The article discusses how JD sports, the Britain’s leading sportswear retailer uses the ‘4Ps’ to outgrow itself. 4Ps includes ‘product’, a good or service’s function and feature. JD works with suppliers worldwide to create their own-brand products. ‘Price’ can be the money that costs to manufacture or create the products. It can also be the profit that products bring. JD buys a large volume of stock, so the money it costs is lower than the other smaller retailers. ‘Place is the location they sell the products. It can be either physical places or on the internet.
JD makes a wise investment on on-line shopping which brings them lots of profit. ‘Promotion’ establishes consumer awareness which brings customers to be loyal to their products. JD uses the combination of the above-the-line, such as media commercials outdoors advertisements and below-the-line such as e-mail marketing to remain itself as a market leader. ‘Marketing: Product and Price’ Introduction to business pp. 298-301 In the article, the author discusses the two main elements in marketing ‘product’ and ‘price’.
Product differentiation is the idea that companies create the image to let the consumers think that the products that the companies produce are different from the competitors. The four general categories: convenience, shopping, specialty and unsought that based on consumer purchasing behavior are the system that provide marketers a better criteria to analyze the target audience. Other than the criteria, packaging is a strategy that consist seven key elements to assist companies to sell more product. Branding is a name symbol to identify the companies from other competitors.
Product development process is the term that companies stay to persist themselves in the market. Madura, J. (2007) ‘Sales Promotion’ Introduction to business 4th Ed, pp538-541 The author proposes that sale promotion is an effective way to influence customers’ decisions when purchasing good. The article introduces five most common sales promotion strategies. ‘Rebate’ is a refund that goes directly back to customers. The companies use this method because some retailers may not pass on the refund, and the customers will not be benefit from it. Coupons’ is a strategy that encourages customers to purchase the same products from the same companies. It will increase brand loyalty. ‘Sampling’ is a strategy that customers get to try the products’ quality before purchasing them. ‘Displays’ is a way that used in stores to attract purchase. ‘Premiums’ means gifts or prize that comes with specific purchased items. From Servicescape to consumptionscape: A photo-Elicitation study of Starbucks in the new china. The term “servicescape” was used to known as the human built environment that proposed by Bitner.
However, now is understood to include design factors, such as layout, furnishing, and decoration, and the surrounding such as lighting and temperature. Starbucks is particularly relevant and qualifies to this concept. Other than the fine layout, decoration and surrounding, Starbucks’ global strategy also focus on what’s called ‘consumer experience’. The concept includes not only the product that Starbucks sell but also the surrounding such as background music, the aromas of coffee in the air, and the interactions with the store employees.
