Objective

• Company D, a key player in the European retail market, needed to gain a deeper understanding of the business practices of its top 5 key competitors in major markets.

Industry Focus

• Retail

Geographic Coverage

• UK
• France
• Spain
• Germany
• Italy

Main Sources of Knowledge

• Executives of target companies
• Other direct & indirect competitors
• Suppliers (raw materials, packaging, labor, components, etc)
• Distributors, dealers, wholesalers, retailers
• Other business partners (investor groups, affiliates, JVs, etc)
• Advertising agencies or media partners
• Retail trade association
• Government agencies (trade department, business bureau, etc.)
• Key opinion leaders (KOLs), industry experts, analysts

Key Research Topics (per market)

A.  Market performance (2003-2005)

• Total revenues (value & volume)
• Revenue segmentation by key product line
• Discussion of market performance & trends
• Discussion of expected performance & growth targets in 2005
• Identification of cash cows and growth engines

B.  Advertising activities

• Total advertising budget
• Segmentation per product or division (where applicable)
• Segmentation by type of ad (print, TV, radio, etc)
• Discussion of expected increase/decrease in ad spending

C.  Organization structure

• Identify key executive and management positions
• Identify personnel distribution within the sales division

D.  Distribution Structure

• Description of distribution structure, process and terms of trade
• Profile of top 3-5 distributors/dealers

1. company name & background
2. geographic coverage or scope
3. products handled
4. distribution resources (equipment, vehicles, assets, etc)
5. distribution costs & margins (best effort basis)
6. other services offered

E.  Promotion and merchandising policies

• Discussion of key promotion & merchandising activities, practices (for further clarification with client)

Estimated Person-Hours Spent (per market)

• 500 - 600 hours

Project Timeframe

• 8 weeks

Deliverable

• Written report & analysis in MS Word document
• Presentation in MS PowerPoint at client's office