Executive Summary
Paul Roberts, the owner of Runner’s Choice in London, has run into a recurring issue dealing with his customers. Runners’ Choice is a shoe store that sells products specifically to regular runners. They sell products such as running shoes, walking shoes, cross-training shoes, shirts, shorts, jackets, hats, gloves, watches, running tights and pants, water bottle belts, concentrated carbohydrate gels and bars, heart-rate monitors, sunglasses, books and magazines for runners.
Roberts realized that customers were confusing his store with The Running Room and was worried that his promotional and advertising efforts were being wasted and benefiting his chief competitor. Roberts decided that he needed to create a plan and implement it be the end of the year so customers were not getting confused.
We first analysed Runners’ Choice internal operations and decided what functions were benefiting them and which were hindering them. Second, we analysed Runners’ Choice’s external environment, taking into account political, economic, socio cultural, technological factors and decided which factors can been seen as opportunities and which are threats to the business. We then compared Runners’ Choice with their chief competitor, The Runners Room, and decide what competitive advantages each business had.
We then made an assessment of the situation and offered alternative strategies to deal with the confusion that customers felt towards both businesses. Our alternatives included hiring Allan Brooks, a former owner of Runners’ Choice store locations, to use his skills for promotion purposes and organizing race events. Our second alternative was to change the Yellow Pages listing for Runners’ Choice to overshadow The Running Room’s listing. The last alternative ...