Case Study Report: Strategic Analysis of Planet Organic

This report presents a detailed case study analysis of Planet Organic, an organic food retailer. It begins by differentiating between intended, emergent, and realized strategies, examining the impact of internal and external factors on the company's performance. The report employs PESTEL and SWOT analyses to identify major opportunities and threats, considering the challenges of international market expansion. It also explores the strengths needed to overcome identified weaknesses. The report further delves into strategic decision-making, considering Mintzberg and Lampel’s Ten Schools of Strategy Formulation. Finally, it provides recommendations for Planet Organic's strategic direction, discussing limitations and alternative strategy-making processes. The report draws on academic sources to support its findings.

Case Study Based Report

Table of Contents
Question 1........................................................................................................................................3
a) Difference between intended, emergent and realised strategies and impact of internal and
external factors.............................................................................................................................3
(b) Major opportunities and threats..............................................................................................6
c) What issue do you foresee if you decide to seek growth through international markets?.......8
d) What strengths would you need to have to overcome identified weaknesses?.......................8
Question 2........................................................................................................................................9
a)what would you be considering when determining whether it would be a good idea for the
organisation..................................................................................................................................9
b) Would any of Mintzberg and Lampel’s Ten Schools of Strategy Formulation offer any
further considerations?...............................................................................................................10
Question 3......................................................................................................................................12
A)Taking into consideration your findings, what would you recommend?..............................12
B)Should the strategy be given approval. What are its limitations in practice and what
alternative processes to strategy making is available for organisations....................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

Question 1
a) Difference between intended, emergent and realised strategies and impact of internal and
external factors
Intended, emergent and realised strategies
An intended strategy is the plan at the beginning of the business. It is a strategy which
company hopes to execute (Gabechava, S., 2020). This strategy is usually explained in details
within a company strategic plan, when a new business creates their strategic plan to ruin their
business is also called intended strategy.
Emergent strategy can be characterized as internally agreeable patterns of competitive
activity and reactions that spontaneously rise over time as organizations navigate within their
operational environments. Deliberate strategies involve a well-articulated and formalized
planning process.
A realized strategy is the strategy which is actually followed by the company. This
strategy shows that what company is going to do and what will be their product. Similarly,
Planet organic is selling organic food product to their customers and this what they are doing,
providing customer satisfaction and providing quality product to their customers.
External factors
PESTEL Analysis of Planet organic
Political Factor
Political factors include the elements such as national and internal levels as apart from political
change at local, regional and community trends that can influence on the food industry also.
Political factors have huge impact on Planet organic company because they have to follow food
standards which are set by UK government. Government has made proper polices related to the
food & beverage and it is necessary for each company to follow these polices So, any change in
government will also change food policies. External factors such as Free trade agreements,
regulations on an organic food and Low standards within UK can have huge impact on
Company.
Economic Factors
Economic rescission has also impact on food & beverage industry. Brexit memorandum
in UK impact on the other retailers in industry and Planet organic is also a part of it. The local
and national trends must be among the elements focuses on the several economic variances,

factors such as gross domestic per capita, disposal income level require to be evaluated. It is
vital that economic growth is crucial for economic activity such as organic food industry. Factors
such as higher employment rate within nation, Economic stability and Risking labour costs are
economic factors which can impact on business of the Planet organic
Social Factors
It is necessary for the Planet organic to add some value for their customers. Organic
products are healthy and good for their body. Company should provide fresh and better products
to their customers. It will satisfy customers and add some value in their life.
Environmental
It is important for the company to look for the environmental issues and give their
support toward the environment. Planet organic is also working and planting trees and also
organizing some events to the climate change. There are more ways which can be used by Planet
organic like replacing plastic bags into the cloth bags because plastic can be harmful for
environment.
Legal
Planet organic company is planning to expand their online business in other countries as
well and every country has their own tax structure which can affect their product price. They also
have to follow all the rules and regulation of the country where they are operating business.
Internal factors
SWOT Analysis
Strength
 Planet organic is selling organic product which are good for the health and provide
health related benefit (Li and Hu., 2020).
 Selling their product online and offline both
Weakness
 Planet organic is facing huge competitive pressure from the other top retailer.
 Employees who are working on the physical stores of Planet organic are not well trained,
they need proper training to deal with the customers.
Opportunities
 company can take competitive advantages in the UK market by improving their
website.

 Expansion of their physical stores in other areas of the UK can be beneficial for the
Planet organic and they can take show their presence in the market.
Threat
 Competitors in the UK market are the biggest threat for the Planet organic company.
 Economic crises due to the coronavirus.
 (b) Major opportunities and threats
 Opportunities enable organisation to achieve their objectives more effectively whereas
threats create difficulty for achieving organisational objectives. Some of the objectives short
term and midterm opportunities that are available for Planned Organic Company in short to
midterm range are- Opportunities
Focusing on and emphasize on online services
This is one of the most important opportunity in short to midterm range in this Planned Organic
needs to focus on their online efforts in both promoting as well as using online channels to sell
its products (Munyi, Jonge and Visser, 2016). Effective use of online channels can enable it to
increase its customers. this is because in relation with UK around 80% users of internet shop
from online websites and channels. In present times people trust more on online channels and
online shopping has become one of the consumer trends.
Focusing on Health
This is another important short to midterm range in which customers are focusing on health
aspects of food than anything else. Communicating and appealing to customers regarding health
in food can attract customers’ attention and attract them to buy food from Planned Organic.
Focusing on health involve focusing on hygiene as well while creating as well delivering food.
Focusing on the organic aspect of the food will also work as an important opportunity because
customers presently have inclined their interest towards organic and natural food products. A
situation of Covid-19 is also one of the reason that people have become more conscious towards
their health and are willing to utilise food that contribute in their better health.
These two opportunities can be short to midterm opportunities for Planned Organic.
Threats
Intense Competition

This is another threat for Planned Organic in which it can get affected by competition in the
market (Kau, Mahlangu and Maku, 2019). In times of Covid-19 in which perception of people
have changed which make it difficult to understand what their priorities are and this is why move
of competitors suitable for consumer perception can significantly affect success and growth of
Planned Organic. Other than this high number of competitors in retail industry and food industry
also create difficulty for Planned Organic.
Changing Priorities
This means that because of changing priorities of people due to Covid-19 have also created
threat. This is because before Covid-19 trends such as eating-out and social media influences
created several opportunities for food organisations. But because of Covid-19 this trends have
reduced and this is a threat for Planned Organic. Covid-19 also caused situations like lockdown
and this also is a threat for Planned Organic.
Effects of Social Distancing
Social distancing is a situation in which people are required to maintain a particular distance
from each other in social setting (Manning, 2019). This is another threat for Planned Organic, in
this social distancing create difficulties for organisations to attract customers and this also
involve setting the place in such way that it can manage social distancing and adhere of social
distancing. One of the effect of this that people are avoiding going out in places where it is
possible that they might come in contact off disease. These are some of the short and midterm
threat for Planned Organic.
c) What issue do you foresee if you decide to seek growth through international markets?
The changes in external environment, issues to foresee if an individual can decide to seek growth
through global market such as on Planet organic company because they have to follow food
standards which are set by UK government. So the firm can follow the rules as well as
regulations through the government as different nations has different laws and many more. There
were several laws that can created by these government and firms needs to follows them (Doyle,
Diez-Gonzalez. and Hill, eds., 2020). Organic needs to focus on their online efforts Effective use
of online channels
to increase its customers another important. customers are focusing on health aspects of food
Focusing on health involve focusing on hygiene as well while creating as well delivering food.
Focusing on the organic aspect of the food will also work as an important opportunity because

customers presently have inclined their interest towards organic and natural food and food
products. A situation of Covid-19 is also one of the reason that people have become more
conscious towards their health and are willing to utilise food that contribute in their better health.
d) What strengths would you need to have to overcome identified weaknesses?
The Planet Organic has one of the major strength that it organic food items provides the
health benefits food such as organic food to the people which will increase the immunity system
of the consumers which can overcomes the weakness of the firm as during the covid 19 ,when
other firms are not provided organic food as because all the stores were closer and the whole
nation faced lockdown at that time so if the several competitive stores provides the organic food
but because of the lockdown it was not available for the people so at that time firms also have the
online shopping facility which becomes one of the best thing during lockdown as several
rivalries have organic food but they do not have the online facility to sale their products. Firms
also provides some kind of discounts to various food products which can definitely attract the
consumers and at the same time provides organic food. Planet Organic also tries to deliver the
product before timeline and also delivers the product with full safety such as sanitised products
and many more
REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Berk, Z., 2018. Food process engineering and technology. Academic press.
Books and journal
Doyle, M.P., Diez-Gonzalez, F. and Hill, C. eds., 2020. Food microbiology: fundamentals and
frontiers. John Wiley & Sons.
Gabechava, S., 2020. Market Entry Mode for Company X to Stockholm.
Kau, J.S., Mahlangu, S.A. and Maku, M., 2019. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(SWOT) analyses for multiple extension services in the high value crop programme:
insight for pluralistic extension policy. South African Journal of Agricultural
Extension. 47(3). pp.32-45.

Khorasani, S., Danaei, M. and Mozafari, M.R., 2018. Nanoliposome technology for the food and
nutraceutical industries. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 79, pp.106-115.
Li, J. and Hu, X., 2020, August. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)
Analysis of Strategies for the Development of Beach Sports in Hainan in Combination
with PEST (Politics, Economy, Society and Technology) Analysis. In 2020 International
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37). Atlantis Press.
Manning, L., 2019. Food defence: Refining the taxonomy of food defence threats. Trends in
Food Science & Technology. 85. pp.107-115.
Munyi, P., Jonge, B.D. and Visser, B., 2016. Opportunities and threats to harmonisation of plant
breeders' rights in Africa: ARIPO and SADC. African Journal of International and
Comparative Law. 24(1). pp.86-104.
Owen-Jackson, G. and Rutland, M., 2017. Food in the school curriculum in England: Its
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Ray, S., Raychaudhuri, U. and Chakraborty, R., 2016. An overview of encapsulation of active
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