Assess the extent to which Staples has developed a successful multichannel strategy?
Staples Incorporation has succeeded because of its multichannel strategy. The company’s superstore concept makes it easier to provide different stock keeping units (SKUs). The company uses many retail stores, direct communications, e-mails, catalogs, and the internet to serve every small business. This practice supports the company’s marketing goals. The company has opened many retail stores to serve more customers. The company’s kiosks provide customized services to its customers. The company’s website also provides new opportunities for every customer. The customers can also visit the company’s website to order different products. The company then delivers every ordered product to the customer. The company also uses formal training to develop and mentor its salespeople and associates (Grewal & Levy, 2011). Staples’ customers can purchase more products from the stores. These approaches and decisions have made it easier for the company to realize its goals.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using kiosks as a part of its approach?
Staples Incorporation uses different stores as part of its multichannel marketing strategy. There are some disadvantages and advantages associated with these kiosks. These kiosks address the needs of different customers. The kiosks also support the company’s retailing activities. The customers choose different “products for their local stores, businesses, or homes from these kiosks” (Grewal & Levy, 2011, p. 501). The kiosks also improve the services availed to every online shopper. The kiosks have some disadvantages. The company might find it hard to manage these kiosks. The kiosks also create room for competition in the industry. The leading “competitors in the industry include Office Depot and Office Max” (Grewal & Levy, 2011, p. 500). These kiosks might not accommodate the company’s stock-keeping units (SKUs). The kiosks might not address the needs of every customer. This explains why the company maintains many stock-keeping units (SKUs).
How should Staples assess which SKUs to keep in its stores versus on the Internet?
The company has over 8,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) in its retail stores. The company also offers “more than 45,000 SKUs through its website” (Grewal & Levy, 2011, p. 501). This case study explains why this multichannel approach has increased the company’s productivity. The decision to offer these “SKUs through its website ensures the company does not surrender the concept of product availability” (Grewal & Levy, 2011, p. 501). The company should make the best decisions in order to remain profitable. Staples Incorporation should also analyze the buying trends of its customers. The company should increase or reduce the SKUs in different retail stores depending on the expectations of the targeted customers. The company should keep its SKUs depending on the customers’ shopping trends and behaviors.
How do the Staples Copy and Print centers differentiate it from the competition?
The company’s Copy and Print stores have made it a leading competitor in the industry. The company has used the practice to differentiate its business practices. This approach has Staples Incorporation a leading player in the industry. This differentiated practice ensures every customer can print his or her documents via the internet. The other competitors do not provide similar services. The company delivers the printed copies to every customer. The company uses this approach to provide customized services to its customers. The company has opened new stores to provide better services to its customers. This practice attracts more customers thus making it a leading competitor in the industry (Grewal & Levy, 2011). The practice also makes the company’s multichannel strategy successful. The customers can use the company’s website to place their orders. The idea to provide quality services to every customer makes the company a leading competitor. This strategy helps the company deliver customized services to its customers.
Reference
Grewal, D. & Levy, M. (2011). Marketing. New York: McGraw Hill.