The Complexity of Mother and Daughter Relationships in...

The Complexity of Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club Since the beginning of time the mother and daughter relationship has been complex. The book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is a great example of the mother and daughter relationship. In the book Amy Tan writes about four women who migrate to America from China. All of the women were in search of a better life since the lives they had in China were not what they wanted for themselves. Even though all of the women did not know each other until they met in America, they all share the same horrible memories of their past. The book mainly focuses on the expectations, hopes, and dreams that the women and their daughters have for themselves. Even though at†¦show more content†¦Suyuan has a very difficult life that no one really knows about other than the other women in the joy luck club. Suyuan is the founder of the joy luck club. She started it during the war in Kweilin. Suyuans first husband was a soldier, so Suyuan was left at home to basically fend for herself and her tw o twin babies. In order to not give up hope and take her mind off of what was going on around her she formed the joy luck club. The club consisted of four women who were young and had a lot in common with Suyuan; My idea was to have a gathering of four women, one for each corner of my mah jong table.(Tan 10). The club gave the women chance to talk, share food and try to forget what was going on around them, while playing mah jong which is a card game. After a while Suyuan was forced to run for her life and ended up abandoning her two girls for fear that they would die if they went with her on her long journey. On her long journey she met her husband and they fled to America with hopes of a better life. Jing-mei who is the daughter of Suyuan. Jing-mei is born in America unlike her mom who was born in China. Jing-mei has joined the Joy Luck Club recently to replace her mother who has just passed away. Her mothers friends have asked Jing-mei to join the club because they feel she will make the table stable wither her presence, Jing-mei must replace her at the table to restore the balance and support the dynamicShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between Mother and Daughter in The Rule of the Game1103 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Rules of the Game† by Amy Tan is about Waverly Jong mother taught her the art of invisible strength when she was six years old, saying that it is a strategy for winning arguments and respect. At Christmas Waverly and her brothers received gifts from donations of members from another church. Waverly convinced her brothers, Winston and Vincent, to let her play chess by offering two of her life savers to stand in for the missing pieces. Waverly beg an playing with Lau Po, an old man who played chess

Business Law Final Essay - 2880 Words

Title Course Instructor Date Women’s Progression Through Employment and Labor Laws The United States of America is known as the land of the free and home of the brave. Americans are privileged to live in a society where there are laws created and continuously enforced to ensure the protection of the citizens’ rights. Law-breakers have consequences and punished for their wrongdoings and not obeying the law. The government is expected and challenged to practice equality in all decisions that are made. President Abraham Lincoln paved the way towards ending racial segregation by signing the Emancipation Proclamation, which stated, â€Å"All men are created equal†. Unfortunately, it did not read, â€Å"All people are created equal†. Many†¦show more content†¦Women also supplied the Union troops with food, clothing, and cash from fundraisers. Around 20,000 women worked directly for the Union war effort. Wanting to take part in the war, more than 400 women disguised themselv es as men in order to fight in the Union and Confederate armies in the Civil War (Women in the Civil War, 2012). After the Civil War, many women who lost their husbands during the war had to earn their own income for their family to survive. Although working for far less than the minimum wage, women eventually started working in the manufacturing industries. More than 20,000 women served in the armed forces during World War I. Unfortunately, women were not given rank or privileges although they wore the same military uniform. This proved they were still not considered equal as men. However, their service in the military and how the women took care of the home and worked while their husbands were at war was noteworthy towards women’s cause for equality. World War II was devastating to the nation and it had several overwhelming impacts. The war also had a long lasting, positive impact on women and their gender roles. Women first officially joined the military during this time to serve as nurses and Air Force pilots. The women pilots, called the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs), were the first women military pilots in history. They were extremelyShow MoreRelatedBusiness Law Final Paper2895 Words   |  12 Pages Final Paper – Acme Fireworks As the manager for Acme Fireworks, I have been asked to determine if common law or the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) will govern the contracts entered into by Acme Fireworks. In addition, I am to analyze whether the five essential elements of a contract have been met. Acme Fireworks is currently licensed as a sole proprietorship. As such, I will examine any potential personal liability they may have if a spectator was to get injured during a firework display. FurtherRead MoreBusiness Law Case Study Final Paper2080 Words   |  9 PagesFinal Paper Case Study 11 In the Final Paper (Case Study) it speaks to the following case and circumstances. Knarles and Barkley are father and son respectively. Barkley is seventeen years old. They operate a facilities maintenance company that regularly does business in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The company is based in Maryland. They have a number of contracts with building owners where they have agreed to provide building maintenance to both residential and commercialRead MoreBusiness Law Final Exam. Kellogg Business School1898 Words   |  8 PagesLaw and Corporate Managers – Prof. Larry Franklin Question Two A. (i) For refusal In order to honor the LC, the Seller has to comply exactly with the terms of the letter of credit. There are numerous typo errors in the LC and misspellings of the destination port and the Seller name, hence only a waiver of the discrepancies from JFTC will enable Bank of China to pay the Seller. As long as the waiver is not received, the BOC cannot make any payments. BOC has to state why it is not going toRead MoreFinal Paper for Business Law I on Alternative Dispute Resolution.2410 Words   |  10 PagesAlternative Dispute Solution Business Law I 311 Legal provisions in any territory ensure that citizens are protected from offense by others or that their properties are equally protected. Such offenses are at times inevitable leading to individuals and parties being in disputes. 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It was through the useful knowledge provided in these articles that we as a team of hospital leaders were able to inform ourselves on the dangers that can be associated with both breaking an employee’s contract and fighting against the union of these employees. As written on the homepage of the website, â€Å"The Harvard Business Law Review and Harvard Business Law Review Online together aim to be the premier sources for articles concerning laws governing business organizationRead MoreLaw Firm Of Firm Law1567 Words   |  7 PagesLaw firm of Firm Law LLP Sole proprietorship, partnerships, and corporations are just a few different organization entities that people use when starting a new business. One can change from one business type into another using proper paperwork and by abiding state rules and regulations. There are various factors to consider when starting a business such as the nature of the business being started, the business type, investments or funding, and employees. 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Trainspotting Free Essays

The Uncanny in Trainspotting I am interested in analyzing the â€Å"repression† element of the term uncanny in the way it is used in the â€Å"cold turkey† scene of Trainspotting. Repression is the way in which one pushes a memory or feeling to the back of one’s mind, in the hope that it will never come about in one’s train of thought again. If it does however, it would create an uncomfortable and unnerving situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Trainspotting or any similar topic only for you Order Now Trainspotting revolves around characters that are aiming to repress life itself by shooting up heroin all hours of the day. The â€Å"cold turkey† scene of this movie in particular is the most uncanny scene of all because it encompasses many of the thoughts and emotions that Renton, the main character, is trying to repress, but is forced to face. Paranoia, depression, hallucinations, and zombie babies are all a part of this timeless scene that truly leaves the viewer in an uneasy and ambivalent state of mind. Danny Boyle does not waste time easing the audience into Renton’s withdrawal symptoms, but rather throws them right into the scene. From the second Renton is locked in his room, a feeling of uncanniness sweeps over the audience, for as awful as Renton may feel, the audience is left unsympathetic to the whole situation. Renton, as he states throughout the film, is a bad person, and the audience will never sympathize with the bad person. Therefore, as the scene progresses, there is a sense of cognitive dissonance between wanting to feel sorry for Renton, and feeling that he is getting what he deserves. The uncanniness of the scene continues as Renton’s bedroom comes into perspective. It takes place in his childhood room which is covered in trains. It is uncanny that Renton is locked in a room like this, for it perfectly embodies the theme of the movie. The word â€Å"trainspotting† has many meanings, all of which can be applied to Renton’s life. First, it literally stands for one who spots trains and takes note of when it comes and goes, which therefore translates to an utterly useless life. It also refers to the track marks that are left in the veins after shooting up. Users typically shoot along one main vein, therefore adapting the term, â€Å"station to station,† to this action. A child’s bedroom is typically a place of innocence and safety, however in Renton’s case, it is his doomed sarcophagus. His bed soon starts moving backwards, and the room starts elongating, as if to personify the notion that Renton is being pulled into limbo where he will be forced to face the reality of his oncoming hallucinations. What he soon starts seeing is rather uncanny, for he believes he is being visited by his family and friends, but in reality they are all figments of his imagination made up in his ongoing heroin derived/deprived mind. In particular, he imagines his friend Diane singing the song â€Å"Temptation. † It is coincidental that she is singing this song because it is about being enamored and drawn to certain people and situations, but having to cope with the reality that they or it will no longer be there. The crawling, dead baby is another vital character of Renton’s hallucination. Baby Dawn, whom Renton has repressed his feelings for since her poor demise, crawls across the room, stops right above Renton’s body, and stares lifelessly into his eyes. The term uncanny is most brilliantly personified through this scene because this baby that was once familiar to Renton, is now altered, creepy, and morbid, creating immense uneasiness due to the uncertainty of her state of being. Danny Boyle masterfully articulates the horrors of withdrawals in the â€Å"cold turkey† scene of Trainspotting, which is why it is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. This was only achieved, however, through the presence of the uncanny, for it was the quintessential factor that made the scene that much more insightful and visceral. How to cite Trainspotting, Papers

Kmart Marketing Plan free essay sample

Kmart Marketing Plan Kmart Department Stores are a leading department chain and one of the top five competitors to Wal-Mart and Target Stores. Kmart Department Stores are brick and mortar merchandise companies, which offer a wide range of services to its customers. Online shopping and in-store merchandise pickup are some of conveniences offered to shoppers. Kmart Department Stores is the company selected for final marketing plan project. They are a leading department chain and one of the top five competitors to Wal-Mart and Target Stores. Kmart Department Stores are brick and mortar merchandise companies, which offer a wide range of services to its customers. Online shopping and in-store merchandise pickup are some of conveniences offered to shoppers. They are a subsidiary of Sears and Roebucks a leading department store chain. Kmart is similar to Wal-Mart in offering household goods, pharmacy, clothes, shoes, electronics, and one stop shopping to its customers. â€Å"The company also sells the products of brands including Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer and Martha Stewart Every day†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Kmart apparel and textile business news, Kmart company (n. . ). Retrieved from https: Kmart apparel and textile business news, Kmart Company. It also sells certain exclusive brands of its parent company such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and Diehard brand products, and services. Kmart sells its products through wholly owned retail stores and its website. The company primarily operates in the US, Puerto Rico and Guam. Kmart is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation with headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. â€Å"America is teeming with Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other â€Å"big-box† chain stores — some larger than five football fields. Millions of consumers like the low prices, free parking and one-stop shopping convenience offered by the megastores. Policymakers know the stores create jobs, enable customers to save money for other expenditures and pump much-needed tax dollars into community coffers. † â€Å"Critics also say they create added traffic congestion and suburban sprawl, force U. S. companies to ship high-paying manufacturing jobs overseas and cost more in community services than the taxes they generate. † They are a subsidiary of Sears and Roebucks a leading department store chain. Kmart is similar to Wal-Mart in offering household goods, pharmacy, clothes, shoes, electronics, and one stop shopping to its customers. â€Å"The company also sells the products brands including Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer and Martha Stewart Every day†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Kmart apparel and textile business news, Kmart company (n. d. ). Retrieved from https: Kmart apparel and textile business news, Kmart Company. It also sells certain exclusive brands of its parent company such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and Diehard brand products, and services. Kmart sells its products through wholly owned retail stores and its website. The company primarily operates in the US, Puerto Rico and Guam. Kmart is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation with headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. â€Å"America is teeming with Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other â€Å"big-box† chain stores — some larger than five football fields. Millions of consumers like the low prices, free parking and one-stop shopping convenience offered by the megastores. Policymakers say the stores create jobs, enable customers to save money for other expenditures and pump much-needed tax dollars into community coffers. â€Å"Critics also say they create added traffic congestion and suburban sprawl, force U. S. companies to ship high-paying manufacturing jobs overseas and cost more in community services than the taxes they generate. † Place and Price Analysis Kmart is the #3 discount retailer in the US, behind Wal-Mart and Target. It sells name brand and private-label goods (including its Joe Boxer and Jaclyn Smith labels), p rimarily to low- and mid-income families. It runs about 1,300 off-mall stores (including 30 Supercenters) in 49 US states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. About 270 Kmart stores sell home appliances (including Sears Kenmore brand) and some 980 locations house in-store pharmacies. The company also operates the Kmart. com Website, which includes merchandise from sister company Sears. Kmart is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp. , formed by the 2005 combination of ailing Sears, Roebuck and Kmart. For more than a quarter-century, Kmart had the upper hand; in large part, because it was spun out of an established retail business, S. S. Kresge Co. , a dime store and downtown department store got its start in 1899. Kresge executives recognized an extraordinary new form of retailing emerging in the 1960s; large stores in suburban strip shopping centers that sold a wide variety of merchandise for discount prices. Seventeen more Kmart stores followed that first one by the end of 1962. By the end of 1963, Kmart had 53 stores, while Walton was just planning his second Wal-Mart. As far back as 1992, the Harvard Business Review pointed to Wal-marts well-honed business processes as the key to its success, with technology as an important enabler. In response, Kmart pointed to the chains own technology prowess—Kmart has aggressively moved from an outmoded technological base to a leadership, twenty-first century position in our industry, wrote a Kmart executive—but the ensuing years proved that such proficiency as Kmart had was not enough to remain competitive. In 1992, Kmart said it wanted to have revenue of $100 billion by 2000, but only reached $37 billion. Everyone has emulated their capabilities, but they are probably five or six years ahead of everyone else, says Dan OConnor, chief executive of analyst firm Management Ventures, Inc. Kmart had the tendency to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. † As chronicled in In Sam We Trust by former Wall Street Journal reporter Bob Ortega, Kmart let its lead slip away. In the 1970s and early 80s, Kmart lagged Wal-Mart on adoption of several waves of retail technology, including back-end computers for individual stores, electronic cash registers and scanners that coul d read UPC bar codes. By 1973, the growing Wal-Mart chain had computers in 22 of 64 stores. Kmart did not get serious about putting them in every store until 1978. By 1982, it had computers throughout its stores, but the lack of scanning cash registers meant that sales data was not current. As a result, Wal-Mart got a head start on many elements of supply chain management. The scanning cash registers fed updates to store computers, which adjusted sales and inventory records. Store managers could watch the inventory of a fast-moving item drop and electronically file replenishment orders with Wal-Marts distribution centers. Wal-Marts next logical step was into the world of Electronic Data Interchange, using virtual documents to place orders and receive shipping notices. In the late 1980s, it began supplementing those EDI connections with a system called RetailLink that allowed suppliers to access sales data and projections, and help Wal-Mart plot ways to drive up sales. Today, this electronic networking with business partners would be called an extranet. Retail link started as a proprietary dial-up service, but smoothly evolved into a browser-based system. In contrast, according to one former Kmart IT executive from the mid-1990s, Kmarts first experiments in collaboration with supply chain partners came about at the prompting of suppliers who had been involved in similar projects with Wal-Mart, and not because anyone at Kmart took the initiative. Kmart has achieved some success in its attempts to match up with Wal-Mart. By 1992, the 2,000th vendor had joined Kmarts own EDI network. Kmart won a Smithsonian Award from Computerworld magazine for the second generation of its Information Network, for merchandise, planning, tracking and replenishment. Internally, Wal-Mart focused on keeping its distribution systems lean and mean. The combination of better tracking of demand and inventory, plus electronic links with its suppliers, it was able to maximize the flow of hot products through the system and avoid accumulating duds. Kmart wound up with a split distribution network. Because independent companies, and later an organizationally separate subsidiary originally handled its apparel sales, the soft lines group for apparel and related products had a separate distribution network. Soft lines also had different computer systems than those used by the hardlines group that handled products like appliances. As of the mid-1990s, business analysts still could not generate one report that would give a complete picture of supply and demand—they had to run multiple reports, and then bring the results together in a spreadsheet. Former Kmart CIO David Carlson claims that Kmart caught up technologically during his tenure, and even started to get ahead in areas such as the use of data warehousing. In 1985, he was hired to untangle a point of sale technology project that had flopped. Once it got its scanning cash registers working, Kmart began feeding this new wealth of sales data into an NCR Teradata data warehouse. When Joseph Antonini became CEO in 1987, he announced a $1 billion investment in faster technology adoption. Kmart never used the technology it had to its full potential, Carlson says. â€Å"The data warehouse if used more aggressively could forecast demand, but Kmarts merchandizing executives preferred to trust their own judgment. At the very least, historical data should have been used to determine which products ought to be dropped because they were not selling. Merchants tended to keep broadening the variety of products rather than narrowing in on the ones that sold best, Carlson says. Greg Buzek, who studies retail technology as president of IHL Consulting, says the problem Carlson lamented continued long after he was gone. The data warehouse, which Kmart and NCR recently announced plans to expand to 92 terabytes capacity, will churn out all the information you need about whats selling and whats not, he says. Unless management pays attention to the data, it is worthless. Because they didnt believe the system, they had trucks, and trucks, and trucks of inventory just sitting there. Under Chuck Conaway, those truckloads of inventory no longer sit behind Kmart stores. Their absence is a clear sign that the company has made visible progress toward its goals. Whether this is truly the beginning of a new chapter in Kmarts use of technology to meet or beat its competition remains to be seen. With consumer focus on value and customers wanting to drive differentiation, there has never been a bigger opportunity for private label brands. With opportunity come new expectations that most private label manufacturers have never faced. Demand for insights, true innovation, first-to-market product ideas and category leadership from private label manufacturers. We are here to share our experience in helping private label manufacturers get the maximum impact from their marketing and development budgets, increase profitability through innovation, and anticipate and meet consumer needs and demands. Kmart has examined many different aspects of their marketing campaign—both in-store and through paid media. There’s smart, and there’s Kmart smart,† the mass merchandiser has gained a foothold on the competitive market and established itself as a significant player in the mass merchandising category. These campaigns delivered a message with mass appeal that also engaged each ethnic group. Kmart has also taken extraordinary measures to appeal to consumers hit harder by the recession with their extended laya way program. In September of this year, they expanded their program from eight weeks to 10-12 in order to allow more people to purchase big-ticket items. The program is also available for online sales. Kmart has experienced a turnaround in sales after years of declines with their new sales tactic. Finally, Kmart recently changed the name of their private label line to â€Å"Smart Sense† to support their â€Å"There’s smart, and there’s Kmart smart,† marketing campaign. The line contains everyday household items such as snacks, household cleaners, and beverages. The switch in product name supports the fact that Kmart shoppers are always looking for sale items first. However, they are not always looking for the cheaper item—instead the focus is on quality. By aligning private label messaging with that of value, Kmart has created an appealing synergy between value and savings. Kmart’s new success stems from their efforts in taking a closer look at the products and services their consumers need. With their implementation of private label products for everyday needs, appeal to bargain shoppers and their layaway program to help consumers afford big-ticket items their marketing campaign appeals to the masses and is relatable to the many segments of the Kmart shoppers. ?. Product Analysis Women’s Plus Size Apparel is now in high demand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The brand names they carry are†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Features of this fashion merchandise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ How do the package these items for sale†¦. What are some of the store brand and private label lines and what is their quality. Place and Price Kmart is the #3-discount retailer in the US, behind Wal-Mart and Target. It sells name brand and private-label goods (including its Joe Boxer and Jaclyn Smith labels), primarily to low- and mid-income families. It runs about 1,300 off-mall stores (including 30 Supercenters) in 49 US states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. About 270 Kmart stores sell home appliances (including Sears Kenmore brand) and some 980 locations house in-store pharmacies. The company also operates the Kmart. com Website, which includes merchandise from sister company Sears. Kmart is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp. , formed by the 2005 combination of ailing Sears, Roebuck and Kmart. Kmart Outerwear Merchandise The women’s wear in any department store is usually about the same except for brand names and prices. Kmart is famous for coats for the family, and the average family of four could get coats and jackets for less than $30 per person. Through its alliance with Sears, they have established a market in most family households due to Sears over 100 years of customer service and satisfaction ratings. Kmart coats and jackets are rugged and give many years of service with proper cleaning and warm weather storage of coats or jackets. Although Kmart coats and jackets may not be high-end name brands, their brands such as Levi and Timberland keep their customers returning to shop for quality merchandise at a low price. This is especially true of their women customers who may want several styles and weights for difference seasonal changes. For more than a quarter-century, Kmart had the upper hand; in large part, because it was spun out of an established retail business, S. S. Kresge Co. , a dime store and downtown department store got its start in 1899. Kresge executives recognized an extraordinary new form of retailing emerging in the 1960s; large stores in suburban strip shopping centers that sold a wide variety of merchandise for discount prices. Seventeen more Kmart stores followed that first one by the end of 1962. By the end of 1963, Kmart had 53 stores, while Walton was just planning his second Wal-Mart. As far back as 1992, the Harvard Business Review pointed to Wal-marts well-honed business processes as the key to its success, with technology as an important enabler. In response, Kmart pointed to the chains own technology prowess—Kmart has aggressively moved from an outmoded technological base to a leadership, twenty-first century position in our industry, wrote a Kmart executive—but the ensuing years proved that such proficiency as Kmart had was not enough to remain competitive. In 1992, Kmart said it wanted to have revenue of $100 billion by 2000, but only reached $37 billion. Everyone has emulated their capabilities, but they are probably five or six years ahead of everyone else, says Dan OConnor, chief executive of analyst firm Management Ventures, Inc. ‘Kmart had the tendency to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. † As chronicled in In Sam We Trust by former Wall Street Journal reporter Bob Ortega, Kmart let its lead slip away. In the 1970s and early 80s , Kmart lagged Wal-Mart on adoption of several waves of retail technology, including back-end computers for individual stores, electronic cash registers and scanners that could read UPC bar codes. By 1973, the growing Wal-Mart chain had computers in 22 of 64 stores. Kmart did not get serious about putting them in every store until 1978. By 1982, it had computers throughout its stores, but the lack of scanning cash registers meant that sales data was not current. As a result, Wal-Mart got a head start on many elements of supply chain management. The scanning cash registers fed updates to store computers, which adjusted sales and inventory records. Store managers could watch the inventory of a fast-moving item drop and electronically file replenishment orders with Wal-Marts distribution centers. Wal-Marts next logical step was into the world of Electronic Data Interchange, using virtual documents to place orders and receive shipping notices. In the late 1980s, it began supplementing those EDI connections with a system called Retail Link that allowed suppliers to access sales data and projections, and help Wal-Mart plot ways to drive up sales. Today, this electronic networking with business partners would be called an extranet. Retail link started as a proprietary dial-up service, but smoothly evolved into a browser-based system. In contrast, according to one former Kmart IT executive from the mid-1990s, Kmarts first experiments in collaboration with supply chain partners came about at the prompting of suppliers who had been involved in similar projects with Wal-Mart, and not because anyone at Kmart took the initiative. Kmart has achieved some success in its attempts to match up with Wal-Mart. By 1992, the 2,000th vendor had joined Kmarts own EDI network. Kmart won a Smithsonian Award from Computerworld magazine for the second generation of its Information Network, for merchandise, planning, tracking and replenishment. Internally, Wal-Mart focused on keeping its distribution systems lean and mean. The combination of better tracking of demand and inventory, plus electronic links with its suppliers, it was able to maximize the flow of hot products through the system and avoid accumulating duds. Kmart wound up with a split distribution network. Because independent companies, and later an organizationally separate subsidiary originally handled its apparel sales, the soft lines group for apparel and related products had a separate distribution network. Soft lines also had different computer systems than those used by the hardlines group that handled products like appliances. As of the mid-1990s, business analysts still could not produce one report that would provide a complete picture of supply and demand—they had to run multiple reports, and then bring the results together in a spreadsheet. Former Kmart CIO David Carlson claims that Kmart caught up technologically during his tenure, and even started to get ahead in areas such as the use of data warehousing. In 1985, he was hired to resolve a point of sale technology project that had flopped. Once it got its scanning cash registers working, Kmart began feeding this new wealth of sales data into an NCR Teradata data warehouse. When Joseph Antonini became CEO in 1987, he announced a $1 billion investment in faster technology adoption. Kmart never used the technology it had to its full potential, Carlson says. â€Å"The data warehouse if used more aggressively could forecast demand, but Kmarts merchandizing executives preferred to trust their own judgment. At the very least, historical data should have been used to determine which products ought to be dropped because they were not selling. Merchants tended to keep broadening the variety of products rather than narrowing in on the ones that sold best, Carlson says. Greg Buzek, who studies retail technology as president of IHL Consulting, says the problem Carlson lamented continued long after he was gone. The data warehouse, which Kmart and NCR recently announced plans to expand to 92 terabytes capacity, will churn out all the information you need about whats selling and whats not, he says. Unless management pays attention to the data, it is worthless. Because they didnt believe the system, they had trucks, and trucks, and trucks of inventory just sitting there. Under Chuck Conaway, those truckloads of inventory no longer sit behind Kmart stores. Their absence is a sure sign that the company has made noticeable progress toward its goals. Whether this is actually the beginning of a new era in Kmarts use of technology to meet or exceed its competition remains to be seen. With consumer focus on value and customers wanting to drive differentiation, there has never been a bigger opportunity for private label brands. With opportunity meets new expectations that most private label manufacturers have never faced. Demand for insights, true innovation, first-to-market product ideas and category leadership from private label manufacturers. We are here to share our experience in helping private label manufacturers get the maximum impact from their marketing and development budgets, increase profitability through innovation, and anticipate and meet customer needs and demands. Kmart has examined several different aspects of their marketing campaign—both in-store and through paid media. There’s smart, and there’s Kmart smart,† the mass merchandiser has gained a foothold on the competitive market and established itself as a significant player in the mass merchandising category. These campaigns delivered a message with mass appeal that also engaged each ethnic group. Kmart has also taken extraordinary measures to appeal to consumers hit harder by the recession with their extended layaway program. In September of this year, they expanded their program from eight weeks to 10-12 in order to allow more people to purchase big-ticket items. The program is also available for online sales. Kmart will experience a turnaround in sales after years of declines with their new sales tactic. Finally, Kmart recently changed the name of their private label to â€Å"Smart Sense† to support their â€Å"There’s smart, and there’s Kmart smart,† marketing campaign. The line contains everyday household items such as snacks, household cleaners, and beverages. The switch in product name supports the fact that Kmart shoppers are always looking for sale items first. However, they are not always looking for the cheaper item—instead the focus is on quality. Overall Marketing Strategy Analysis section with a discussion of the companys global marketing strategy, and your analysis of how that will affect their business success. Integrated Marketing Program Analysis section with a discussion of how well integrated their marketing program is, and your analysis of how that will affect their economic success. Recommendations and Management Implications section, with your key recommendations related to the above areas. This should include the impact your recommendations will have on management, such as when and how your recommendations should be implemented. References http://www. baselinemag. com/c/a/Projects-Supply-Chain/How-Kmart-Fell-Behind/ http://research.easybib.com/research/index/search?search=%22By+The+Company%22page=326 http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2004091000 http://www.globalcompanyintelligence.com/ http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synovate http://www.euromonitor.com/india http://www.researchandmarkets.com/ http://www.kmart.com/