Why did Zavvi go under?

A very good example of the suppliers' role in survival. It would be interesting to read what the Zavvi executives did, since they started sensing that Woolworths were about to go on administration. Think of how their Value Chain Analysis and Five Forces Analysis would look like a few months ago.

By the way, one can only admire R. Branson's foresight...

Why did Zavvi go under?
By Martin Shankleman Employment correspondent, BBC News

Zavvi has joined a growing list of High Street casualties in the run-up to Christmas.
These include the closures of MFI and Woolworths, which were confirmed last week, while Whittards and The Officers Club went bust yesterday.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7799204.stm

The trouble with Starbucks

Very Interesting. Lots of stuff to consider: unsustainable growth, expansion strategies, international strategies.


The trouble with Starbucks
By Jenny Wiggins. Portrait by Charlie Bibby
Published: December 12 2008 11:43 Last updated: December 12 2008 11:43

On a dark December morning three years ago, Howard Schultz bounded into a coffee shop in Dublin and started shaking hands with people in red T-shirts and green aprons before peppering them with questions. “Are you all new with Starbucks?” he asked the staff. “Who are the customers, and have they been to Starbucks before?”

Read the whole article at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aa9831ce-c266-11dd-a350-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Virgin unveils next-gen broadband

Example of product development. The broadband market has reached its maturity with no new customers available; and hence Virgin has developed a product development strategy (think of Ansoff's matrix). Reading the article, it is interesting to note how the competition is based on different technologies (impact of macro environment) which have a completely different approach (modem etc). I guess pricing and reliability will determine the winners as switching costs remain low.

Virgin unveils next-gen broadband

Virgin Media has launched its new 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) domestic broadband service.
It doing so it will be the first UK ISP to roll out a next generation broadband service that runs far faster than most others available to UK web users.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7776139.stm

Owner of Five 'eyes bid for C4'

Note how the environmental factors 'from a funding gap as advertising revenue falls' influence network level strategies. Good example of vertical integration.

Owner of Five 'eyes bid for C4'

RTL, the German firm which owns channel Five, is contemplating a takeover bid for Channel 4, a report suggests.
It has asked investment bank JP MorganChase to examine the prospect of the move, The Sunday Times reports.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7782645.stm

Life in UK 'has become lonelier'

Another interesting Socio-Cultural factor.

Life in UK 'has become lonelier'

By Mark Easton BBC Home Editor

Community life in Britain has weakened substantially over the past 30 years, according to research commissioned by the BBC.
Analysis of census data reveals how neighbourhoods in every part of the UK have become more socially fragmented.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7755641.stm