Inquiry Based Learning Report: Debenhams Retail Analysis

This report presents an inquiry-based learning project analyzing current trends in the retail industry, with a specific focus on Debenhams. The report begins by exploring various retail trends, including online shopping, digital payment systems, in-store atmosphere, social media shopping, and their impact on consumer behavior. The main body then provides an in-depth analysis of Debenhams, evaluating its performance through Porter's Five Forces model, considering factors like the threat of new entrants, supplier power, buyer power, and competitive rivalry. Finally, the report offers recommendations for Debenhams to enhance its success, emphasizing innovation in store features, leveraging digital platforms, and improving consumer engagement through personalized experiences and optimized store layouts. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and emphasizing the importance of adapting to evolving retail dynamics.

Inquiry based learning

Table of Contents
Inquiry based learning.....................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Current trends in retail.................................................................................................................3
Analysis of company...................................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
The inquiry based learning is one of the effective methodology that is attached with student
and plays important role in their learning process. This mainly refers as appropriate guidance for
students what they actually need to perform in order to enhance their learning ability or idea
generation. This will facilitates to motivate several data base related to material. This will leads
towards idea generation in more unique way. It also known as active learning of that is
associated with asking several types of question and deliver solution of problem (Al Mamun,
2020). There is diverse form of educational traditional that is majorly depend upon teacher
presentation skill as well as knowledge of the individual. The chosen company in this report is
Debenhams. The report consist of inquiry based learning so that current performance of
organisation can easily be determine. Debenhams is one of the famous brand that mainly
operates as a departmental store in parts of London, England. Company create own portal for the
ease of online shopping. Enterprise deal in several product range such as apparel, electric
appliances and cosmetics.
MAIN BODY
Current trends in retail
Debenhams is leading company in parts of UK, that deals in mainly clothing retailing
segment. The company execute its business operation in 100 department stores in parts of
England (Chan, 2020). Company capture biggest market share approx 1.3 billion sales and
transform their stores into departmental store. The company make strategic planning to expand
its market share and purchase Harvey Nichol’s in 1913. For sustainable long term vision of
company, they adopted current trends of retail sector. The concept of current trend in retail is
based on consumer centric approach through which company can easily focus upon their
satisfying consumer based for company progress. This will grab the attention of consumer
towards great development in competitive share. Here are some current retail trends that is
focused by the company are given bellow-

Online shopping- Debenhams mainly concern with the online sales. This is most trending
retail change that is seen in modern days. Most of the target consumer prefer to buy online rather
then shop from store. The sale of the offline mode that is from store getting on decline face in the
time of pandemic. In order to increase level of sale company focus on mobile, website or digital
media platform. That is why Debenhams adopted this trending retail trend. The company give
major attention to their website so that target consumer can easily purchase its product with
convenient from their smart phone (Conradty, 2019) . The priority of company is getting sale
increase and satisfy consumer base. Due to highly competitive advantage and their long vision
sustainability this one of the masterstroke that company adopted.
Digital payment system-The company must give more attention to improve consumer
experience that is why they adopted digital payment system. This will make more convenient
move to improve shopping experience of consumer, They do not need to stand in long queue for
payment mode of shopping but after implementation of digital payment transaction no cash
payments required. The whole payment can be over from direct bank account of consumer to
retailer with the help of online application of digital payment. The Pau Pal credit features also
offered by the Debenhams in order to improve digital way transaction as it contains buy now and
pay later through EMI or transactions. The paying system gets more effective as compare to
tradition method of payment. This improve brand name of company with enhancement of
consumer base.
In store atmosphere- Now days in the segment of retailing, company is not only concern
with the online platform but also offline mode. To increase the sale from store, Debenhams focus
on improving experience of consumer while they purchase product from offline mode. Still there
are some target consumer who prefer to shop from stores. Company expand their store to mega
store so it will be more convenient for consumer to shop from store. To enhance the level of sale
from store company aims to improve their consumer shopping experience (Dobber and et.al.,
2017). They provide customised and personalised products that satisfy needs and demands of the
consumer. All the product is arrange in more organised way so no difficulties found while
shopping from offline mode. The payment system also gets digitalised so no cash issue will
generate. This will leads towards positive feedback who shop in mode of offline that is store
purchasing.

Social media shopping- This is most trending way to stop now days from social media
shopping. It can be known as from Instagram, Facebook, Whats app etc. Most of the products
gets purchase from these social media sites. The large consumer gets more engagement on the
platform of social media. This the main reason why Debenhams moves its digital selling towards
social media channels as they post regular update about their new product offering in order to
influence more consumer base towards products purchasing. This will build unique relationship
and consumer can easily attach with their favourite brand. This will help them to maintain the
high competence from others competitors.
Analysis of company
The analysis of company portfolio is essential because this will recognise actual
performance of company in terms of revenue and growth in high competition market. Analysis
of Debenhams company performance can be done from porters five force model. This model
combines of one the strategic framework so that each decision making will be done in more
effective and efficient way (Kang, 2018). Through this Debenhams can easily examine the level
of competence. This will ensure how they can adopt modify changes in its product life cycle that
support competitive edge in retail segment. Analysis of company Debenhams as as given below-
Threat of new participants-The new participation always try to brings more innovation
in the retail industry. By generating new things will create lots of pressure in minds of
Debenhams in their product life cycle. That is why company focus upon providing low price
product. They fulfil their purpose of sustaining in market for long term by providing unique
selling proposition to target consumer (Katan, 2021). This will brings lost of challenges while
building safeguard in level to barrier entry in managing high competence to barriers to new
entry. To reduce the effect of new participant company deliver new innovative products to
influence existing and exclusive market consumer base. It also give full attention upon their
fixed cost per unit in order to maintain low price. Through research department, they invested
more amount on it so that it will increase company capacity. The new participants are not that
much capable to beat Debenhams leading company due to dynamic culture of retailing.
Bargaining power of supplier- Here most of organisation has to purchase actual raw
material from their suppliers for their day to day procurement of business activity. The power of
supplier can be in the position of dominance in respect of Debenhams. The company has more

power supplier in their industry from their competitors. The company utilise selling power in
order to set high price of product for consumer to increase sale. This greatly influence supplier
advanced demand in case of barraging power. This will ensure more high profitability in their
segment. The Debenhams has to manage its supplier bargaining power so that can established
effective channel of supply chain. This will deliver advance level of experimental level of
product design with the help of unification in its consumer data base to develop more loyal
consumer relationship (Moon, 2019). The company gain knowledge from others company like
Nike, Wall mart that how to manage third party in its process of manufacturing of products. It
will ensure company growth business so that maximum benefit will occur in their retail segment.
Negotiation power of supplier-Most of the times buyers of company products demand
in more effective and efficient way. Buyers of company always wants that company must offer
them unique, creative and best quality of product. They also want the product must be at most
affordable price while marinating quality standard. This will generate lost of pressure in the
minds of Debenhams as they have to raise leading brand in front of mass audience. There is few
base of consumer that are highly negotiating control in respect of Debenhams buyers. This is
hard for company to manage their negotiation buyers and their bargaining power in retail
industry (Thongkoo, 2019). This will ultimately aid company in maintain strong base to handle
their maximum consumer base. It will benefit for company profitability and reduce the level of
bargaining power of buyer. Through this lots of opportunity will generate in sale and
manufacturing process of company.
Fears of additional products, services-There is great loss and become major threat
when similar product range with same features and characteristics. It easy for Debenhams for
managing their substitute threat of similar product, goods range. As to reduce the level of their
substitute threat company focus service oriented product range deliver to their target consumer
along with product concern. Company recognise basic requirement of target consumer so that it
will automatically reduce the level of their substitute threat. This will leads towards more
cumulative switching of price range in respect of other client competitors. The only alternative
solution of removing additional products and services is deliver most unique selling proposition.
This strategy is adopted by Debenhams company in order to compete with its substitute. This is
one of the successful strategy that aids in creation of maximum profitability of company.

Competition among present customers- There is a high competition is seen the industry
of retail as with the growing number of profitability in industry leads towards more competition
and present consumer base gets affected due to high level of competence. Through dealing with
highly competitive environment among customer Debenhams focus upon sustainable
differentiable product so that the level of competition gets decline. The major focus looks high
building establishment of company in front of their target audience. This will strength their long
position in competitive environment (Yulianti, 2018) . It spread more clear cut direction with
contestant collaborating in order to raise the market place position, instead of focusing upon
competitors in other parts of small market.
RECOMMENDATION
Debenhams has to put more innovation features in their present store line so that maximum
attention of target consumer gets valuable services or product (Turner, 2018). Through this lost
of invention generate to fulfil actual demand of market as well as target consumer. By adopting
new retail trends in more effective way it automatically build relation of consumer in both type
perspective offline and online. The experience of consumer shopping gets improvised when they
adopt originate plan store. In the process to improve consumer experience recommended tool has
been given that is communal friends interaction sites like email to established good relation with
mass audience. The tool act as a empathic that deliver positive feedback and enhance their
experience with pop up in their screen. In order to build strong relation and brand image
company must focus upon digital platform like social media or website. Through this it can
easily share regular update of their unique features of theirv existing and new launching product
and services to compete high level of competition in the market world of retail. Company must
provide consumer vouchers codes to their regular clients to gain maximum engagement in online
store. To explore more customise experience of store , they must focus upon their store layout
and designing with personalised product. Debenhams must involve new retailing in its existing
structure of retailing in order to maximise sales and revenue with increment of consumer base
towards company product and services.

CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that with the growing importance of retail
segment most of emergent change has been seen in new retail trend. One of the most
common retail trend is online shopping. Company must involve in its business process
otherwise they fail to maintain their log period of sustainability in high competence. The
current analysis of company can be done through porter five force model and improve
revenue of company.

REFERENCES
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