SWOT Analysis and Marketing Trends of BBQfun Company

This article discusses the SWOT analysis and marketing trends of BBQfun Company, a leading specialty retail business in Queensland. It covers their products, unique terms of sale, and competition. The article also includes a mini survey of the company profile and results and analysis of the survey.

Contents
BBQ FUN ORGANISATION.........................................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................1
1.2. Trends in marketing..............................................................................................................1
2.3. Opportunity for growth:....................................................................................................2
2.0 SWOT ANALYSIS...................................................................................................................3
2.1. Strength.................................................................................................................................3
2.2. Potential threats.................................................................................................................3
2.3. Other Challenges facing BBQfun Company:....................................................................3
2.4. Opportunities.....................................................................................................................4
2.5. Competition.......................................................................................................................4
2.6. The 4Ps..............................................................................................................................5
3.0 Mini Survey of the Bbqfun Company Profile............................................................................6
3.1 The Population and Sample...................................................................................................6
4.0 Results and analysis...................................................................................................................7
4.1 From the company employees side...................................................................................7
5.0 References................................................................................................................................12
6.0 Appendix..................................................................................................................................13

BBQ FUN ORGANISATION
1.1 Introduction
BBQfun is one of the leading specialty retail businesses in Queensland. The company
culture is built upon the belief that the basic market requirement is provision of state-of-the-art,
trendy and outdoor lifestyle commodities. This brand borrows a lot from barbeque retailing that
forms the foundation for its creation and its supplementary outdoor lifestyle commodities made
from local and imported raw materials. By 2010, BBQfun was operating two retail shops in
Queensland, one in Brisbane and yet another in Gold coast. BBQfun provides tailor-made
commodities as per the demand of the consumers, and continuously invest in improving the
items through research and innovation to serve over 10,000 clients in Queensland alone by close
of business in 2010.
1.2. Trends in marketing
The market for BBQfun products significantly changed over the past years and became
more competitive than it used to be. This followed the buying patterns of the customers whose
purchasing power changed as well due to the economic conditions in the continent. The market
increased steadily to the fiscal year 2009-2010, after which it begun to increase at a decreasing
grate. The changes in the retail market were brought about by changes in technology, currency
power from inflation, government policies among other factors. To counter these challenges,
BBQfun adopted a moderate pricing strategy, invested in high quality items, improved customer
service provision and offered a three-year guarantee for its products (Alsakran, 2001).
According to ABS (2012), the population of Queensland market had a population growth
of 5% with the demand for new homes and renovated premises growing consistently from the

original 50,000 annually. This is the region with the second highest market potential in Australia
for the BBQfun products.
In terms of gender and age, BBQfun targets both males and females aged between 20 and
50 years. This population is made up of youthful professionals who have just completed their
first degrees in college or those working in the central business districts in Brisbane. The average
income of these residents that they can use to purchase the commodities for improving their
living standards is slightly above &70k.
2.3. Opportunity for growth:
The population of over 2m in Brisbane makes it an ideal market for BBQfun, an area
with a radius of approximately 30km around the store that can be served directly to reduce the
cost of distribution of commodities. The greater disposable income from the two major towns of
Brisbane and Queensland also guarantees the company a ready market. Another opportunity for
growth comes from the presence of affordable and interesting imports of high standards coupled
with the strength of the Australian dollar in the international scene.

2.0 SWOT ANALYSIS
The following SWOT analysis gives the profile picture of the BBQfun Company.
2.1. Strength
BBQfun stores are easily accessible and cause minimal inconveniences to the clients. The
research by Metropolitan Community College, Business and Technology, (2015) reported that
BBQfun had a great reputation for quality service provision hence attracts many clients who
normally choose quality over price.
The transparent pricing strategy used by the company makes it popular with consumers
and gives it a commanding lead in the competition arena. This creates high customer loyalty and
generates repeat customers (Dziedzic, 2007).
BBQfun produces a variety of unique commodities, with varying price ranges that offer
customers a wide range of items from which to choose. The assortment of commodities of high
quality, range and accessibility gives the company an edge over its competitors.
2.2. Potential threats
BBQfun Company operates in a free market structure. There is freedom of entry and exit
in to the market that has led to emergence of three national competitors- the Yard, BBQ’s R and
the Outdoorz. The effects of Yard competition are conspicuous in the ecommerce area where it is
commanding the largest share of the market.
2.3. Other Challenges facing BBQfun Company:
There are threats that make the company management and owner to panic such as:
Failure to recognize changes in the external environment and design relevant strategies
that can be used to counter the effects of such transitions in the market.

Failure to identify training needs for the employees to acquire the necessary skills to
address the technological requirements in the industry.
Difficulty in acquiring resources and misallocation of the available assets in accordance
with the requirements of the marketing strategies leading to high losses.
Inadequate insurance cover for fire, and theft, as well as non-compliance on anti-
discrimination.
Inappropriate organizational culture, for instance, lack of staff commitment and morale
towards achievement of the firm’s goals.
High rate of staff turnover making the company to part ways with knowledgeable and
high performing employees resulting into poor performance.
Failure to meet the work health and safety regulations as spelt out in product promotion
regulations for marketing goods and services.
2.4. Opportunities
Expanding the market in high populous regions Brisbane and Queensland
Growing sales in the online platform
2.5. Competition
The most common competitors to BBQfun Company are;
Outdoorz: this company makes good use of the mass media to exert a lot of pressure in
the market to compete the BBQfun. It deals exclusively with local commodities with low to
medium quality. It also uses price mechanism to compete the BBQfun Company for the
replacement segment of the market.
The yard: it has a wide distribution network making other firms to fear venturing in to the
market through online sales. Deals with Australian-made commodities but of very high quality.

The firm boasts of specific commodities and offers customers limited avenues for product
section hence spend little on advertisement as their customers are often repeat buyers making
BBQfun inferior in the market segment for such products.
BBQ’s R Us: a fierce competitor in Brisbane and Adelaide markets with emphasis on
trinkets and furnishing. Sell commodities at relatively cheaper prices as it deals with low cost
import. A major participant in the replacement segment and likes established markets.
2.6. The 4Ps
Online interviews were carried out to gather information to conduct analysis on the
features of the BBQfun products and their performance in terms of turnover.

3.0 Mini Survey of the Bbqfun Company Profile
3.1 The Population and Sample
The population for this study is all the BBQfun stores and 6 repeat clients to the stores
located in Brisbane and Queensland. This study has utilized the stratified sampling techniques to
select 3 stores in Brisbane and 3 stores in Queensland. A total of 6 stores have been investigated
in terms of their products elements marketing. The data collected are from the year 2016 to 2018.
In order to synchronize the data so that it can be analyzable, the averages of the data brought
forward have been computed (Hoque, & Moll, 2001). During the data collection, the most
preferred sampling technique that has been used here is the stratified sampling technique that
picks the sample based on the grouping in which the company has been categorized. This
sampling method also deemed to be less biased than the random sampling techniques that can be
judgmental in nature (Nielson, & Harris, 2010). This research mainly uses the secondary data
that has been collected from the annual reports of the company. The data collected has been
quantitatively analyzed to depict the desired results for the investigations. The results have been
represented in graphs and tables and analyzed in accordance with the study topic brought
forward.

4.0 Results and analysis
Results from the mini interview;
4.1 From the company employees side
1. What is the nature of your products
a. Imports
b. Exports
The roots of commodities sold in BBQfun Company: Figure 1
33%
66%
ORIGIN OF COMMODITY IN THE STORE
IMPORT
EXPORT
The interview results in figure 1 shows that 33% of the commodities traded across the
company outlets were imported while 67% were homemade. The commodities traded on were
made from the locally available raw materials.
2. What types of commodities do your offer?
a. Variety
b. Single line of products

Nature of the product Figure 2
98%
2%
PRODUCT DIVERSITY
VARIETY
SINGLE LINE OF PRODUCTS
Figure 2 show that the stores offered a variety of commodities which gave consumers
ample time to make a rational choice.
3. What makes your terms of sale unique:
Guarantee for products
Affordable prices
Quality products
Friendly customer service

Stronghold terms of sale for the company Figure 3
Brisbane Queensland
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
friendly customer relations
quality
affordability
waranty
The BBQfun stores seemed to have uniform terms of sales across all outlets meaning the
terms were designed at the head office.
4. What type of transactions do you operate in your company?
a. Cash payment
b. Differed payment

Graphical presentation of the type of transactions for BBQfun company Figure 4
BRISBANE QUEENSLAND
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
CASH TRANSACTION
CREDIT TRANSACTION
As shown in figure 4, 60% of the transactions in the company were on cash basis while
40% were on differed payment terms.
5. From which companies do you obtain your commodities
a. The yard b. BBQ’s R US c. Outdoorz

NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS PER COMPANY Figure 5
1st Qtr
48%
2nd Qtr
16%
3rd Qtr
16%
4th Qtr
19%
NUMBER OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS
6. Kindly provide store sales for the past five years
Estimated average sales for the BBQfun commodities table1
City 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Brisbane 172,000 163,000 158,000 140,000 130,000
Queensland 300,000 264,000 253,000 244,000 235,000

Table 1 shows the sales volume of BBfun items in two major markets. The trend reveals
that the quantity of commodities sold have increased steadily over the period between 2014
and 2018.
GRAPHICAL PRESENTATION OF THE AVERAGE ESTIMATES OF THE
BBQfun SALES Figure 6 (adapted from ABS 2014),
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
BRISBANE
QUEENSLAND
Figure 6 shows pictorial presentation of the growth of sales of the BBQfun products over
a five-year period.

5.0 References
Alsakran, S. (2001). Employment issues. Al-Riyadh Newspaper (Arabic).
Dziedzic, A. (2007). Forge V Australian Securities and Investments Commission: The
KABLE Principle and the Constitutional Validity of Acting Judges. Federal Law Review, 35(1),
129-143.
Haigh, M. (2006). Managed investments, managed disclosures: financial services reform
in practice. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 19(2), 186-204.
Hoque, Z., & Moll, J. (2001). Public sector reform–Implications for accounting,
accountability and performance of state-owned entities–an Australian perspective. International
Journal of Public Sector Management, 14(4), 304-326.
Nielson, L., & Harris, B. (2010). Chronology of superannuation and retirement income in
Australia. Department of Parliamentary Services.

6.0 Appendix
The content of the interview schedule
1. What is the nature of your products
a. Imports
b. Exports
2. What types of commodities do your offer?
a. Variety
b. Single line of products
3. What makes your terms of sale unique:
a. Warranty for products
b. Affordable prices
c. Quality products
d. Friendly customer service
4. What type of transactions do you operate in your company?
c. Cash payment
d. Differed payment
5. Kindly provide store sales for the past five years
Interview guide for BBQfun product customers
6. From which companies do you obtain your commodities
a. The yard
b. BBQ’s R US

c. Outdoorz