Strategic Marketing Report: Waitrose - Impact of Brexit and COVID-19

This report provides a comprehensive strategic marketing analysis of Waitrose, a British supermarket chain. It begins with an introduction to strategic marketing planning, emphasizing goal setting and environmental analysis. The main body delves into the positive and negative impacts of Brexit and COVID-19 on the retail industry, particularly for Waitrose. It then explores the organizational structure and required resources, followed by a definition of environmental analysis and its importance. A detailed PESTLE analysis examines the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors affecting Waitrose, including the influence of Brexit and COVID-19. The report also covers corporate and marketing objectives, marketing strategy selection, STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning) analysis, and an assessment of the 7Ps of the marketing mix. The report concludes with a summary of key findings and recommendations.

Strategic Marketing
Planning

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Positive and negative impact of Brexit and Covid 19 of retail industry......................................3
Discuss organizational structure and resources required.............................................................5
Define environmental analysis along with their importance.......................................................6
PESTLE Analysis with positive and negative impact of Brexit and Covid 19...........................7
Corporate and marketing objectives............................................................................................9
Marketing strategy selection......................................................................................................10
STP analysis...............................................................................................................................10
Assessment of 7P’s of marketing mix.......................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
The term strategic marketing planning involve that setting goals and objectives by
analyze various internal and external business factors such as product planning, implementation
and tracking their progress and this procedures consist of cutting into pieces together so that
everyone has should be contribute to their success of business (Aliarabi and Kazemi, 2020) . For
this assessment, selected organization is Waitrose is a British supermarket which is founded in
1904 by Waite, Rose & Taylor to sell their groceries under their brand. In this report, various
topics are covered such as impact of Brexit and Covid 19 positive and negative impact,
organizational structure and various resources are required, environmental analysis, pestle
analysis, corporate and marketing objectives, strategy marketing selection, STP analysis and 7P’s
analysis should be done.
MAIN BODY
Positive and negative impact of Brexit and Covid 19 of retail industry
Retail sector in UK consist of sale of goods to public for their use of consumption process
instead of resale. It should be includes shops, department, stores or supermarkets and internet
retailer are should be considered (Berdiyorov and Berdiyorov, 2020). There is a positive and
negative impact of retailers in retail industry with context to Waitrose through Brexit and Covid
19 is as follows:
Positive impact:
 For UK retailers sell their products outside their country in terms of their Brexit situation
and devaluation of British pound will make their goods and services are cheaper rates if
they pay for selling their products in another country.
 Brexit could must be offer a huge opportunity to make in Britain but British retailers can
source their benefit for authentic weakness.
 UK spend a foreign websites of E commerce will refuse originally but some local stores
in UK are encouraged to shop locally.

 The impact of Covid 19 for retail industry is card transaction is considered during their
lockdown system means cashless transactions social distancing are allowed so there is
one main point in Covid 19 (Berman and Thelen, 2018).
 During this pandemic situation, retail sales are recovered from large contraction in March
and April month.
 Governments helps to make liquidity and readily available to retailers and already offered
large emergency support are given which is accessible to all retail firms.
 For Waitrose, they would be deal with john Lewis department stores and it is assured that
there is a financial toughness to increase their foreign currency, hedging, to build stock
and improve customs readiness.
Negative impact:
 For UK retail industry, there is a import tariffs will be determined and implemented for
goods for services from EU. At that time, UK pays zero on imported goods and services
from EU nations and average percentage is 5.3% on goods which are imported from rest
of world and 12.2% on agriculture basis. Currently, 60.7% are come from manufactured
goods and service into UK (Brotspies and Weinstein, 2019).
 They assume that UK VAT will be accepted for sales basis but standard for UK is now
lowest form Europe but leaving EU may not be a solution that VAT is very easy for taxes
to increase and consumer should be spend on VAT which is decrease and then rise.
 UK retailers sourcing their products from EU was very invariably should be pay more to
imported goods and services and lower will be the margin if their goods are sold in UK
online store.
 During this Covid 19, retail industry are sales volumes will be fall day by day by 1,9% as
compare in 2019 and impact on consumer retail sectors has varied from clothing and fuel
also falls negative 21.5% decrease during this pandemic levels.
 With context to Waitrose, during Brexit John Lewis has announces that there is a loss £25
in first half year that would have a significant negative impact. Sales are falling but
department store is suffering more than a supermarket.

Discuss organizational structure and resources required
An organizational structure is a system which is represent and how certain activities are
directed in order to accomplish their goals and objectives in a business enterprise (Chernev,
2018). This should be determining how information is flows between level within that
organization their coordination, allocation their tasks towards their achievement in organizational
aims. For Waitrose, firm can adopt divisional and functional structure should be followed which
is described below:
Functional structure: This structure presents that it should be divided into smaller
number of groups based on some functional areas such as operations, finance, marketing, HR
and IT. This type of structure provides a greater efficiency of employees and their operations
should be performed well based on some expertise. Communication in this organization structure
should be important because each and every functional department across their department
heads. In case of Waitrose, employees of this firm are organized according to their some specific
skills and experience for their corresponding function in the firm. It allows employee to focus on
their role and help team and various departments to feel self determined.
Divisional structure: This structure has its own division which correspond to products or
services and each and every division requires and contain necessary resources which is need to
be support the product line. It is basically for larger firms who have various divisions without
having a report for just few executives. With relation to Waitrose, this firm has divide their
segments and has a partnership to John Lewis departmental store who have control their own
resources especially like their own firm within their larger organization.
Various resources are required id they start a new business or launches in any business
such as finance, human, intellectual and physical resources are as follows:
Human resources: For the success of an organization it is determine that how much staff
has working for in this organization (Ellis and Derera, 2019). Strong team members can be
recruited using a variety and some agencies and search firm specialize in every industry.
Finance: It is includes that is credit, lines of credit basis with their ability for many stock
options in a business enterprise. Most of business has less financial resources which are required

on regular basis incomes but few firms have strong financial resources which are based in whole
finance.
Physical resources: These resources include plant and equipment, inventory and
distribution network which are used in business to create value in firm and its customers.
Define environmental analysis along with their importance
The term environmental analysis is a tool and identify all internal and external elements
should be identified which can affect the performance in a business enterprise (Kerzner, 2019).
The internal components in an organization are defined which indicate strength and weakness of
firm where external components represent their opportunities and threats which described
outside organization. To perform some environmental analysis, there are some strategic plans
which are needed to be identified and require relevant information for finding out best course of
action.
Importance of environmental analysis:
An environmental analysis is extremely important for their business because it is helpful
for understanding and taking decision making in business in proper manner to all situations. For
the success of firm it is helpful to awareness of analysis and depends upon their ability to taking
some business decision in a business enterprise (Khudair, Abd and Fahmi, 2019). It should be
enable that firm has to choose and select their best option for success ad best growth of firm. Key
importance of environmental analysis with context to Waitrose firm is as follows:
 It is helpful for manager of Waitrose to accomplish their organizational goals and
objectives.
 It is helpful for form to adjust some changes in environment at a right time that would be
enhance their opportunities as they arise and impacts of environmental analysis threats
through practical planning.
 They should tries to improve their organizational performance by making any managers
of Waitrose firm and some divisional managers are must be aware of these issues to their
performances are increase and having a direct impact on planning and linking through
corporate and divisional planning.

 To create some strategic plan for making their business and taking their business decision
it will be helpful for guide their actions and when they should create a strategic plan they
have must to look outside organization that what was going on and effect on such factors
that will be impact to their business.
 Manager of Waitrose firm must be aware some linkage between organization and its
environment should be kept informed and determine how industry works that they should
gain their understanding through internal and external elements of business enterprise.
 There is should be optimum utilization of resources such as human, capital and various
natural resources. Some business environment are analyzed by reduced their wastage and
optimum utilization without understand their internal and external environment in an
proper manner.
PESTLE Analysis with positive and negative impact of Brexit and Covid 19
The term PESTLE analysis is a framework or a tool which is used to determine macro
environmental factors that may have a directly impact on organization performance (McCamley
and Gilmore, 2018). This tool or framework is useful for firm because whenever they stating a
new business or entering into foreign market it is helpful to recognize things through PESTLE
Analysis. These includes political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental.
Political: These factors determine that government has must be influence in this economy
or a particular industry. Basically it influences what degree that government intervene in an
economy and includes political stability, corruption, trade policy, environmental law, trade
restrictions and many more. For Waitrose, these face a lot of political issues which has led to
determine effective results for financial progress and increase market share in nation. In UK,
Brexit vote has led to framework and this is a drawback for tier country it has impact on financial
crises to increase their brand loyalty and firm was being able to recover as soon s possible. The
positive impact that thousands of people are requiring to exit from Britain successfully but his
shifts require money and chances to taxpayer are high.
Economic: These factors are considered that there is a determination of organization
performance and may have directly impact on long term effects (Melikuziev, 2020). It should
also determine the economy condition through such factors is economic growth of business,
inflation rates, exchange rates and disposable incomes of consumers. With relation to Waitrose,

it determines their economic stability of firm which is sustained over years and provides some
financial stability to meet their recession due to increase their strong financial stability in an
economy. The positive impact of Brexit that they directly impact on economic costs vote 2% of
GDP and reduce their British income by 0.6% and 1.3%.
Social: Social factors describe demographic features which include norms, customs ad
values which determine population in an economy within which firm operates in an economy.
This includes trends in population, growth rate, age, gender, distribution of income, health and
safety should be considered (Moutinho and Vargas-Sanchez, 2018). For Waitrose, demands for
quality foods and services were initial demand which is positively responding in fines foods in
country. This will lead to increase their and development of market shares in an economy. With
impact of Covid 19, it is directly affected during this pandemic situation where people get
quarantine, staying at home and avoiding many crowded areas so that’s why shops will closed
during this time.
Technological: These factors may directly affect new innovations and new technologies
have been generated firm which is effect on firm operations in a particular industry. These
factors which may be influence some decisions to enter or not to enter certain industries to
launching some new products. With context to Waitrose, some technology have been changes
some employees within their IT sectors so firms may look into some methods are to be
developed for instance, Brexit may not directly affected some technology or their development
of quite yet. Covid 19 has a directly impact on various technology which would be affect some
raw materials, value chain and distributing supply chain which cause risks on their products.
Legal: Some factors consist and determine various laws which are to be regulated and
know firms what is right or legal or what is not (Pessima and Dietz, 2019). These factors include
some particular laws such as employment laws, copyright, patients, consumer protection laws
and many more should be considered. With relation to Waitrose, changes in government policy
can directly affect their business because it increase taxes for some products and lower from
others and they can determine direct decisions should be effected on company. The impact on
Covid 19 that many labor laws are respond to lay off their demand for goods and services and
ensure that there is a redundancies affect their state due to some obligations set put their
employment contracts.

Environmental: These factors should determine by surrounding their environment and it
is crucial for particular industries which include raw materials, carbon footprint, pollution targets
based set by governments. In case of Waitrose, firm must be aware in climate change that may
be affected firm operates which they products should be offer and getting more and more
involved in CSR. The impact of Brexit should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and
sets their standards of gas emissions that will decrease sulphur oxide which cause acid rain by
70%.
Corporate and marketing objectives
Corporate objectives defines that which is relate to entire business enterprise and it is
usually manage by top management they should provide focus for setting their detailed
objectives and determine their functional activities (Rajab and Majeed, 2020). It should be
focused on desired performances and what was result of entity. Corporate objectives should be
measured on the basis of performance but in terms of relative performance of any firm units or
divisions. For Waitrose, the main objectives of this firm are to maximize their profit and develop
their organic foods during this pandemic situation and develop local community to increase their
staff motivation also enhance their levels of customer.
Marketing objectives means to set out what firm wants to accomplish their marketing
goals and objectives and it is more important to focus on marketing team. These marketing teams
provide a clear direction for team members and offer information for their review and support.
These objectives should be provided are relevant and accomplishable and there are more
important thing is some business benefits to monitoring and evaluating them. With relation to
Waitrose, they should promote their new products or services to be launched, grow their digital
presence if their plans to reach their search engine optimization to grow their visibility, target
new customers if they choose their goals but would like to reach their new audiences, customers
and clients and build brand awareness. Effective marketing objectives are as follows:
 It should be ensure that these activities are consistent with various defined corporate
objectives (Taillon and Huhmann, 2019).
 They should be more focus about marketing team efforts and taking business decision
making.

 It provides some incentives for their marketing team to measure their success and
failures.
Marketing strategy selection
To develop their marketing strategy begins with an action as part of marketing plan and
select best marketing strategy like how to get job done and basic objectives which can establish
desired end results and outline some particular marketing approaches that would be taken to
accomplished those results (THIS, 2020). The strategies they would have selected into project
life cycle stages of products which include marketing mix of product, price, place, promotion
and such concern with customer service and packaging. This strategy has an outline a firm
interacts with those customers who have some objectives regarding these decisions and doing
well to improve their performance. With relation to Waitrose, they should continue their target
middleclass and offering their value for money to expand new customer and in medium class for
maintain their market share in financial crises. It means they offered a high quality products and
best services provided and some product are should be attractive and consumer come to store for
shopping which are benefit to firm.
STP analysis
STP analysis consist of segmentation, targeting and positioning their market which
examines products or services as well as the way should be communicate will be benefited to
particular customer segments (Thomas, 2021). It means segment their market, target select
segments of customer with marketing campaigns to modified their preferences and adjust
according to their customer expectations. They should focus on marketing effectiveness and
select most valuable segments for business then developing marketing mix and position each
segment of market. This model helps to better target and serves their better customer base.
Segmentation: It is a procedure to dividing their audience into some smaller groups
based on certain features. This will allows that individual group members can communicate their
product o services, features or benefits which are most relevant to them. It is all about distinctive
and common attributes between people in market. It should include demographic, geographic,
psychographic and behavioral to segment their market. In demographic, it should divide their
market based some combination such as age, gender, income level and many more. In

geographic, it can sort by country, region, state and city. In psychographic, it includes lifestyle,
hobbies, opinions, attitudes and many more.
Targeting: It should be involve when deciding their which segments should be targeted
and they have to identify those segments which are most attractive (Chernev, 2018). It should
consider various number of factors such as size of segment, profitability determine which
segment pay the most value product or service and easily will be reach to distribute their network
and cost of acquisition. Waitrose target market which should be meets their needs and wants for
middle class family and it should be provide high quality goods and services. It is able to gain
their market share from Sainsbury by offer high quality product with same prices.
Market positioning: This segment of market determine that positioning their
opportunities that will help to respond on needs and desire of market which product should be
fulfilled. They should want product or service to take a unique position in market and
unfortunately in terms of their market is famed as value proposition. This information is defined
to brand positioning and understand how it stacks up competitors. In case of Waitrose, the main
competitor in same segments is Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury. Their maintenance should be
offer by premium price and involves focusing on high quality product and promotion of
traceability of their goods.
Symbolic positioning: It defines with self image, identification of ego and affective
fulfillments are considered.
It consist that globalization which is used to describe by growing interdependence of various
globe economies and trading of goods and services that would be flow of investment,
information and people. It should consider that movement of goods and services are exchanges
all over planet and promote or enhance their regions across the globe.
Assessment of 7P’s of marketing mix
The marketing mix is a tool which is used by management and it is relatively simple
where manager plan their marketing activities and determine their marketing strategy according
to their customer needs and wants (Ellis and Derera, 2019). The 7P’s of marketing mix are
product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence.

Product or service: Services are intangible and product should be fit for those tasks
where consumers want to work and it should what customers are expecting to get in this product.
It involves new products or improving in existing products. In case of Waitrose, they offer
organic food and each retailer tries to differentiate with their products or service which is
outstanding as compare to competitors. It provides high quality products from competitor and
best services should be provided for customer. Current analysis of this firm is also vary in
relation to supply their certain goods and what competitors are doing what makes them feel
special just to keep date in competition with competitors.
Price: It should be represent good value for money and pricing strategy should be
comprises such as offers, discounts and many more. It should reflect the customer perceived
value for product and determine their budget. For Waitrose, they use price matching Tesco
campaign, the main aim is to offer product value for money instead of lessen price. Waitrose
targets upper mid market with high quality of food offer but in case of recession it should
changes a pricing strategy to Tesco campaign for reassuring or retaining their customers. Pricing
current analysis their variation of prices for stores it could be size, position, regional revenue and
customers preferences.
Place: Product should be available to target customer so that they should find its easier
shops. With relation to Waitrose, these stores are located is most important areas of each town so
that customers target are living more such a big cities. Analysis of place they have started to
build out of location and account very small number of share.
Promotion: It includes way of communication and interaction process with customers
and what firm has to be offer (Kerzner, 2019). In case of Waitrose, they should consist of
promotional activities such as public relations, advertise direct marketing. They began to use
celebrity endorsement by launching new campaign with famous celebrity, Chefs Hesston
Blumenthal for major advertisement. Promotion analysis if there is different level of stores are
open for promotion they can also affect low traffic promotional offers where number of people
are increases to visit their store.

People: It involves customer, suppliers, management employees and everyone who is
involve to making their products. With context to Waitrose, customer service provided by its
staff and become top priority for many firms today.
Process: This process involve delivery system it ensures that same service standard is
repeated to delivery their customer (Moutinho and Vargas-Sanchez, 2018). Firms have service
blue print which provides details of customer to staff members.
Physical evidence: It defines experience for using their product or service and firm has
invested heavily on their interior design and decoration to offer tangible and unique experience
of customers. The analysis of physical evidence is Waitrose firm should be determine only for
receipts and inventory bills.
Implementation and control:
Implementation is procedure for strategies and plans which are taken into actions to
accomplish their goals and objectives. It should be needed that evaluation and some feedback are
process and system to be observed for most significant features. Implementation is more
important than strategy that have firm to implement them. It is considered that implementation is
should be required of change in firm to make their firm better and adapt some changes to adopt
new environment. They should always focus on whether strategy being an implemented as
planned and results should be produced for those who are intended. Implementation is an integral
part of planning that develops various strategies which are applied in procedure. These will be
turning their plans into actions which are designed to accomplish their strategic goals and
objectives. It is formulated that all the policies and procedures are on high level then there is
common strategy should be evaluated and successfully implemented these plans. It can be
expresses that strategic planning would be implemented that are directed at workforce from
organization to organization. If employee are supported who have deal with various customers
and suppliers then resources of that strategy are should be targeted out. It helps to ensure that
some of strategies are lower level of firm and it become realistic issues which may be arise in
specific strategy. Implementation and control all are must be recognize that strategy are
supported and some changes are need to be controlled and revise to make their certain changes
being implemented accurately. This will be needed to be evaluation process and control systems

to determine their features of strategy. Effective plan should also be determined their
implementation process and define that it can be formulated sometime to be a part of strategy.
CONCLUSION
As per above information, it has been understood that strategic marketing planning
involves should be setting goals and objectives by analyzing internal and external environment
of business. In this report, several topics are covered such as impact on retail industry,
organizational structure such as functional and divisional, environmental analysis, PESTLE
analysis, corporate and marketing objectives, marketing strategy selection , STP analysis such as
segmentation, targeting and positioning and 7P’s of marketing mix.

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