. 0 71,779. 5 52,460. 3 364,015 Revenues Net income (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Employees Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Table 15: ? million Tesco PLC: key financials (? ) 2005 36,957. 0 1,952. 0 20,410. 0 11,353. 0 2006 43,137. 0 2,280. 0 22,563. 0 13,119. 0 2007 42,641. 0 1,899. 0 24,807. 0 14,236. 0 2008 47,298. 0 2,130. 0 30,164. 0 18,262. 0 2009 54,327. 0 2,166. 46,053. 0 33,658. 0 Revenues Net income (loss) Total assets Total liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 31 LEADING COMPANIES Table 16: Ratio Tesco PLC: key financial ratios 2005 5. 3% 10. 1% 10. 9% 6. 4% 55. 6% 10. 1% $237,066 $12,521 2006 5. 3% 16. 7% 10. 5% 15. 6% 58. 1% 10. 6% $246,259 $13,016 2007 4. 5% (1. 1%) 9. 9% 8. 5% 57. 4% 8. 0% $208,812 $9,299 2008 4. 5% 10. 9% 21. 6% 28. 3% 60. 5% 7. 7% $213,226 $9,602 2009 4. % 14. 9% 52. 7% 84. 3% 73. 1% 5. 7% $232,616 $9,274 Profit margin Revenue growth Asset growth Liabilities growth Debt/asset ratio Return on assets Revenue per employee Profit per employee Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Figure 14: Tesco PLC: re venues & profitability Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 32 LEADING COMPANIES Figure 15: Tesco PLC: assets & liabilities Source: company filings DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 33 MARKET FORECASTS MARKET FORECASTS Market value forecast In 2014, the European food retail industry is forecast to have a value of $2,477. 4 billion, an increase of 49% since 2009. The compound annual growth rate of the industry in the period 2009–14 is predicted to be 8. 3%. Table 17: Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 CAGR: 2009–14 Source: Datamonitor Europe food retail industry value forecast: $ billion, 2009–14 $ billion 1,663. 1 1,811. 4 1,978. 0 2,161. 3 2,359. 7 2,477. â‚ ¬ billion 1,196. 1 1,302. 7 1,422. 5 1,554. 3 1,697. 0 1,781. 6 % Growth 8. 5% 8. 9% 9. 2% 9. 3% 9. 2% 5. 0% 8. 3% DATAMONITOR Figure 16: Europe food retail industry value forecast: $ billion, 2009–14 Source: Datamonitor DATAMONITOR Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Pag e 34 APPENDIX APPENDIX Methodology Datamonitor Industry Profiles draw on extensive primary and secondary research, all aggregated, analyzed, cross-checked and presented in a consistent and accessible style. Review of in-house databases – Created using 250,000+ industry interviews and consumer surveys and supported by analysis from industry experts using highly complex modeling & forecasting tools, Datamonitor’s in-house databases provide the foundation for all related industry profiles Preparatory research – We also maintain extensive in-house databases of news, analyst commentary, company profiles and macroeconomic & demographic information, which enable our researchers to build an accurate market overview Definitions – Market definitions are standardized to allow comparison from country to country. The parameters of each definition are carefully reviewed at the start of the research process to ensure they match the requirements of both the market and our clients Extensive secondary research activities ensure we are always fully up-to-date with the latest industry events and trends Datamonitor aggregates and analyzes a number of secondary information sources, including: National/Governmental statistics International data (official international sources) National and International trade associations Broker and analyst reports Company Annual Reports Business information libraries and databases Modeling & forecasting tools – Datamonitor has developed powerful tools that allow quantitative and qualitative data to be combined with related macroeconomic and demographic drivers to create market models and forecasts, which can then be refined according to specific competitive, regulatory and demand-related factors Continuous quality control ensures that our processes and profiles remain focused, accurate and up-to-date Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 35 APPENDIX Industry associations Global Food Marketing Institute 655 15th Street, NW, Washington DC, 20005 Tel. : 001 202 452 8444 Fax: 001 202 429 4519 www. fmi. org/ CIES — The Food Business Forum 7, rue de Madrid 75008 Paris FRANCE Tel. : 0033 1 4469 8484 Fax: 0033 1 4469 9939 www. ciesnet. com EuroCommerce Avenue des Nerviens 9-31, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel. : 0032 2 737 0598 Fax: 0032 2 230 0078 www. eurocommerce. be Related Datamonitor research Industry Profile Food Retail in Western Europe Food Retail in Asia-Pacific Food Retail in the US Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 36 APPENDIX Disclaimer All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Datamonitor plc. The facts of this report are believed to be correct at the time of publication but cannot be guaranteed. Please note that the findings, conclusions and recommendations that Datamonitor delivers will be based on information gathered in good faith from both primary and secondary sources, whose accuracy we are not always in a position to guarantee. As such Datamonitor can accept no liability whatever for actions taken based on any information that may subsequently prove to be incorrect. Europe – Food Retail  © Datamonitor. This profile is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied 0201 – 2058 – 2009 Page 37 ABOUT DATAMONITOR ABOUT DATAMONITOR The Datamonitor Group is a world-leading provider of premium global business information, delivering independent data, analysis and opinion across the Automotive, Consumer Markets, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Logistics & Express, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare, Retail, Technology and Telecoms industries. Combining our industry knowledge and experience, we assist over 6,000 of the world’s leading companies in making better strategic and operational decisions. Delivered online via our user-friendly web platforms, our market intelligence products and services ensure that you will achieve your desired commercial goals by giving you the insight you need to best respond to your competitive environment. Premium Reports Datamonitor's premium reports are based on primary research with industry panels and consumers. 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