DU-MGMT3283: Retail Strategy Analysis of Holt Renfrew and Winners

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the retail strategies of Holt Renfrew and Winners, two prominent department store chains in Canada. The report begins with an executive summary, followed by an introduction that outlines the objective of analyzing retail strategies and management. The discussion section provides background information on Holt Renfrew and Winners, including their product offerings, target audiences, and positioning in the market. The core of the report involves an in-depth analysis of the 7 Ps of the retail mix – product, price, place, promotion, packaging, positioning, and people – for both department stores. This comparative analysis highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each store's strategies, providing insights into their marketing approaches. The report concludes with specific recommendations for improvements, such as product diversification, packaging enhancements, and improvements in online shopping experiences. The report emphasizes the importance of retail marketing and suggests actionable steps for both department stores to enhance their competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

Running head: RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Executive Summary
The significant objective of the report is to provide an analysis about the scopes of retail
marketing and its management. For this, two renowned department store chains in Canada,
namely, Holt Renfrew and Winners have been analyzed following the 7 P’s of Market Mix.
The background and range of products and services offered by the two stores shows their
target audience. Moreover, through the analysis of the 7 P’s of Retail Mix, the feature of the
retailing strategy of the two department store chains have been analyzed. Certain weakness in
such strategies have been identified, which can be solved following the provided
recommendations. In conclusion, the importance of retail marketing has been stated, along
with the recommendations that can solve the retail problems in Holt Renfrew and Winners.

2RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................4
Holt Renfrew..........................................................................................................................4
Winners..................................................................................................................................5
Analysis of 7 P’s of Retail Mix..............................................................................................5
 Product.........................................................................................................................6
 Price.............................................................................................................................6
 Place............................................................................................................................6
 Promotion....................................................................................................................7
 Packaging....................................................................................................................7
 Positioning...................................................................................................................7
 People..........................................................................................................................8
Recommendations..................................................................................................................8
 Product diversification.................................................................................................8
 Improvements in packaging........................................................................................8
 Improvements in online shopping experience.............................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

3RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Introduction
Retailing strategies are marketing plans for an organization aimed at increasing the
reach of the products produced and services provided by them to their customers. These
strategies influence consumption patterns by determining the various aspects of retailing like
price of products and services, place where these are sold and the target groups of the
organization (Beck & Rygl, 2015). The significant object of this report is to analyze the retail
strategies and its management in Holt Renfrew and Winners established in Canada. An
evaluation of the 7 P’s of Retail Mix shows a comparison of the retailing and management
strategies used by these two department stores thereby identifying the areas in which they can
be improved. In conclusion, certain recommendations can be provided by following which
the department stores can aim at creating and adding value to the products and services
provided by them.
Discussion
Holt Renfrew
Holt Renfrew & Co. Limited, founded in the year 1837, is one of the leading high-end
department stores in Canada, specializing in the sales of accessories, clothing, footwear,
jewelry, beauty products and fragrances (Holtrenfrew.com, 2019). The department store
operates under the chairmanship of W. Galen Weston, the owner of Selfridges Group
Limited. Based in Toronto, the department store caters to the needs of customers belonging to
middle and high income groups. The store offers an array of luxury products and designer
boutiques for a target audience ranging from ages seventeen to sixty five. Moreover, the store
also offers clothing options for both men and women. From the high-end products sold in the
store it can be deduced that the lifestyle of its target audience is mostly business-oriented
individuals who earn sufficiently to be able to afford them. The customers at Holt Renfrew

4RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
show an interest towards elegant and elite clothing that will suit their social status (Oddey,
2015). The store promotes brand loyalty thereby facilitating the customers to get access to
high-end products easily.
Winners
Winners Merchants International L.P, founded in the year 1982, is an off-price
department store based in Canada. TJX Companies is the owner of this chain of stores that
offers various products like clothing, bedding, footwear, jewelry, beauty products and even
furniture (TJX.com, 2019). The specialty of this chain of departmental stores is that they
cater to the requirements of a wide range of customers belonging to the low, middle and high
income groups. The store also diversifies its range of products from time to time to meet the
changing preferences of the customers. The target audience of Winners include young as well
as old customers. Discounts and other incentives are provided by the sore to attract brand
loyalty. The diverse range of products available in the clothing section allows the customers
to choose from regular wear to designer outfits. The store specializes in the sale of high
quality clothing for women belonging to any strata of income. The customers of this
department store chain can be regarded as value and fashion conscious.
Analysis of 7 P’s of Retail Mix
The Marketing Mix for Retail entails a set of marketing strategies that can be carried
out by retailers to cater to the needs and requirements of its target audience efficiently
(Mohammad, 2015). These strategies involves seven scopes that include the price, product,
place, promotion, packaging, positioning and people. These seven criterions together form
the 7 P’s of Retail Mix. An analysis of each aspect with respect to Holt Renfrew and Winners
can provide a detailed evaluation of the retail strategies adopted by these two department
store chains and their management.

5RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
 Product – The aspect of product in retail mix indicates the details about the product
that is being sold by the retailer (Varley, 2014). Holt Renfrew is a seller of high-end
luxury clothing. In this aspect, their products are elegant and stylish and are displayed
in a manner that is easily accessible to the customers to view. Customer satisfaction is
ensured by the store through the maintenance of high quality in products and efficient
staff to explain the product features to the customers. Moreover, Holt Renfrew also
specializes in fur clothing that is often considered as a status symbol. The store also
features haute couture apparels from various renowned luxury fashion brands. On the
other hand, Winners offers high quality and fashionable clothing that cater to the
requirements of the low-income groups as well as high profile customers. In this
aspect, the store provides everyday-wear clothing and luxury clothing at discounted
prices.
 Price – Holt Renfrew specializes in luxury clothing with price ranges that are
affordable to the high-income groups of customers. On the other hand, Winners
provides customers with a wide range of options in terms of price of products.
Moreover, being an off-price chain, the store ensures frequent subsidies and discounts
for high quality products as compared to other retailers, thereby making the products
affordable to middle and low-income groups (Tovmasyan, 2017).
 Place – Holt Renfrew has its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario . Apart from this, they
also operate in more than nine stores in various shopping centers in and around
Toronto. The locations of these stores are mostly areas inhabited by high-income
consumers, thereby facilitating their accessibility to their target audience (Halliday,
2017). Winners has stores in fifteen locations in and around Toronto. The well-
equipped stores present throughout the city enables customers from wide range of
places to involve in a shopping experience with this chain of department stores.

6RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
 Promotion – Holt Renfrew involves in promotional activities through various popular
social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They keep their loyal
customers updated about any recent additions of clothing range or discounts offered
through promotional gift cards and an official purchasing website. Winners, on the
other hand, also involve in promotional activities through social media with the help
of official accounts in Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn (Westerink, 2016).
Online website shopping is made available to the customers to view the wide range of
products and purchase them.
 Packaging – Holt Renfrew package their products in a magenta packaging bag with
their logo on it and tissues inside it to prevent any damage of the products
(Holtrenfrew.com, 2019). Men’s clothing is similarly packaged in grey bags with the
HR logo on it. The attractive packaging acts as a selling point for the customers and
enhances their satisfaction. Winners, on the other hand, do not have any specific
packaging techniques to attract customers. The store uses sturdy boxes for packaging
to prevent damage to the products, but does not feature any specific design.
 Positioning – Both Holt Renfrew and Winners are renowned retailers in Canada in
the field of clothing (Mathur, 2019). Holt Renfrew is more popular among the high
income group of customers as they provide sophisticated range of products from
various luxury clothing brands. Winners on the other hand gains brand loyalty from a
wide range of customers through competitive pricing, thereby allowing them to cater
to the requirements of various income groups. Winners is more popular among
customers who require high quality products at low price ranges.
 People – Both Holt Renfrew and Winners provide excellent customer services with
the help of numerous staff who promptly aid the customers during their shopping
experience. The marketing strategies employed by the two department stores makes

7RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
their products accessible through online platforms with easy exchange options,
thereby ensuring customer satisfaction.
Recommendations
There are certain recommendations that can aid Holt Renfrew and Winners improve
their retailing strategies and reach out to a wider range of customers.
 Product diversification – Holt Renfrew caters to the requirements of only the middle
and high-income groups of customers. Their clothing products mostly include luxury
and designer apparel (Holtrenfrew.com, 2019). However, they can increase their
customer base by creating a range of clothing options for people belonging to low-
income groups through competitive pricing.
 Improvements in packaging – Winners does not have a specific packaging design
for the products sold by them. Improvements in this field, including the use of
recyclable paper bags with their logo, will not only improve their brand image and
popularity among customers but also enable them to involve in Corporate Social
Responsibility.
 Improvements in online shopping experience – Both Holt Renfrew and Winners
provide online options for shopping through official websites. However,
improvements can be made in this field to ensure easy delivery options for customers
throughout the world. Enhancements in fast delivery systems can ensure customer
satisfaction for both the department stores and increase their popularity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that in the age of globalization, retail marketing and its
strategies play a vital role in determining consumption patterns over the world. In Canada,
Holt Renfrew and Winners are two of the most popular department store chains that provide

8RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
various clothing options for their customers. The retailing strategies employed by these
chains are different as their target audiences are different from one another. An analysis of
the 7 P’s of Retail Mix provides an evaluation of the features of their marketing strategies as
well as some weaknesses that can be improved upon. Following an improvement in online
purchasing options, packaging and product diversification can enable these chains to operate
in a more efficient manner.

9RETAILING STRATEGY ANALYSIS
References
Holtrenfrew.com. (2019). Who We Are | Holt Renfrew. Retrieved 9 August 2019, from
https://www.holtrenfrew.com/en/careers/who-we-are
Beck, N., & Rygl, D. (2015). Categorization of multiple channel retailing in Multi-, Cross-,
and Omni‐Channel Retailing for retailers and retailing. Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, 27, 170-178.
Oddey, A. (2015). Nature connections: Cultural heritage, identity and wellbeing in
Vancouver, Canada. Scene, 3(1-2), 37-58.
Westerink, G. (2016). Social Media Strategy for Winners (Subsidiary of TJX Companies
Ltd.).
Mohammad, H. I. (2015). 7PS marketing mix and retail bank customer satisfaction in
northeast Nigeria. British journal of marketing studies, 3(3), 71-88.
Varley, R. (2014). Retail product management: buying and merchandising. Routledge.
Tovmasyan, G. R. (2017). Fashion industry and shopping tourism. Актуальные проблемы
гуманитарных и естественных наук, (1-3), 80-83.
Halliday, R. (2017). Homogenizing The City/Re-Classifying The Street: Tommy Ton's Street
Style Fashion Month Photographs. Imaginations Journal, 7(2).
Mathur, P. (2019). Key Technological Advancements in Retail. In Machine Learning
Applications Using Python (pp. 159-181). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
TJX.com. (2019). Winners | TJX.com. Retrieved 9 August 2019, from
https://www.tjx.com/businesses/ca/winners