Strategic Analysis: SWOT Analysis for John Lewis & Partners

This report presents a SWOT analysis of John Lewis & Partners, a prominent UK-based department store chain. The analysis begins with an introduction to SWOT analysis as a strategic tool for evaluating a company's competitive position. The main body of the report delves into John Lewis's strengths, such as its strong brand image, customer loyalty, and qualified management team. It then examines the company's weaknesses, including recent price cuts and criticisms regarding management. The report identifies opportunities for John Lewis, such as designing trendier clothes and expanding online shopping. Finally, it addresses threats, including the company's focus on an older demographic and competition from other retailers. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of addressing weaknesses and threats to maintain market share and capitalize on opportunities for future growth.

SWOT Analysis
of
John Lewis

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
SWOT analysis is a framework that help a particular organisation to evaluate a
company's competitive position as well as develop a strategic planning. It basically consist of
both internal and external factor along with current and future potential of an
organisation(Davies, John and Thomas, 2014). In this report an organisation chosen is John
Lewis & Partners, is a chain of high end departments operating through out United Kingdom.
This report is going to analysis the strength, weakness, threats and opportunities of a respective
organisation in order to know its competitive position in market place.
MAIN BODY
In toady's context SWOT^ analysis is one of the most renowned tool for analysing
overall strategic position of the business operation and its environment. It is the key purpose to
identify strategies which will create a firm specific business model with align an organisation
resources and capabilities in which the firm operates(Rieger, Stanley and Traynor, 2014). Herein,
the mangers of John Lewis are adopting this framework in order to analysis its competitive
position in market place.
Strength: Strength basically describe what an organisation excels and what separates it
from its competitors such as a strong brand image, loyal customers, unique capabilities in
operating business(.Arafat, Ferdous and Quarles, 2016). Herein, John Lewis are enjoying a
strong brand image by simplifying its premium quality which creates value for money as well
as customers loyalty towards it. Moreover, they are having highly qualified management team
which works towards in increasing productivity and profitability of their business operation in
competitive market place. Hence they are creating a unique place in competitive market place by
strong online presence, effective level of employment and staff members along with exclusive
range of product and services.
Weakness: Weakness refers to the areas where an organisation need to work upon it in
order to remain competitive in market place. Herein, John Lewis have recently started in cutting
down its price in order to match up with increasing competition. Additionally, the company has
recently criticized for fuelling accusation of poor managerial incompetence, corporate
governance and lack of transparency with their investors and employees. Eventually, they were
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decreasing in competitive market p[lace due to lack of effective marketing strategy and absence
of international business experience.
Opportunities: Opportunities are favourable element of external factors that can give an
organisation a competitive advantage(Enderle and Murphy, 2015). Herein, John lewis are
developing idea in creating large opportunities by designing trendier clothes in order to attract
youth and potential customers towards it. Moreover, they are coming up with online shopping
application app in order to have a great opportunities as online margin are higher which
ultimately cite extensive high growth in competitive marketplace. Eventually, they are adopting a
healthy life style by customers which creates an opportunities to sell healthy foods and sports
gear. Apart from this they are involving themselves in international market expansion,
development of new and unique selling proposition and formulating strategic partnership in
global markets or new product development in competitive market place. Thus, they are
targeting more towards young professional living standard by increasing purchasing power
parity which improves lifestyles.
Threats: Threats refers to those factor that have potential to harm an organisation. Some
of the common threats for an organisation are rising cost for material, increasing competition
and so on. Herein, the threats of the John lewis are that they have target old age group that lead
to risk failure. Apart from this, they were negatively criticized due to lack of support in tier
product of undergarments which adversely effect on sales in competitive market place.
Eventually, they stated with poor corporate governance which lead to fall in interest margin that
reduced revenues the cash equity business. It lead to loss customer's loyalty, facing company's
ability to meet financial obligation of their day to fay business activities and operation in
competitive advantage of same product line. Furthermore, they fail in marketplace due to lack of
cultural difference, negative effects on adoption of new norms and regulation as emergence of
new competitors in competitive advantage.
Thus, the above discussed are the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats which
help a respective organisation to know its competitive position.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been concluded that an organisation are adopting
SWOT analysis to know its competitive strength, weakness, opportunities and threats in
marketplace. Herein, an organisation need to improve upon its weakness and threats so that they
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can attain goodwill as well as high market share by their offerings to its potential customer's.
Moreover, they can create opportunities by coming up with new and trendy clothes in order to
attract large number of customer's towards it.
REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Davies, A., John, E. and Thomas, A., 2014. Corporate strategy development via numerical
situation analysis. Benchmarking: An International Journal. 21(4). pp.619-633.
Rieger, J., Stanley, J. and Traynor, R., 2014. Site Analysis. In Project Planning and
Management for Ecological Restoration(pp. 49-72). Island Press, Washington, DC.
Arafat, I.M., Ferdous, S.M.S. and Quarles, J., 2016, November. The effects of cybersickness on
persons with multiple sclerosis. In Proceedings of the 22nd ACM Conference on Virtual
Reality Software and Technology (pp. 51-59). ACM.
Enderle, G. and Murphy, P.E. eds., 2015. Ethical innovation in business and the economy.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
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