Analysis of Holland & Barrett's Marketing Principles and Practices

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Holland and Barrett's marketing strategies, focusing on their marketing mix (7Ps), strategic decisions, and the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. The analysis covers product offerings, pricing strategies, promotional activities, and distribution channels, along with the importance of people, processes, and physical evidence. Strategic decisions such as sustainability initiatives, technological advancements, customer retention programs, and product differentiation strategies are examined. The report also applies Porter's Five Forces model to assess the competitive landscape and concludes with an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of Holland and Barrett's marketing initiatives. This detailed overview provides valuable insights into the company's approach to marketing and its impact on business performance.

Principles and Practices
of Marketing- PPM

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Marketing Mix:...........................................................................................................................3
Strategic decision........................................................................................................................5
Relevant theories.........................................................................................................................6
Evaluation of effectiveness of marketing efforts........................................................................8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Marketing refers to different activities undertake by an organisation for promotion of buying as
well as selling of products and service. It consist different activities like advertising, selling as
well as delivery of products and service to final consumers (Bélisle-Pipon, 2021). It can be also
defied as process for developing, communication, exchanging and delivery of products and
service which create value for clients, customers, society as well as partners. This report includes
analysation of Holland and Barrett which is a UK based organisation and is health food shop
chains. It was established in the year 1870 in UK. This organisation has around 1300 stores in
around 16 countries as it has its presence in Netherlands, UK, Belgium, India, UAE, Saudi
Arabia and others. This project report consist analysation of marketing mix in context of
company in their operation in UK. It reflect different strategic decisions along with taught
theories in marketing efforts. It also evaluate effectiveness of marketing efforts.
Main Body
Marketing Mix:
Holland and Barrett is an international subsidiary retailing company providing healthy products
like Vitamins, minerals, ethical beauty enzymes, herbal medicines, vegetarian food in 16
countries. It was founded in 1870, in Nuneaton, England,U.K. Holland and Barrett is an world's
best leading retailers providing health and wellness.
Marketing mix refers to marketing tools which is used by a company to sell its products or
services to the customer. Marketing mix helps company to take marketing decision in order
make it profitable by identifying and arranging all elements that can affects marketing
environment (Carpenter, 2020). Different marketing decision made by company helps them to
develop and improve strengths and also helps them to overcome of weakness. It also helps them
to become more competitive and easily adaptable by the market. Generally marketing mix
consist 4 Ps that helps company to take marketing decision. These includes price, product,
promotion, and place but later on it extended to 7 Ps which are physical evidence, people and
process. The 7 ps of marketing mix in context of Holland and Barrett discussed below:
Product: Product is something which has been offered by company to customer and helps
company to earn profit. A company has to maintain life cycle of their product for covering any
challenges that has been arise when the product is sold to the customer. As Holland and Barrett

selling healthy products so they were maintaining their product life cycle. They are providing
vitamins, ethical beauty Enzymes, vegetarian food Herbal medicine, minerals and many more.
Price: Price refers to amount one has to pay to buy the product and service. The price of product
totally depends on view of customer as it can easily change the marketing strategy of the
company (Colangelo and Borgogno, 2020). A lower price of the product can easily attract more
customers whereas higher price of the product can not easily attract more customer as company
have to face more difficulty to seeks customer to purchase their product. A company should set
the price greater to their cost of production to earn profit for the company. Holland and Barrett
use affordable price strategy to attract more customer in order to increase sale of company.
Promotion: For promoting the product various methods are present like advertising, direct
marketing and sales promotion. A company can also use TV commercials, Internet ads,
catalogues, trade fairs, billboards, etc. to promote their product in the market. Promotion mainly
focus on that factors which help the organisation to attract more customer to buy their products
and services. The Holland and Barrett used Advertising method for promoting their products and
also using different digital marketing tool which increase engagement of customers with
company. These digital marketing tool does not posses much cost and increase reach of
customers.
Place: Place basically refers to those area or location where a company want to sell its products
and services or that area where customer's can easily be attracted. It also includes transport,
warehousing, distribution centres, inventory decisions and franchises. Holland and Barrett is an
international company sell their products mainly in 16 countries. Its main focus on places of
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, China ,Hong Kong, India, Saudi
Arabia and UAE. This organisation has its own stores and have around 1300 stores under their
name.
People: People in marketing mix refers to those persons which help the company to achieve
objectives of the company they are selling staff employees, customer services, delivery people,
as well as recruitment and training staff (Coşa and Gherasim, 2019). The company should be
aware about their performance of employees and how they interact with the customers. Holland
and Barrett is the world's best retailing company so they should be ensure that how their
employees interact with customers and how they promote their products , how their employees
working their jobs.

Process- Process in marketing mix refers to all those things that was performing by the staffs of
the company to sell the products and services that give an great impact on the customer so they
can easily be influenced to purchase them. Holland and Barrett company trained their staffs how
to interact or easily be influenced so they can easily purchase their product.
Physical evidence- Physical evidence refers to the all those things which is related to the
products or the physical environment where service has been given (D'Amore and Chawla,
2017). Physical evidence of the company includes delivery receipts, product packaging, signage,
or the layout of the store. All the physical evidences of Holland and Barrett company are stores ,
websites, and for purchi9ng proofs they have physical or digital receipts, invoices etc. that has
been provide to the customers when they purchases.
Strategic decision
Strategic decision refers to those decision which are concerned with whole environment in which
an organisation operates, its resources as well as people who are contributing to firm and
interface between two organisation. It is important for a firm to take various strategic decision in
their organisation as it helps them to survive in market. Strategic decision making is one of
process which includes understanding of interaction of different decision and its impact on
organisation to take advantage. There are different strategic decision made by managers of
Holland and Barrett which is helps business to improve performance of company and also
provide them different organisational outcomes. It reduce probability of failure in organisation
and overcome of competition in market. Some of strategic decision made by Holland and Barrett
are mentioned below:
Sustainability: Sustainability is an important aspect in business which is a part of their business
strategy. Sustainability refers to meeting need of a person without compromising ability of future
generation to meet their needs. It consider not only natural resources but also social as well as
economic resources (George, 2021). Sustainability helps business to improve quality of lives and
force them to protect ecosystem as well as preserve natural resources for future generation. It is
one of approach which is consider by Holland and Barrett for protection environment and
consider different aspect from manufacturing to logistics of customer service. It helps them to
build good image of company in minds of customers as there is increasing awareness related to
health among people of UK. Holland and Barrett is conducting their business activities in market
with integrity and honesty which improve their ethical standard. This organisation is supporting

charities, inclusive workplace as well as creating diversity. They are also concerned for
environment and focusing on reducing energy and aims to be carbon neutral.
Technological advantage: Technology provide advantage to business which helps them to sell
their products and service in market and also improve their productivity. Technology provide
competitive advantage to a business and also helps them to saves their cost. It allow business to
complete their work in effective manner (Gordon and Oades, 2017). Technology can be
developed on basis of research and development which helps business to develop different skills.
Holland and Barrett is adopting new technology in market which allow them to survive in market
and make their organisation more competitive in terms of other players in market. Company is
also planning to introduce new concept store which is focusing on trial and test reaction of
consumer for new technology that is base on iBeacons.
Customer retention: It is also a strategy which can be adopted by an organisation in which they
spend money to retain existing customers instead of focusing on attracting new. Cost of retaining
existing customers is lower in compare to attracting new customers which provide opportunity to
company. Holland and Barrett is making various efforts in order to retain their existing
customers. In order to retain exiting customers, they have introduce customers loyalty scheme. In
this different stores of company is aiming to retain more and more existing customers along with
attracting new customers. In this loyalty scheme, customers will get four points for around
spending £1 which can be later on converted in coupons which customers can be able to spend in
stores of Holland and Barrett.
Product differentiation: Product differentiation is one of business strategy which is adopted in
business to consumer business (Lewnes and Keller, 2019). Differentiation can be adopted with
highlighting different factors which are superiors in products in terms of features, technology,
styling as well as pricing. Product differentiation refers to something which make products and
service stand out different from their target market. Holland and Barrett is adopting
differentiation strategy in their organisation which leads to sales, brand loyalty as well as growth
in their business. This organisation is leading retailer in health and wellness as it is providing
different vitamins, health supplements, natural beauty products and many more.
Relevant theories
Porters five forces model: Porters five forces model is one of competitive position analysis
which was introduced by Michel E porter in the year 1979. It is one of model which provide

framework for assessing as well as evaluating competitive strength as well as positioning of
business organisation. It is based on different concept which consist different forces that helps to
determine competitive intensity as well as attractiveness in market. Holland and Barrett is one of
organisation which is using this model in order to analyse competitiveness of industry. It helps
them to build effective strategy in their organisation to overcome of competition present in
industry. Different factors of this model in context of Holland and Barrett is mentioned below:
Competition in industry: Competition is one of important factors for a company as it create
impact on profit and marketing share of company. It helps them to It create impact on ability of
company as if there are large numbers of players present in market, it will create impact on profit
and power of company (McAlindon, 2017). Holland and Barrett is an organisation which is
providing health food like vitamins, ethical enzymes, vegetarian food, medicines, minerals and
other things to customers. This organisation is getting neutral threat from this factor as it is
providing healthy food which is able to get attention of customers in market.
Threat from new entrants: It is another factors in porter's five forces model which can create
impact on business. New entry create impact on power of company and making efforts to grab
customers and marketing share of company. Holland and Barrett is providing products and
service in health food and in order to enter in this firm, proper knowledge of market is required.
This factors create less threat for Holland and Barrett as new players cannot enter in this
industry.
Power of suppliers: Power of supplier also create impact on operation of company as it is
affected with numbers of suppliers. Power of suppliers depends on different aspects like
availability of numbers of supplier, uniqueness of their inputs and cost of company for switching
to another supplier. Holland and Barrett is getting their products from numbers of suppliers
which decrease their power.
Power of customers: Power of customer is another component of Porter's five forces model. It
includes power of customers to lower prices of company (Mkhize and Ellis, 2019). Holland and
Barrett is providing different products which is in demand among customers so customers has
less power to lower down prices of products offered by company.
Threat of Substitute: Treat of substitute is another factor which create impact on company.
Substitute goods and service can be used in place of products and service of company. It create
threat for products and service of company as customers can easily switch to other products.

There are various substitute available in market for products of Holland and Barrett which create
higher threat for company and its products.
Ansoff Matrix: Ansoff matrix is one of important techniques for developing market strategies
for business which ensure long term existence. This matrix is given by Igor Ansoff in 1957
which provide knowledge about all risk factor present in market for organisation. This matrix
have four alternatives which helps an organisation to grow in new or existing market with new
or existing product.
Market Penetration: Market Penetration is a techniques which helps an organisation for
developing its market strategy using its existing product in a existing market for its growth (Moi,
Cabiddu and Frau, 2019). It helps an organisation to increase its market position in existing
market by using different promotion or distribution method. Holland and Barrett needs to
decrease price of their products for selling its product to existing customer or finding new
customer.
Market Development: Market development techniques helps the organisation to develop its
market position by selling its existing product in a new market. In order to expand business in
new market, it is important for Holland and Barrett to develop new marketing strategy, develop
new technology, understand consumer behaviour.
Product Development: Product development is one of strategy in which organisation is
providing new products in existing market. For this, organisation needs to conduct research in
existing market for developing its techniques before launching new product. For this, Holland
and Barrett needs to invest more in research and development activities and also needs to acquire
product and services of competitions and merging resources for developing new products which
are able to satisfy needs of customers in existing market.
Diversification: In a diversification techniques an organisation launch its new product in new
market. This technique is very risky for Holland and Barrett as both market as well as product
are new for company (Price, 2017).
Evaluation of effectiveness of marketing efforts
Marketing efforts are important for a business as it helps them to remain competitive and ensure
long term survival of products and service. It is important for a business for various reason which
are as follows:

Streamline products development: Marketing efforts helps business for development of
product and service which has higher probability of success in market and increase chances for
firm to increase profit (Swenson and Rhoads, 2019). These marketing efforts made by business
starts with marker research, understanding competition, considering optimal target customers.
These information helps business of Holland and Barrett for developing products as per
requirement of customers which helps company to overcome of competition.
Overcome of competition: Marketing efforts allow business to conduct different research in
market which helps them to understand their target customers and also their needs, preferences,
requirement. It is important for company which helps them to develop different types of products
and adopt differentiation. It is important in life of a person to overcome of competition which
provide them opportunity to expand marketing share and increase profit.
Assist marketing communication: Marketing efforts is important in life of a person which
helps company to develop brand and image in minds of consumer. It is difficult for a business to
develop advertisement without conducting research and strategic plan (Punjani, 2019).
Marketing research and other efforts helps company to develop a suitable promotion strategy,
develop message which is important to develop product development efforts. It will helps
business of Holland and Barrett to develop strategy with which increase engagement of
customers with company and its products.
Establish effective distribution and pricing strategy: Marketing efforts also helps business to
develop effective distribution in which it is important for them to understand features of
products, their target customers, price offered by them and maximising marketing efforts of
company (Zaveri and Amin, 2019). It helps them to understand preference of customers and
develop distribution strategy as per them. Understanding market also helps business of Holland
and Barrett to understand on which price customers are ready to buy products and service of
company. These prices should be set by company in a ways which allow them to generate
sufficient profit for company.
CONCLUSION
From above mentioned project report, it can be concluded that marketing is one of important
activity for business as it helps business to understand needs, wants, preferences and taste of
customers. Company is using different marketing strategies which helps them to operate in
market successfully. Marketing Mix is one of strategy which consist different components of

market like product, price, place and promotion which helps company to operate in market
successfully. There are different types of strategic decision undertake by company which helps
them to expand their market share and ensure their long term survival in market. Different
theories are also undertake by firm in their operation like Porter's five forces model and ansoff
matrix. Porters' five forces model is one of tool which helps to analyse competitiveness of
industry and allow firm to develop different strategies to overcome of competition. Ansoff
matrix is another model which consist different strategies adopted by firm for expanding market
or introducing new products in existing market. Different types of strategic decision taken by
firm are related to new technology as it provide competitive advantage to business, sustainability
which is beneficial for image of company.

REFERENCES
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