A Case Study on Waitrose: Website's Impact on Business Performance

This research project examines the impact of digital technology, particularly websites, on Waitrose's business performance. The study aims to analyze the website's influence on market share and identify factors crucial for attracting customers through digitalization. The methodology includes primary and secondary research, employing questionnaires to gather data on customer and employee perceptions. Findings reveal that websites are essential for business growth, effective for customer engagement, and beneficial across various departments. The report discusses the advantages of websites for both the company and its customers, including ease of communication and cost savings. The discussion analyzes survey results, highlighting themes such as the importance of websites for growth, the impact of websites on communication, and the factors affecting website development. The research concludes with recommendations for Waitrose to enhance its digital presence and improve business outcomes. The project underscores the importance of digital tools in today's competitive market, emphasizing their role in maximizing productivity, reducing costs, and increasing market share.

Research Project

Table of Contents
TITLE: ............................................................................................................................................1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................2
RESULTS AND FINDINGS...........................................................................................................3
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................14
RECOMMENDATION.................................................................................................................15
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................19
.......................................................................................................................................................20

TITLE:
“The impact of Digital technology, especially website, on business performance. A
Case study on Waitrose Ltd.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Main purpose of this research project is to analysed the implication of website for
capturing large amount of market share of company. Another reason behind applying website as
a part of digital technology is to determined those factor which are essential for an organisation
for gaining customer attention while applying digitalisation (What is the Website, 2018).
Therefore, innovative tools and technique's are more significant for the each and every business
to develop strong image at large marketplace. For accomplishment of this, company need to
conduct research program which help them to easily find out opinion and view of people about
impact of digital tool, products, process and system of organisation. Beside this, organisation
applied different methods of data collection such as primary and secondary, qualitative and
quantitative, research design and philosophy, etc. All these are support the researcher to gather
accurate amount of data about the research topic.
INTRODUCTION
Digital technology are electronic devices, resources, systems and tools that process,
gather or generate data. These covers online games, social media, multimedia, cloud computing,
productivity application, mobile devices, websites and interoperable system. All these are useful
part of digitalisation for the success and growth of organisation. In this assignment chosen
organisation is Waitrose, it is a chain of British Supermarkets which is founded by Wallace
Waite, Arthur Rose, David Taylor in 1904. Company produce different types of food and
services in which they need to provide information about such items to the customers so that they
can implement Website, it help an organisation to maximise customer response and gain
competitive advantages easily (Agnihotri and et. al., 2016). Main purpose of the business about
selecting this topic is to evaluate the implication of website for capturing maximum number of
market share for company. Another purpose was to identify those factors which are valuable and
useful for firm for increasing customer response in the enterprise. Company has another motive
behind selecting this research topic is determine significance of digital technology for attaining
development and growth of organisation.
1

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is the theoretical and systematic evaluation of the approach
followed to a field study. It comprises the theoretical analysis of the principles and methods
associated with a lot of knowledge. In simple word, it is an effective process used to gather data
and information for the motive of making business decisions in an appropriate manner. This may
include interviews, publication research, survey, questionnaire and many other research tool, and
could cover both historical and present data (Ahmad, Musa and Harun, 2016). Therefore primary
and secondary research was essential and appropriate because with the applied of this,
investigator easily collected appropriate information about the research topic. In this study, data
has been gathered by secondary and primary source of data assemblage. Beside this, it is
essential for investigator needed proper knowledge regarding particular method through they can
gathers facts easily.
Primary research: It is an effective method in which company collects information and
data for the first time and it is not collected previously. It includes interview, samples,
observation etc. Questionnaire is created and hence Wait rose is collecting data and information
from the people for the first time (Saeidi, and et. al., 2015). This helps the company to collect
accurate and relevant data and information. It also saves the time and cost of company as it is
given to customers and they give quick responses. Hence organization can easily interpret the
data and information. It also helps the company to invest their useful time in all activities. Hence
firm can easily interpret the data and information and can also determine various conclusion.
Recommendation is also given to organization on basis of different conclusion (Aichner and
Jacob, 2015). Hence firm can earn more revenues by using digital tools and techniques and can
enhance the market share. So organization can expand their operations and tasks.
Secondary data: It is the method in which collects the data and information which is
already collected by another company (Siamagka, Michaelidou and Valvi, 2015). It includes the
online sources, books and journals. Research is playing an important part as it is explaining the
area of study. It can be quantitative and qualitative. It is cheaper source as compared to primary
source. It uses newspapers and magazines to collect the data and information. It is done so that
company can collect relevant and crucial matter.
2

From the above two methods company is using the primary research in which
organization creates questionnaire and it evaluates the impact of digital technologies on the
company. Through this enterprise can collect data and customers can give feedback to the firm.
Hence they can easily make changes in the plans and policies by taking feedback from the
company (Turban, and et. al., 2017).
There are various issues which influences the functions of research work of Wait rose and
it is described below:
Cost: It is the main issue for the Wait rose. It is crucial that company has to make
effective flow of assets and capital that are leading with investigation facilities in proper manner.
Cost is a factor which assists the organization collect the information and data with 30
respondents who are using the digital tools and techniques such as mobile phones so that there is
growth of the auto mobile sector (Baker, 2016). It has to reduce the cost ion all activities and
operations so that organization can enhance their revenues.
Ethical issues: It is also a effective method to solve the issues and problems of company.
It is an important principle and hence company has to properly follows all rules and regulations.
It has save the time and costa and properly utilize the resources in proper manner. This helps the
company to solve this issue and enterprise can earn huge revenues and can enhance the market
share. Ii helps the organization to expand their operation's and can also maintain positive image
in minds of all people and in industry (Chen and Lin, 2015).
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Q1) Can execution of website is useful for growth and development of
organisation's?
Frequency
Agree 35
Disagree 5
3

Agree Disagree
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
35
5
Column B
Q2) Which department of Waitrose are using website for advertising their
services?
Frequency
Sales and marketing Section 20
Finance Division 5
Operation Division 15
4

Sales and marketing Section
Finance Division
Operation Division
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
20
5
15
Column B
Q3) Does website give effective advantages to Waitrose company? Frequency
Agree 35
Disagree 5
Agree Disagree
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
35
5
Column B
5

Q4) What are the benefits of using websites for customers? Frequency
Easy connection 20
Time saving 10
Cost saving 10
Easy connection Time saving Cost saving
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
20
10 10
Column B
Q5) What are the major benefits of websites in the working environment of
Waitrose company?
Frequency
Maximising productivity 10
Whole cost Reduction 10
Raising market share 10
Gaining Customers attraction 10
6

Maximising productivity
Whole cost Reduction
Raising market share
Gaining Customers attraction
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10 10 10 10
Column B
Q6) Does websites support in developing growth and success for an enterprise? Frequency
Yes 36
No 4
7
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40 36
4
Column B

Q7) What are the major factors which straightly effect on development of
website?
Frequency
Technology 15
Target Market 15
Channel 10
Technology Target Market Channel
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
15 15
10
Column B
Q8) Website will directly impact on communication activities of Waitrose ? Frequency
Ease Of Communication 10
Higher Availability 10
Proper flow of information 20
8

Q9) Does implication of website are essential for the company to capture market
share?
Frequency
Yes 30
No 10
9
Ease Of Communication Higher Availability Proper flow of information
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
10 10
20
Column B
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
30
10 Column B