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Graze TOWS Analysis

During this weeks group meeting, we began working on a TOWS analysis for our company. Here is a preview of what we had started:

Opportunities

  1. No barriers to trade in the EU
  2. General push towards healthier eating
  3. More communication- increased internet and mobile phone usage
 Threats

  1. Exchange rates
  2. Recession- recovery isn’t as good as predicted

 
Strengths

  1. Capital
  2. Strong Market
  3. Based on relationship marketing- repeat customers feel valued
  4. Healthy and Sutainable goods
 Critical Success Factors

S1.O1. Possible expansion into the EU due to previous success expanding in the USA and large amounts to capital to fund the venture.

S4.O2. Society moving towards healthier lifestyles, pushed by political figures and the NHS which could boost the sales of their healthier products

 Critical Success Factors

S3.T2. The recession has not hit Graze as much as other businesses, meaning their growth has continued because of factors like their loyal customer base.

S1.T2. They have enough money to survive the recession and keep investing.
Weaknesses

  1. High prices
  2. Reliant on Royal Mail
  3. Specialist target market
  4. Lack of physical presence
  5. New competition has a low start up cost
  6. Suppliers abroad
 Critical Success Factors

W4.O3. Due to Graze operating online with no physical presence the increased internet and mobile phone usage can increase their customer numbers.

W5.O1. This will enable them to pioneer new business in other countries before competitors secure the market.

 Critical Success Factors

W6.T1.

W2.T2. They can only deliver when the Royal Mail is in service. The recession can cause increased issues such as strikes and redundancies causing more problems for deliveries. They have the capital to start their own delivery service.

Each group member has contributed for this analysis, which was a continuation of our macro analysis. Also during this week´s group meeting we began thinking and sketching a rough draft of our infographic.

PESTLE Analysis

Each member undertook perfectly their corresponding parts (stated in last week’s blog post) of the macro environment. Here’s a brief overview of this section, which will be fulfilled in much greater detail in the infographic:

POLITICAL ECONOMICAL SOCIAL
New deal with WTO – lead to removal of barriers for exportation. This encourages Graze to expand their market to other countries as it has done with the United States. Economic trends (e.g. coming out of recession) – this allows a wider number of people to purchase these healthy snacks. Desire for healthy snacking is increasing.
The NHS 5-a-day scheme – encourages society in general to try and combat health problems associated with not eating enough. Taxation – Online stores have been a difficult area for the government as they are hard to keep track on their taxation. Consumers moving away from three set meals a day to more frequent snacking.
  Exchange rates (Supply) – Not all ingredients are domestic, therefore it requires a good international exchange rate to the British pound, in order to maintain their level of costs. People have less time to buy food due to longer working hours. The convenience of Graze attracts customers with limited time to spare.

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TECHNOLOGICAL LEGAL ENVIRONMENTAL
Packaging – Rise of new materials and special machinery sophisticates automation and maximises efficiency to reduce costs. National Minimum Wage increased. Packaging – most is recyclable and made of recycled materials, and there’s a special type of reusable glue.
Internet access connectivity – 74% of urban internet users use social media. Shared parental leave has been implemented and also parental leave has increased to eighteen. Recyclable Ethos – Graze have a strong feeling about recycling and what it can do for the environment.
Rate of technological change – increase usage of online shopping. You can now, as a man, take time off for antenatal appointments.  Premises – Having a premise which uses sustainable energy such as solar power etc.
Quality control – new technologies make it easier to follow international standards.   

Blog Entry 1 – w/c 6th October 2014

Why did we choose to audit Graze?

When looking for companies within the Crisp/Savory snack market, there did not seem to be any companies that stood out to us as a unique, fresh company, that would interest us. We brainstormed looking at lots of different companies, but settled on Graze as it would tick all of the boxes for our group. When researching into the company we discovered that one of the 7 founding members attended UWE.

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/alumni/profiles/artscreativeandeducation/benjones.aspx

Our Group

Arun Bharaj  |  Jack Fry  |  Joao Wang  |  Ryan Borgman  |  David Velazquez

Where are we so far?

3 weeks in, and each member of our 5 man group has been given the task to undertake one part of a Macro and Micro audit. Below is who is responsible for what part of the audit.

Macro – PESTLE Analysis:

  • Political/Legal  – Jack Fry
  • Economic – Joao Wang
  • Social – Ryan Borgman
  • Technological – David Velazquez
  • Environmental – Arun Bharaj

Micro Analysis:

  • Competitors – Ryan Borgman
  • New Entrants – David Velazquez
  • Suppliers – Jack Fry
  • Buyers – Joao Wang
  • Substitutes – Arun Bharaj

Action Plan

We will be posting 3 blogs in the next 3 weeks.

  • w/c 6th October 2014
  • w/c 13th October 2014
  • w/c 20th October 2014

At the end of the audit we will produce an infographic which will have contributions from each member of the group on it. The infographic will be no bigger than A3.