According to the Financial Times, one of Europe’s largest department store and mail-order group KarstadtQuelle AG may have to dismiss about 20,000 to 30,000 of its employees and to sell approximately 77 of its smaller warehouses as well as all retail chains including SinnLeffers, Wehmeyer, Runners Point and Golf HousE.
The over-the counter segment of the KarstadtQuelle AG dropped by 5 percent from 7.3 in 2002 to 6.9 billion Euro in 2003 which is under performing its sector. In the year 2003 the group generated a total sales of 15.3 billion Euro with 100,956 employees and 2,621,4 thousand square meter sales space.
As the current marketing weakness concerns the over-the-counter retail which is one out of KarstadtQuelle AG’s four segments, this management report focuses on the warehouses which are under the legal unit called Karstadt AG:
The report has the aim to identify and describe the customers of the Karstadt AG, to discuss the marketing strategy of that organisation and to analyse a current marketing weakness within the KarstadtQuelle AG’s operations. Finally it provides a plan how that marketing weakness can be resolved. It applies a variety of different marketing concepts and tools such as customer segmentation, Ansoff-matrix, marketing mix, SWOT analysis, and STEP analysis.
Finally, the research and the analysis showed that the customers of Karstadt AG are all citizens of Germany from all classes, all age groups, all social milieus. Its overall marketing strategy is to give the “customers what they want”.
The marketing weakness of KarstadtQuelle AG is the usage of the classical warehousing concept which has reached the declining phase of its life cycle, targeting a disappearing customer segment. One solution would be the transformation of the classical warehouses in Shopping-Centres with a large number of specialised shops.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Company Profile
- Customer Analysis
- Analysis of the Organisation's Marketing Strategy
- Outline: Marketing Mix
- STEP Analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- Analysis of a Marketing Weakness
- Alternative Solutions to solve the Marketing Weakness
- References
- Appendix A
- Appendix B
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This management report aims to analyze the marketing strategies of Karstadt AG, a subsidiary of KarstadtQuelle AG. The report investigates the customer base, marketing mix, and identifies a key marketing weakness. It then proposes solutions to address this weakness.
- Customer analysis of Karstadt AG
- Marketing strategies employed by Karstadt AG
- Identification and analysis of a key marketing weakness
- Development and proposal of alternative solutions to address the marketing weakness
- Application of various marketing concepts and tools, such as customer segmentation, Ansoff-matrix, marketing mix, SWOT analysis, and STEP analysis
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Company Profile: This chapter provides an overview of KarstadtQuelle AG, highlighting its four main business segments: over-the-counter retail (OTC), mail order business, real estate, and information and technology services. It also focuses on Karstadt AG, outlining its position as the largest department store retailer in Germany, its subsidiary status, and its key business operations.
- Customer Analysis: This chapter identifies and describes the customers of Karstadt AG, utilizing a consumer market segmentation approach. It acknowledges both B2C and B2B operations but primarily focuses on the mass consumer market, outlining the demographic profile of Karstadt AG's customers and the diverse product portfolio offered to them.
- Analysis of the Organisation's Marketing Strategy: This chapter explores the marketing strategy of Karstadt AG, examining its marketing mix and analyzing the organization's position within the market using STEP and SWOT analyses.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key topics and terms explored in this report include department store retail, customer segmentation, marketing strategy, marketing mix, SWOT analysis, STEP analysis, customer demographics, and the German retail market. The report focuses on identifying and analyzing a key marketing weakness in Karstadt AG's operations, proposing solutions to address this challenge.
- Quote paper
- Volker Schmid (Author), 2005, Management-Report Karstadt, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/38122