Arguments Against Chinua Acebes An Image of Africa...

Kody Han Mr. Burgess AP Literature and Composition 6 March 2013 An Image of Africa: Not Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ People of dark skin have been wrongly discriminated against by racists for hundreds of years. From the first time Europeans stepped onto Africa and deemed black skin inferior till now, black people have been fighting for the right to be called equal. During the last century Africans have made great strides in fighting against racism. Many black leaders have risen up and confronted those racist against them. However, there are also times when people have gotten up in arms and have attacked others over misunderstandings. An example of this is Chinua Achebe’s essay â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of†¦show more content†¦It makes no sense for Achebe to stretch his information so far to come to this conclusion. It also makes no sense for Achebe to question Conrad’s description of the continent while Conrad has made the trip into the country. Achebe sa ys, â€Å"I will not accept just any traveler’s tales solely on the grounds that I have not made the journey myself† (7). Achebe has never been to the Congo like Conrad has, yet he has the audacity to question what Conrad witnessed there while Achebe’s father was a baby. Achebe accuses Conrad of depicting Africa incorrectly without having ever having stepped foot into the continent, which makes him even more clueless to the Africa of Conrad’s age. He declares that Conrad of making Africans seem more savage than they actually were, while unable to even imagine how they were so long ago. Achebe charges Conrad with racism and ignorance while completely dismissing his own. Although Achebe is a celebrated author, at many points during this essay his arguments are weak, even pathetic because of the irrational conclusions that he comes to. This gives a preview to the carelessness of his essay that becomes evident upon further inspection. In his essay Achebe see ms to forget to (or chooses not to) discuss many factors that go against his argument. He states that Conrad enjoys things that stay in their place. Achebe believes that

The Liberal Party Of Canada - 786 Words

Name, Year, and Major: Jesse Bartsoff, U1 (Second Year), History and Political Science Describe your experience in politics to date (ex: volunteering on a federal or provincial campaign, working for an MP, etc.): As of current, I have actively volunteered with the Liberal Party of Canada for the October 2015 federal election. Specifically, over the summer from May through August 2015, I worked on Connie Denesiuk’s campaign in my home riding of South Okanagan – West Kootenay in British Columbia. This involved weekly canvassing with the candidate and attending meetings with the candidate and local municipal leaders. Due to the riding’s vast geographic area and low population density, it was much different than typical ridings as I was only responsible for volunteering in three of over forty distinct communities in the riding. Nevertheless, actively volunteering for the riding was of extreme interest! Although I am just getting started, I have also become involved with Marc Miller’s campaign by dedicating a few hours canvassing and campaigning at metro stations. From now until the election, I plan on volunteering consistently each week with Marc. What other experience do you have that you feel is relevant to Liberal McGill (ex volunteering for a NGO, leadership positions, etc.): In my first year at McGill, I was elected the Novice Member at Large for the McGill Debating Union. In this leadership position, I was responsible for engaging other first years to join and succeedShow MoreRelatedThe Correlation Of Voters Attitudes About The Liberal Party Of Canada Essay1919 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction In this study, I’m focusing on the correlation of voters’ behaviors about the Liberal party of Canada in the 2015 election. 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Hansel and gretel man vs women Essay Example For Students

Hansel and gretel man vs women Essay Children play an important role in our society. They are the future of the human race and is important that they are taught how to become a man or a woman. It is up to the parents of the children to instill values and to teach their child how to behave. They must explain to them what is right and wrong, and also what to do and not too. Reading fairy tales to children is a good way for parents to bond with their children. But something the parents may not know is the meaning behind fairy tales. Different versions of the same tale may tell a much different story. Both Sextons Hansel and Gretel and Grimms Hansel and Gretel have the same basic plot. Grimms version is for children, while Sextons version is suited towards an older age group. Both fairytales explain how parents should treat their children and also what the different roles of a woman and a man are. Although the stories talk about the same thing their views are different. In Hansel and Gretel male and female children are treated differently and are taught to behave like the typical man or woman. Throughout the Sextons fairytale children are treated much differently than the typical child is treated. All of the adults in the story treat children as though they are property. They use them for what they are good for. Little child, Little nubkin, Sweet as fudge,You are my blitz.I will spit on you for luck, For you are better than money (Sexton, 101)In this quote Sexton is saying how parents have children in order to take advantage of the benefits of having children. If you have children society treats you much differently. You are more like the typical American family. Children can be used to draw attention to their parents. People may approach and be very kind and forgiving because you have children. They understand the hardships of having children and think you are a better person because of it. This quote also shows how innocent children are. Children are not evil until they grow up and are taught how to act. Your child will probably turn out like you. If you are evil, then your child may become evil. If you are a good person then your child will learn this instead. Grimms Hansel and Gretel tells a similar story but teaches much different values. This fairytale is meant to show what will happen to your children if you do not take care and watch after them. Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Mabye someone will find them and give them a home. The stepmother is trying to talk Hansel and Gretels father to get rid of the children. He loves them very much but he also does not want to disobey his wife. Finally she convinces him and leads them into the woods. This story not only tells a tale to children but it teaches parents a lesson. It teaches them to make sure that you are looking after your children. Do not use them as object because they are not property. However if you do treat your children badly something is going to happen to you or them. Until you regret what you have done and all evil has left you, will you then have a true and loving family to live and prosper. In Sextons Hansel and Gretel males play an important role in making decisions and coming up with ideas: Hansel heard this, and took pebbles with him, into the forest. He dropped a pebble every fifth stepHansel had heard his parents talking and had to come up with an idea in order to save him and Gretel. He understood that his stepmother was evil and he was just going to have to find a way home. .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .postImageUrl , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:hover , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:visited , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:active { border:0!important; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:active , .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc9e128f6fa19ac061c02b6dddeca679c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Consequences Of The Black Death Essay Then she took Hansel/ the smarter, the bigger, /the juicier, into the barn (Sexton 103). Hansel never showed any fear. He was always ready for whatever was thrown at him. He played the typical role of a young man growing up. The only other man in the story was very similar to Hansel. His father was a woodcutter, who remarried. It was part of his job to do the hard work around the house and to listen to everything his wife said. He might argue with her but in the long run things will go her way. All night long, the woodcutters wife harped on and on at her husband till, at dawn, he led Hansel and Gretel away from the forest. (Grimms). Although the woodcutter did not want to leave his children in the woods his wife forced him to. He was easily manipulated and convinced by her. The two adult women in this story both play similar roles. They are both evil and are willing to sacrifice people for their own well being or happiness. The wicked stepmother kept Hansel and Gretel under lock all day long with nothing for supper but a sip of water and some hard bread. (Grimms)Both of the women in this story are evil and deceiving. Society defines the role of a woman to nurture her children and to give them all of her love. In this story this is far from how the women treat Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel are treated as thought they are property and they can be passed around until all of their resources are used up. The final solution,their mother told their father,was to lose the children in the forest. We have enough bread for ourselvesbut none for them. Here the stepmother is trying to convince the father that they need to get rid of the children. She sees no need for them anymore and is worried that they will run out of food. Rather than her sharing with her children like a normal mother would she decides to get rid of them. This does not seem to phase her at all. She is just getting rid of something that she owns. The way that society or a story defines a specific group of people is very important. In some stories women are portrayed to be the evil character. In other stories men are. Before reading something you must understand the authors point of view on the material. Both of the fairytales explain ways in which parents should treat their children and what will happen because of this. The Stepmother and the witch were both evil and ended up dieing in the end of the story. The woodcutter was a good person but was convinced by his wife to do things that he would not normally do. Since the woodcutter had a good heart and he was not all evil he ended up living and raising his children under his own rules not those of his evil wife. It is important to follow your own beliefs and not to let someone tell you what is right and wrong.

Love In Lanval Essay Research Paper Love free essay sample

Love In Lanval Essay, Research Paper Love is the cardinal subject of the two narratives Lanval, by Marie De France, and The Prologue and Tale of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffery Chaucer. The writers have really similar sentiments about the nature of love and how people react to being in love. One of the messages conveyed in both narratives is the resistless power that a adult female has over a adult male who is in love with her. The writers use their characters to exemplify the thought that love and sexual desire can easy be used for personal addition. Chaucer and Marie make a strong attempt to associate love to decease in their narratives. The writers use their character s actions and interactions to research both the visible radiation and dark side of how love affects people. Strong adult females are the drive forces behind both of these narratives. We will write a custom essay sample on Love In Lanval Essay Research Paper Love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the prologue to the Wife of Bath s narrative, she tells the group of pilgrims about her five hubbies, and she expounds on her feelings about love and sex. The Wife s beliefs travel against the popular feelings of the clip, particularly among a group of devout spiritual trusters. The Wife makes no effort to conceal the fact that she likes work forces, and one of her standards for a hubby is sexual art. ( Line 610-615 ) The Wife is besides forthright to the group about her desire to get married for money. ( Line 315-322 ) The Wife must contend an acclivitous conflict against the group because she is uneducated and comes from the state. Her cognition comes from life experience, non from analyzing church philosophies like the others. She additions credibleness from the others by sharing these experiences and by the positions that they have helped to determine. Chaucer sets the strong-minded Wife apart from the other, weaker and obedient female characters in the group. Marie De France uses the Queen to acquire her message about love across to the reader. The Queen is a sly, cunning pe rson who sees no job with utilizing love to pull strings the work forces in her life. She used her power over Lanval to drive a cuneus between he and Arthur, and her actions about lead to Laval s death. The Queen is an highly beautiful adult female who tries every manner she knows how to score the knight Lanval. She is grim when he tries to defy her feminine trickeries. ( Line 260 280 ) When Lanval succeeded in fending off her progresss, she turned the tabular arraies and lied to Arthur, doing him to desire to kill Lanval for lese majesty. ( Line 305 315 ) The Queen seems to take pleasance in the jobs that her oblique ways create. The Queen is a perfect illustration of how unsafe love can be. Both of the writers make an attempt to compare love to decease in the two narratives. The Wife of Bath survived all of her hubbies even though some were significantly younger so her. Her hubbies were all profoundly in love with her, as opposed to her loving them chiefly for their money. This is Chaucer s manner of exemplifying that existent romantic love can really be a hurt. In Lanval, the love that the Queen and Lanval shared for one another came really near to killing Lanval at the custodies of the Queen s other love, Arthur. This is important because Lanval had been one of Arthur s closest comrades, but it merely took the love of one adult female to do them deathly enemies. Marie De France and Geoffery Chaucer have a instead misanthropic position about the nature of love ; neither writer seems to believe that love can be a common, guiltless feeling. The narratives that they penned show love as a cold, calculated trade good that merely leads to decease and sadness. They show that love is used to pull strings and confound the unsuspicious spouse, non take to peoples contentment. The chief intent for love, harmonizing to the writers, is for societal and pecuniary addition. The most adept and manipulative spouse reaps the wages.

one chid fight Essay

one chid fight Essay one chid fight Essay The Golden Girls One of my favorite memories growing up was watching â€Å"The Golden Girls â€Å"with my grandmother every Saturday night eating popcorn. The show is about four middle age women from different walks of life with seemingly nothing in common. These strangers couldn’t be more dissimilar. No one could imagine how these four souls would successfully live under one roof, but they decide to give it a try as they are all in pinch for somewhere to stay. The truth is all pandemonium broke loose and it was clear that they were just too different to share one house together. But one thing led to another and soon enough they were sitting around the table laughing, gossiping and sharing cheesecake. These four women eventually became the best of friends, despites all their differences. With their colorful characters, witty language and overall messages, The Golden Girls were known all over the world. Many viewers are familiar with the shows four main characters. Dorothy is a tall, head strong, witty high school substitute teacher. Her persona comes off as her intelligence makes her superior to the other women in the house because they do not have as much papered education as she. Rose, is the exact opposite of Dorothy. Rose is the carefree blonde from a small farm town named St. Olaf, with not much education but a heart of gold. Rose, to put it bluntly, wasn’t exactly the â€Å"sharpest tool in the shed†. Always telling goofy stories about where she grew up, most of the time the women become annoyed with her and treat her poorly. Blanche the sex- starved, conceited, arrogant, self-absorbed Golden Girl. She clearly had the most male admires and stories detailing her various sexual encounters. Viewers could tell by the way the women were always teasing her about which man she brought home and the â€Å"welcome mat at the end of her bed†. Last by certainly not least we have Sofia a widow from Sicily who stayed in a Shady Pines Retirement home unit it burned down. Even though Sophia could be cruel at times she had certain way of making others look at difficult situations in a loving yet humorous, comical way. The other woman looked up to her as a mother because of her age and wisdom. Each of the characters in the show has to face major problems such as homosexuality, adultery, harassment some of the same issues we deal with in today’s society. But just like society they use their high moral values toward each problem they face to overcome their differences. The language of the show also appeals to the viewers. Today as I watch the episodes the jokes that once went over my head now have taken on new meaning. When I was younger I didn’t realize how many controversial the show covered. The humor revolves around the sexual interests of older women. It’s filled with sexual innuendo and comical descriptions of sexual acts that will most likely go over the head of younger viewers, but parents may still want to exercise caution. Parents should also know that the show offers a positive look at women and senior citizens and raises awareness about the issues that seniors face in today’s society. The show also looks at many aspects of aging, which range from the comical (sagging chests, drooping bottoms) to the serious (rising health care costs) to the tragic (the rising incidence of homelessness among the populace). But The Golden

Picards Pest and Porters Analysis. the Pontetial of a French Company Expanding Into the Uk. Essays

Picards Pest and Porters Analysis. the Pontetial of a French Company Expanding Into the Uk. Essays Picards Pest and Porters Analysis. the Pontetial of a French Company Expanding Into the Uk. Paper Picards Pest and Porters Analysis. the Pontetial of a French Company Expanding Into the Uk. Paper CONTENTS PAGE 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 2. INTRODUCTION 2 2. 1 Picard overview 4 2. 2 Picard? s corporate strategy 5 2. 3 SWOT analysis 6 3. PEST ANALYSIS 6 4. PORTER? S FIVE FORCES Analysis of entering the UK Market 7 5. CONCLUSION 11 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 12 7. APPENDICES 13 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The aim of this report is to analyse Picard? s market performance as well as challenges in its operating market using the PEST analysis tool, in order to identify if the company has prospects of entering and succeeding in the UK based on Porter? s five forces model. Picard is a French frozen food retailer focusing exclusively on its own brand product lines. The company has grown to be France? s leading frozen food specialist capturing 20% market share with a network of over 800 stores, and it is also the largest specialised network of frozen food in Italy. Picard also offers a leading home delivery service from internet and telephone orders, including in other countries such as Spain, Luxemburg and Belgium. The retailer? s overall strategy is characterised as a premium proposition with a vision of convenience, quality and innovation, firmly positioning itself on the high end of the market. Picard currently aims to continue opening approximately 50 new stores per year given its successful and consistent performance, allowing the company to potentially expand further overseas. Using the PEST analysis tool it was identified that Picard? s major challenges in its operating market are the increased competition with other retailers in the convenience sector, the extent to which the products are adapted for each country, the frozen food quality perception and association to a premium offering, and the lack of a loyalty card scheme. It was identified in this research that the level of competition in the UK frozen food sector was intermediate given Picard? s differentiated premium frozen food advantage against competitors such as Iceland and Tesco, however there are several barriers to enter the market owing to powerful large supermarket chains, building a challenge to establish a brand name in the UK. In addition to this supermarkets are increasingly developing their own label range and investing further in the convenience format. On the other hand Picard? vertically integrated supply chain and close geographical location to the current distribution network is considered a significant advantage. Furthermore UK consumers are the one of the largest frozen food buyers globally and Picard has a leading home delivery channel already established in 6 countries from online and telephone orders. It is therefore concluded that the UK is an attractive proposition for Picard. 2. INTRODUCTION In these straitened economic ti mes, frozen food is a sector that is growing as consumers recognise two main factors. Firstly it offers value for money, and secondly it helps to reduce food waste. The UK frozen food market is worth around ? 5. 1 billion a year and accounts for 8% of the UK Grocery Industry (Kantar Worldpanel, 2010). Although in 2010 the market remained flat, it has shown 11. 3% value growth between 2007-2010, with indication that the market will continue to grow this year. [pic] Souce: Kantar Worldpanel, September 2010 Convenience is driving the frozen market sales globally as consumers are looking for healthy and less time-consuming meals (Seth and Randall, 2011). Private label is performing extremely well, consistently increasing its share creating a challenge for major brands in the current market. Additionally as recession kicked in the UK, the frozen food chain Iceland reported double-digit sales growth while another supermarket seeing incredible growth in the freezer aisles today is Waitrose, revealing two contrasting retailers market positioning. Chart 1: Manufacturer? s frozen market share [pic] Source: Kantar Worldpanel. Data to 12th June 2011 Chart 2: Retailer frozen market share [pic] Source: Kantar Worldpanel. Data to 12th June 2011 Combining the growth in the frozen food market, the over performance of private label and the trend towards convenience, this research will focus on this particular market sector and analyse Picard, a premium French frozen food retailer, and its potential to expand internationally into the UK. 1. Picard overview Picard is a limited company (SA) owned by Lion Capital, a private equity investment firm, and it is today the number one frozen food retailer in France, with a product range that covers over 1,100 SKUs across nine product categories, from starters to desserts and from raw ingredients to prepared meals. Picard has distinguished itself through a commitment to high quality and innovation with over 98% of its products developed in-house exclusively for the company, and sold under the Picard brand. Picard also has retail stores in Italy and offers a home delivery service from Internet shopping and telephone orders to other countries such as Luxemburg, Belgium and Spain. | | |Chart 3: Picard La part de marche de Picard de 2004 a 2009? market share in France from 2004| |to 2009 | |[pic] | |Source: www. Picard. fr | | | |Chart 4: Picard Total Store Number from 2000 to 2010 | [pic] Source: Syndigel, Kantar Consumer Panel 2. Picard? s corporate strategy Picard? focus on a single segment of the market has positioned the company as the market leader in frozen food in France, with the vision of convenience, innovation and quality at affordable prices to everyone. Following this defined marketing strategy Picard management developed their position from 12. 5% market share in 2002 to 20% in Fran ce today (Picard. fr, 2010), running approximately 800 stores and a plan to continue to expand, opening around 50 stores per year. Almost a million households buy frozen food from Picard with a wide audience ranging from large families to pensioners, students and foodies. In Italy, â€Å"Picard i Surgelati† is the largest specialised network of frozen food sales, with a portfolio of 700 SKUs tailored to its market needs, selling mostly frozen raw products, differently to the wide range of dishes in France. Picard? s main values here are proximity, quality and service, and the market is identified as growing with plans to continue opening new stores and expanding geographically (Picard. it, 2011). In 1999 the company bought the Italian subsidiary Gel 2000 to open its 28 stores in Italy, using a strategy of internationalization through acquisition. Picard overall price strategy is characterised as a premium proposition. The retailer is known to offer high quality and services to customers, firmly positioning itself on the high end of the market. Picards high-end range includes sashimi, foie gras and rooster with truffle shavings, alongside standard frozen fare like pizza and fries. The company promotes about seventy products as the selection of the month with up to 15% off with the aim to encourage customers to try new items and to reinforce the value brand image. 3. SWOT Analysis [pic] 3. PEST ANALYSIS In this section, it will be outlined the challenges Picard currently faces using the PEST analysis which is concerned with the key external environmental influences on the business, identifying and evaluating the Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors summarising the external environment in which the business operates, mostly focusing on its domestic market in France and other operating countries. Political The convenience sector in France has offered great opportunities to retailers following President Nicolas Sarkozys liberalisation of the retail sector in June 2008 (Hall, FT. om, 2008), aimed to break down barriers to entry and to remove price regulation, consequently allowing the German discounters in, such as Aldi and Lidl. This has led to increased price competition and Picard must highlight their differentiation message to all consumers to win in the convenience sector. The labour regulations are many in France, and the society emphasizes the well being of the workers. The French â€Å"work to live† and appreciate time to spend with their family. They have a legal system set forth by the French labour code (Code du Travail) that is built to protect the workforce rather than the enterprises (Global Politics, 2009). Nonetheless the company is affected by the civil unrest and sense of economic hopelessness by the population, and Picard is currently under pressure by the Union on wage level. Economic As noted at the latest IGD France country presentation (June 2011), France? s GDP growth is projected to pick up slowly towards an annualised pace of 2% by 2012, led by business investment and exports. The unemployment rate has peaked but is set to decline only slightly, while price pressures will remain subdued, with underlying inflation at about 1% per year. In Picard? s case the downturn time represented an opportunity and the challenge now is to keep the momentum going and through a potential economic recovery. Picard is present in countries member of the European Union which is both a free trade area and a customs union, which means trade is neither restricted nor subdued to customs duties. Its distribution network is therefore made easy to countries such as Italy, Luxemburg, Belgium and Spain where a home delivery service is available, however consumer confidence and inflation rates are contrastingly different and Picard does not adapt the price of products to reflect each country economic factors. Social The type of goods and services demanded by consumers is a function of their social conditioning and their consequent attitudes and beliefs. Consumers’ attitude towards food in Europe is constantly changing as they have become more health-conscious and concerned about sustainable production methods (Lancaster Reynolds, 2005). However it is still a barrier for Picard that only 38. 2% of adults consider frozen foods as being as good for you as fresh food, although this figure has increased from 28. 7% in 2005 (Mintel, September 2010). The demographic changes such as the aging population is discouraging for the food retailers as older people tend to eat less, have a tighter food shopping budget and are also less likely to visit shops on a regular basis. To overcome this, Picard supply products with suitable portion sizes to meet the consumer needs, in addition to providing a home delivery service not only from internet but also from telephone orders, representing a total of 2,5% of Picard’s sales from all operating countries (Picard. fr, 2011). Technological One of the key macro-environmental variables that have directly influenced the supply chain, operations and processes of grocery and food retailers is technology. The share of households with broadband internet access has doubled since 2006 (eGovernment Resource Centre, 2010). Picard currently has a website with its entire range available to be ordered and delivered within 48 hours, accounting for 20% of its total sales, however the website is only in French and Italian, limiting customers to use and understand the website to shop. Loyalty cards provide an important route through which to differentiate offers from those of the completion and this is a growing feature of the grocery retail market (IGD, 2011). In France most retailers have adopted this as a promotional strategy however Picard has not yet shown signs of a scheme. This is nowadays an important element in the wider promotional mix and is a competitive disadvantage for Picard. 4. PORTER? S FIVE FORCES – Analysis of entering the UK Market Porter’s Five Forces Model (1980) holds the purpose to analyse an industry in order to determine the level of intensity regarding the competition and attractiveness of the industry, in this case the UK. They consist of those forces close to Picard that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. The nature of competitiveness of Picard in the UK industry can be viewed as a combination of the following five forces: [pic] Figure 1: Porter? s Five Forces Competitive Rivalry The intensity of competitive rivalry for Picard in the UK frozen food retail sector is medium. There is a constant battle between firms competing in the same industry in order to win customer share (IGD, 2011). There are many significant firms in the UK supermarket industry with the five most dominant in the frozen food sector being Tesco, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s (see chart 2). This highly competitive market has fostered an accelerated level of development, resulting in a situation where Picard has to be innovative to build market share. Picard? strategy is focused on quality and innovation therefore its key competitor would be Waitrose, with an increasing number of convenience stores in the UK. According to Seth and Randall (2011), grocery trading margins in the UK have been markedly higher than in Europe currently, they are on average three times higher than in France, for example. UK consumers have been p repared to pay for the difference and the quality of the shopping experience in the best UK superstores. Thus Picard premium frozen food shows an advantage against potential strong competitors such as Iceland and Tesco where the focus is value and volume drivers. Threat of Potential New Entrants There are numerous barriers and challenges for Picard to enter the UK frozen retail industry, resulting in a high threat to enter and compete against existing players. Over the last 30 years, the grocery market has been transformed into the supermarket-dominated business, according to Ritz (2005). Most of the large chains have built their power due to operating efficiency, one-stop shopping and major marketing-mix expenditure. The industry now possesses a strong barrier for new entrants, being a significant disadvantage for Picard to establish a brand name in the UK. It makes it rather difficult for Picard to raise sufficient capital, especially being a private company, because of large fixed costs and marketing communications necessary to set up the brand? s success. Another likely disadvantage of entering the UK market is the cultural barrier. The nature of French cuisine is very different to that expected by the UK market, making it difficult for Picard to charge a premium for its frozen products, a channel that until now has sat firmly in the discount and value areas of the market. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes in the specific frozen retail market is low to medium. Given the current consumer trends of increased eating at home and a desire for reduced wastage and better value for money in the UK (BFFF, 2011), Picard? s broad range of more sophisticated products fits perfectly with the trend of dinner parties in addition to providing a long shelf-life, proving an alternative to restaurants. In the food retail market, the substitutes of Picard would be convenience stores, particularly in local towns and city centres, creating a hurdle for Picard to enter and succeed in the market. Picard? s innovative store format with high quality frozen products is a differentiated approach which stands a competitive advantage against all retailers in the UK. On the other hand existing supermarket chains are increasingly developing and promoting their premium own label product range with a noteworthy value message, though it still lacks the assortment of raw products and innovative dishes sold in Picard. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is low. Picard? s strategy is a vertical integration supply chain as it is currently implemented. According to Scott (2011) this offers great bargaining power over suppliers, consistent quality and reduced risk of supply disruption. However, it can also reduce operational flexibility and limit access to the best suppliers. The company currently uses over 200 suppliers of which approximately 70% are French to manufacture its own label range which represents 98% of products sold in stores. The geographical location and continuing service of current suppliers is therefore a significant advantage for Picard? expansion in the UK. Suppliers are still expected to comply with strict quality standards and to meet increased demand as required, consequently meeting greater economies of scale and gaining greater margins, being able to offer more competitive prices to consumers. Bargaining Power of Customers The bargaining power of buyers is low to medium. Customer power also acts to force prices down (Porter, 1980). If chips are too expensive in Picard, buyers will exercise their power and m ove to Iceland. However Picard? premium range is unseen in any other retailers in the UK, so customers will not be able to find a frozen Japanese dinner party set of quality frozen food anywhere else for example. In customising its service with better and innovative choices, Picard has the advantage to control and retain a customer base. In the UK there is a growing tendency of shoppers to use a wider repertoire of formats to support their grocery shopping needs, with convenience outperforming the market (IGD, 2011). This is an advantage to Picard as their target is urban areas mostly city centres within walking reach. On the other hand Picard is unable to compete with larger format stores in the UK where shoppers can find a wide range of products from chilled to non-food items, possibly satisfying their shopping needs in one go. Online is another channel to meet different aspects of shopper demand for more convenient shopping solution. IGD forecast the online channel in the UK to grow by 14. 4% from 2010 to 2015, becoming 5. 2% of the total grocery market. Picard would appear to have an advantage over the UK market as online shopping already accounts for 20% of its total sales in current operating countries. pic] 5. CONCLUSION In the light of the above analysis, it can be concluded that Picard? s lean operations, successful business model and differentiated approach allows potential for the company to expand into the UK. The â€Å"hit-and-run† gastronomy concept would re-invigorated the UK frozen food market and become a strong competitor in the convenience sector, but to succeed Picard mus t spend heavily on opening stores focused in urban areas and on advertising to gain levels of brand awareness. 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. BFFF (2011, 20 April). British Frozen Food Federation. Retail Frozen Food Statistics Year on Year to 20 March 2011 2. eGovernment Resource Centre (2010, 21 December). Internet usage in 2010 Households and Individuals 3. Hall, B. (2008, 23 January). Sarkozy backs liberalisation plan. Financial Times, FT. com 4. IGD (2011); The Food and Grocery Industry. Unit 1 5. IGD (June 2011). France Country Presentation. IGD Retail Analysis 6. Kantar Worldpannel (2010, September). Retail Frozen Market till roll 7. Lancaster, G. Reynolds, P. (2005). Management of Marketing. Butterworth-Heinemann Publication. Oxford, UK. 8. Marian, P. (2010, 27 July). Analysis: Will Picards unique proposition translate abroad? Just-food. com 9. Mintel (2010). Chilled and Frozen ready meals UK- May 2010 10. Picard. it (2011) Available at: picard. fr/ [Accessed 4th – 10th July] 11. Picartd. fr (2011) Available at: picard. it/picard/index. php [Accessed 4th – 11th July] 12. Porter, M. E. (1980) Competitive Strategy. Free Press. New York 13. Ritz (2005) Store wars, Business Review, Vol. 11, April, pp. 22-23 14. Scott, C. , Lundgren, H. Thompson, P. (2011) Guide to Supply Chain Management. Springer 15. Seth, A. and Randall, G. (2011). The grocers: the rise and rise of the supermarket chains. 3rd edition. London, UK 7. APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Picard: |Criteria |Characteristics | |Home Country |France | |Total Sales (â‚ ¬mn), and year-on-year growth (%) |â‚ ¬1,285m, 4. % | |Total operating profit (â‚ ¬mn), and year-on-year growth (%) |N/A* | |Number of countries in which present |5 | |Ho me market as a % of total sales |95% | |Price positioning (1-5, where 1=value and 5=premium) |3-4 | |Quality positioning (1-5, where 1=low and 5=high) |4-5 | |Main price/promotion strategy (EDLP, Hi-Lo, combination) |Premium | |Non-food as a % of total sales |0% | |Number of different store formats |1 | * Data not published APPENDIX 2 Photographs Picard? s product examples: [pic][pic][pic] [pic] [pic][pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Store: [pic]

Spectrophotomertry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Spectrophotomertry - Essay Example 2. INTRODUCTION Spectrophotometry is the study of numeric calculation of the magnitude of reflection and transmittance of different materials on the basis of the incident wave length. A spectrophotometer is a device which is used to measure the values of transmittance and reflection. Spectrophotometry is used in different fields and sciences like chemistry, biochemistry, physics and materials etc. Spectrophotometry also covers the subject of spectrum and its intensity, and other related issues with changing thicknesses. This report is actually based on the application of spectrophotometry. Dektak 3 ST is used in this experiment. It is a surface profile interpreting mechanism, adequately well on to the area of measuring surface grain or texture and capable of measuring change in thickness even in microns. A diamond tip stylus is used to identify the sample characteristics. The device is enough responsive to record all surface variations. The parametric measurement through Dektak 3 ST includes area, slope, radius measurement, step height, unevenness and roughness on a sample profile. A set of data plotting and video imaging can also be retrieved by using Dektak 3 ST. All thin films on which the spectroscopic analysis is made are actually made up of tin oxide. Tin oxide is a colorless transparent, amphoteric and inorganic material. Tin oxide is widely used in ceramics and majorly in ceramics glazing. Tin oxide is also used in the production of glasses and enamels. 3. EXPERIMENT The experiment is comprised of two phases, the first one proceeds with enkd-8000 machine and the second one proceeds with Dektak 3ST. In the beginning of the phase 1 of the experiment three glasses of tin dioxide having three different thicknesses are considered. The entire glass top surfaces of all are determined with the help of voltmeter. Then every glass is taken individually and analyzed in enkd-8000 machine. During the analysis of every glass, the file is clicked with the scanning opt ion from 400 nm wavelength to 900 nm wavelength. After the selection of the wavelength the machine will take some time to analyze. Then after analysis is switched on in which performance summary information is selected. The selection will yield the CIE color space for the first glass. Now the whole process is being repeated for second and third glasses. All three analyses are made on P polarization When our analysis for P polarization is completed then any sample is selected for S polarization so a conclusion can be drawn by varying polarization. This is how the phase 1 of the experiment is completed. Considering the phase 2 of the experiment, all same three glasses of tin dioxide are used. Every glass is taken and then masked individually from the isolation tap then after zinc powder is being applied, then afterwards Hydrochloric acid is used for application on the applied zinc powder. Finally the hydrochloric acid is scrapped out and then samples are washed out. After this process if the glasses appear clean then apply acetone on it then again wash it with the help of water and then glass is being dried out. The same process is repeated for all three glasses. Dektak3ST machine is used to measure the thickness of all the samples of three glasses. The samples are positioned in the machine one by one. The run option is clicked by the mouse, and then scan option is clicked