Ratio Analysis of Macy's and Nordstroms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ratio Analysis of Macy's and Nordstroms - Essay Example The company has entered into credit card and debit card business as well which is operated by one of its subsidiaries. Nordstrom sells both branded and private labeled cloths which make it a favorite for not only elite class of the society but it is equally popular amongst middle class or aspiring middle class citizens. Nordstrom generates sales from following segments. Firstly, retail full line stores generate substantial earnings which are evident from its financial ratios. Secondly, a direct segment is another organ of Nordstrom Inc. This segment primarily focuses on internet based selling. Nordstrom’s website reports high traffic on it, which is a sign of high customer satisfaction. Company has always delivered its promise of quality, fashion and customer service. Thirdly, credit segment earns revenue through charges levied on their company’s own or co-branded credit cards. Macy’s Inc. is another giant of the retail industry. It is based in Cincinnati, Ohio s ince 1820 and has been crowned as one top retail stores in the United States. Company operates through its two organs namely retail stores and its website. Macy has a huge portfolio for its customers, ranging from apparels, shoes and other accessories for men, women and children. They have also entered into home furnishings and various other consumer goods. In short, Macy’s Inc. has everything which one could dream for his/her living. Macy has been focusing on forward integration lately so that it can offer premium service to its customers and consequently, increase its saving by inventory management and price optimization. Keeping a holistic view of the retail industry, it is evident by the reports published by National Retail Federation(NRF) that the retail industry will grow by 4% in the current year due to better-than expected holiday season. However, commodity prices will increase due to augmenting levels of inflation which can create setbacks for the retail industry. Re tail industry survives on volume of sales. Whoever, can provide high quality with low price wins the bid therefore, Nordstrom and Macy have been working to reduce cost through better inventory management controls and reduces their cost of goods sold to sales ratio. Nordstrom Inc. has performed well in the last couple of years. It has continued to grow and prosper which can be seen by its improving profitability ratios. The return on Equity has improved to 34.12% in 2010 as compared to 31% in 2009. Nordstrom has established a strong line up of globally recognized brands which have added substantially to its earnings. The company’s earning has made a heap of 39% in 2010 from $441M in 2009 to $613M in 2010. Analyzing its Gross profit margin notifies an increment of $587M which is about 19.9%. Gross profit margins have grown to 36.39% in 2010 from 34.1% in 2009 as the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to cost of goods sold from 68.83% to 66.27%. whic h is a reason of reducing its cost of goods sold to sales ratio. Company has integrated better mechanisms of inventory management to increase their year-end earnings. Moreover, sales have climbed up by 16.68% from $4560M in 2009 to $5321M in 2010 which is a reason for higher profitability ratios. Subsequently, net profit margins have increased from 9.67% to 11.52% in 2010. Nordstrom has performed well in terms of liquidity. This is evident from its current ratio as it has increased to 2.56 in 2010 from 2 in 2009. Looking closely at it, these figures are better than the industry averages hence the company is in a relatively safe position to pay off its current obligations. Nordstrom has performed really well in terms of managing their assets. Inventory turnover period has

Strategic Plan Part 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Plan Part 1 - Research Paper Example The company will be known under the name and style of Mangoamla Juice Centers LLC and juices will have 4-5 variances such as pure amla juice mixed with ginger and turmeric, pure mangosteen with ginger and turmeric, mangosteen-amla mix and so on. The products that the company aims to serve are different than any available product in the market as nowhere fresh juices prepared from amla and mangosteen are served that are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells of the human body from cancer causing free radicals. Mangoamla Juice Centers aims at not only building awareness about antioxidant rich fruits but also make them available to the masses in their vicinity (Carlsen, 2013). Amla Mangosteen Vision Statement Mangoamla Juice Centers’ vision statement is to enrich the people’s health with naturally occurring antioxidants and become a champion in protecting people’s health. Mission Statement Mangoamla Juice Centers’ mission statement is to satisfy hea lth-conscious masses with the organically grown antioxidant-rich fruits and herbs derived from the Mother Nature and help people build strong immune power to keep from deadly diseases. Our Values Integrity: We always offer what we convey. Transparency: We are transparent in what we offer. Fairness: We are always fair to our customers. Responsibility: We consider ourselves responsible and accountable to the community where we live and operate. Defining Values Talking about transparency, the company will specify all ingredients and its proportion clearly in its all typical servings. Whatever specified will be offered with full integrity and honesty. The company will take social responsibility and delve into the issues that the farming community faces in growing amla and mangosteen crops in their countries, vital for the company’s continuance and business growth. The company will advise them on increasing crop yields while farming organically; for sustainable ways of farming and the ways to reduce labor in plucking the crop thus, helping them to increase their earnings. The company will be most diligent in following all applicable laws and regulations following ethical business practices at all levels. All activities will be done in line with the best environmental practices and sustainability growth. Strategic Direction The vision, mission and values as described above will guide the organization’s overall business and marketing strategy. The company will continue to find innovative ways and introduce new products and flavors to retain customers and attract new ones. The product quality will be of highest standard and will never be compromised at any given time. The thrust will be on quicker and fast paced services with minimal waiting period in the center. The customers will be provided with pleasant and cozy environment that they can always cherish with. Understanding Customer Needs Arthritis, gout, cancer ailments, asthma and many chronic ailmen ts have been plaguing the US society since long (CDC, 2012). Traditional medicines suppress these ailments for some time but cannot treat them fully. Moreover, perennial consumption of these medicines causes huge side effects. Obama initiative is aimed at not only to provide proper treatment opportunities to all in the society but it also aims at preventive measures and raising general health standards of the people. A large number of the people in the US

Multimedia and design Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multimedia and design - Article Example first understanding of Multimedia and design would be the fusion of audio and art translated into a material that is ready to be translated to digital format or medium. However, upon taking up the course where we have tackled three of the most insightful books: Simple and Usable by AColborne Giles, Steve Jobs by AIsaacson Walter, and. Massive change by AMau Bruce I realized that multimedia and design is indeed another world of digital media that would make every user of the web today more powerful than ever before. I learned from the book Simple and Usable that to be able to be successful in multimedia and design does not always mean creating a grand website that is very catchy to people’s eyes. Yes, it is another factor that a website would be visited however, catchy should never compromise with pleasantness. Thus, it is important to know that simplicity is really an objective one could carry out in any multimedia work that would never lead you astray to success. I learned that it does not mean creating an almost empty site perhaps but one that is of utmost functionality and at the same time with consideration to the basic needs of a user such as including a â€Å"help† link. Another book I learned a lot from would be â€Å"Steve Jobs by AIsaacson Walter† that tackled how Steve Jobs was able to revolutionize six industries from personal computers, movies, music, phones, digital publishing and etc. This opened my eyes for the need to innovate and never let your imaginations end as it is. The success in multimedia could be achieved with inventiveness, a couple of multimedia engineering, and most especially a creation that would give a solution to a need or even a want. One of which would be that he made it possible to legally download songs which is of great value especially to the kind of lifestyle we have today and the booming music industry being experienced like never before in history which is made possible by the web today. With AMau Bruce’s Massive

Education ch6,8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education ch6,8 - Essay Example that religion contributes to the development of the fundamental peace through progressive inclusion of various religions in the education system globally. By analyzing the input of Thomas Aquinas, the author of the book further asserts that religion contributes fundamental societal values that help constrict cohesive societies. Religion is therefore a fundamental aspect of the society whose inclusion in the education system is paramount. Education serves the purpose of communicating the values to successive generations thereby influencing the social structures and relations among people. The values further influence the interactions among the learners and the educators. Discipline is an essential aspect of education that contributes to the success of the entire exercise. The religious values often influence the creation of laws to guide the conduct of the learners and the development of appropriate ethical codes of conduct for the teachers. This way, each group appreciates the other and acknowledges the need for respect a feature that enhances the success of the learning process. In chapter 8, the author analyses the contributions of John Calvin to the development of education. In doing this, he discusses the American education movement often giving keen attention to the contributions and ideas of John Calvin. Among the fundamental aspects of the chapter is the rise of nationalism. Just as the name suggests, nationalism refers to the love of an individual’s country. The historical rise of nationalism is therefore an essential aspect of historical studies since it helps understand the historical relationship among people in a society. Additionally, nationalism led to the development of modern day government. The historical analysis of nationalism thus helps understand the nature of contemporary politics in the country. Additionally, John Calvin also makes fundamental religious contributions to the development of education as he explains the need for translation

Benefits of religious marriage (Baptist Ceremony) Research Paper

Benefits of religious marriage (Baptist Ceremony) - Research Paper Example The success of these established marriage unions largely depend on the nature of life a person has and the kind of future life he wants. Most of such determinants are natural but can be re-shaped by certain factors of life. Factors such as religion and social classes can adequately influence marriages. Marriage is engineered to naturally be a source of happiness to any human being since it is from marriage unions that different persons get families. Good families are sources of joy and portray the kind of a person one is to the society. A successful human life therefore highly depends on both marriage and religion. The most significant thing about the two is the fact that they are integrative in a way. Religion seeks establishment of holy unions between different persons while marriages seem to highly depend on religion for success. In a nutshell, Religious factors do influences the success of different marriage unions and therefore form the basis of a successful marriage. Also, marr iage and religion are both key success factors to the life of any ordinary person. There are different forms of religions in the world today with the main forms being Christianity, Islamic and Judaism. Religion is one of the oldest social practices in the life of humans. Different ancient groups of people had different forms of religions and beliefs according to their origins and dwelling places. Every religion therefore has its own history on how it developed and evolved into what are now modern religions and faith. Christianity is among the main forms of religion and its history can be traced way back to the times of the Roman Empire (Stark 8). Different kings who came into power in this empire during these old days embraced Christianity form of religion thus contributed towards the growth and spread of Christianity to other parts of the world (Saylor Foundation 5-10). Christianity has today grown to be one of the most

Sudan Scenario Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sudan Scenario - Research Paper Example Indeed, the entire human social existence is dependent on these issues; hence, it is typical for people to resist any efforts that are made to achieve a resolution (Maiese, 2006). In fact, parties to these conflicts often refuse to compromise or provide room for negotiation with respect to the said intricate matters (Brewer, 2007; Kinnvall, 2004). As a result, either party of the conflict maintains a rigid stand of the other because of the view that failure to do so would threaten their existence. The parties may develop a mutual fear of one another and an intense desire to inflict as much psychological and physical harm on each other as possible (Staub, 2004; Paris, 2001; Maiese, 2003;). Maiese (2006) points out that the gradual effect of these feeling of being under constant threat and hostility from the either group often occupies the daily lives of the parties involved in the conflict and as a result, supersedes their ability to identify any shared problems they might have. Over time, the conflict escalates resulting to the embedment of the facts about the problem within a larger set of identities, beliefs, cultures, and values (Paris, 2001). Additionally, conflicts concerning money, land, or other resources of economic importance begin to take a symbolic shape in amongst or between the parties under dispute (Kaufman, 2001). Maiese (2003) observes that as the conflict progresses over time, the original issues that may have ignited the conflict become immaterial as new causes for dispute are generated within the conflict itself. As a result, the individuals on the opposing side begin to regard each other as foes and may engage in extreme violence. Eventually, Ramsbotham, Miall, and Woodhouse (2011) opine that the parties become unable to resolve the various issues and seeing that there is no forthcoming solution of the conflict, they chose to go to war with a mindset of either winning or losing in the

Supervisors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Supervisors - Essay Example This can be promoted through instructive and motivating organizational leadership. The functions of management are discussed, and the traits of effective managers in relation to the management functions. Finally, the relations between managers, supervisors and employees are evaluated and the challenges of a multicultural workforce presented. The Role of a Supervisor in a Typical Organization Supervisors or managers are important in management of teams and processes within an organization. They help in management and coordination of the organization, usually characterized as a pyramid. The supervisors help in achieving essential objectives and goals within the organization through communicating with each other at various levels within the organizational management hierarchy (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Supervisors are committed to grooming organizational personnel for success. Their roles entail the functional duties coupled with a variety of responsibilities. Organizational supervisors train their workers on new information and competencies. Workers ought to be prepared well to ensure they are successful in their duties, and this can be necessitated through supervisors’ training and orientation. The process of training is continual and highlighted for new personnel as well as other workers. Collectively, the supervisors have a responsibility of ensuring that organizational personnel benefit from intermittent professional development opportunities and training (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Supervisors evaluate objectives, goals and future organizational needs to enable them prepare plans, which offer the required resources and action items for the organization to realize success. The supervisors help in strategic planning, implementation and execution of organizational plans. In addition, supervisors prepare schedules for appropriate staffing and availability of resources to satisfy the needs of customers and production. They are respon sible for arranging human, informational and material resource productivity. They are tasked with maximizing organizational efficiency through scheduling inventories, equipment and facilities. This ensures that quality in production of goods and offering of services is attained (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Managers are responsible for inspiring and motivating workers to work appropriately and accomplish common organizational goals. The teams in organizations ought to work collectively, and it is the responsibility of the supervisors to recognize the uniqueness of every employee, establish various incentives and rewards to motivate them (Cassidy, Kreitner, & Kreitner, 2010). Three Traits of an Effective Manager Effective managers need to have entrepreneurial thinking and creativity qualities. Contemporary organizations are continually changing, and there is need for the managers to possess creativity and entrepreneurial skills to work effectively in such environments. Super visors with entrepreneurial traits perform their responsibilities effectively because they adapt swiftly and resolve organizational problems creatively. Supervisors are tasked with maximizing organizational efficiency. This can be best achieved if supervisors are entrepreneurial and creative because such traits would help them to develop new ideas to improve productivity and enhance quality besides increasing profit margins and expanding on the organizational