Comparative Analysis: Competitive Strategies of Woolworths and Qantas

This report provides a comparative analysis of the competitive strategies employed by Woolworths and Qantas, two leading Australian companies. The report examines Woolworths' approach, focusing on its customer-centric strategies, supplier relationships, and use of technology to enhance the shopping experience, including its focus on fresh food and innovative services like mobile applications and home delivery. It also explores Qantas' strategies, highlighting its emphasis on safety, customer service, loyalty programs, and adaptation to market changes. The analysis covers their responses to competition, their efforts to build a strong customer base, and their use of business models to maintain a competitive edge in their respective industries. The report also references various academic sources to support its findings and provides insights into how these companies achieve and maintain their market positions.

RUNNING HEAD: Competitive strategy of Woolworths and Qantas
Competitive Strategy
Woolworths and Qantas

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 1
Table of Contents
Woolworths Ltd.....................................................................................................................................2
Qantas Airways......................................................................................................................................4
References.............................................................................................................................................6

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 2
Woolworths Ltd.
Woolworths Limited is the leading supermarket chain of Australia. It operates with more than
900 stores in Australia and provides customers with the value services and convenience. This
company has been chosen because it excels in its field which is made possible because it
maintains close relationships with the Australian suppliers and makes the products available
at the best possible price. The supermarket is famous for its fresh food for people. It is also
famous for providing innovative services which helps customers in accessing its services
easily. The supermarket is the part of Woolworth’s group which is one of the biggest groups
of Australia into much diverse range of businesses (Woolworths, 2017).
Woolworth is a well-known name in the supermarket and grocery industry. The company has
reached this platform by developing a set of tactics for making its strategies so that it can
achieve its goals and objectives. The company identified its markets and focussed on what
should be provided to the customers to satisfy their needs and requirements. The company
focuses on the value products which are provided right from the farmers and suppliers into
the kitchen of the customers which means that they provide fresh food. The customers prefer
Woolworths because it believes in providing convenience to the customers. That is how it
becomes a retailer which provides excellence in its services. Woolworths make this possible
with the help of great retail team which listen to the customers (Sosiawani, et al., 2015). The
company runs a Voice of the Customer Programme in which it receives feedbacks from its
customers on a daily basis. These feedbacks are considered by the team of employees to
improve the offerings of the customers and to improve the shopping experience of the
customers. The main aim of the supermarket brand is to make lives of the Australian
population better every day. The brand rethinks and innovates day by day so that it can
accomplish its aim. Retailers have to bring something new every day so that the customer’s
demands can be fulfilled. The company uses technology to respond to the customer’s
demands and requirements. The company is creating new and innovative ways so that the
customers shop with the company (Ackermann and Eden, 2011).
The company uses mobile technology to create better experiences for shoppers. It is used to
create access for the customers to products from every corner of the world. The company is
investing in the areas which open many gates for the business. The business now operates on
websites, mobile applications, and physical stores and also provides doorstep delivery option.

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 3
The company has brought innovations in its services like it has opened fresh Sushi bars and
other Fish, Bake and Bake stores where the consumers can confidently cook their food and no
extra costs is charged from them. This shows how the brand has imitated its business as per
the culture and geographical requirements of different locations where the businesses operate.
The company also considers the different economic conditions of the customers and then
provides its services as per the requirement (Mainardes, Ferreira and Raposo, 2014).

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 4
Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways is the largest domestic and international airlines of Australia. This company
is selected because of its excellence in safety and customer services. The airlines cover some
of the most famous and beautiful destinations across the globe. The company believes in
providing great experience to its customers and that’s how it creates its own success story.
The company is Australia’s most experienced airlines which carry the trust of its travellers.
The brand has also won some of the customer and industry awards which show its excellence
in the industry (Qantas, 2017).
Qantas Airways, being the most famous and largest airline brand of Australia have certain
features which makes it best in the industry. The brand has gone through much
transformation and privatised in 1991. Since then, it is continuously making its place in the
domestic as well as international markets. The group uses its features like safety, service
excellence and strong performance to build up strategies through which it can accomplish its
goals and vision (Pearce, 2017). The company focuses on loyalty from its customers which
helps it in making the huge customer base. It also has customers in the form of corporate
groups which forms a big part of its revenue. The company is still struggling in the
international markets but trying its best by focusing on the personalised needs of the
customers. This is how they provide value to the customers. The company have a good and
dedicated team of employees which is its resources and it also uses its capabilities to sustain
in the market. That is how the company is able to meet its goals (Afonina, 2015).
The brand pushes its employees to bring innovation so that the future needs can be met. For
this, the company have also launched certain programs which will help the company in
identifying different alternatives to lower down the costs of the carriers and to create a
competitive advantage in the industry. This is how the company can gain success today with
an effort of gaining success for future. The business develops new business model which
helps the business in achieving success by beating the excessive competition in the industry
(Flynn, 2014). The new business models of the company also enhance the value of the brand
by extending the business models. The company uses its existing assets and capabilities to
achieve its goals and objectives. The company also uses CAGE model according to which it
adopts the culture and administration of different locations and also keep in mind the
economic situations of different user groups so that the services can be provided according

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 5
and to satisfy the customers to maintain loyalty. The company has good link ups with various
global fleets which helps it in extending its business access and increasing the number of its
customers. This is how the company is able to gain the position of the leader in the industry
(Mainardes, Ferreira and Raposo, 2014).

Competitive Strategy of Woolworths and Qantas 6
References
Ackermann, F and Eden, C 2011, ‘Strategic management of stakeholders: Theory and
practice’, Long range planning, 44(3), pp.179-196.
Afonina, A 2015, ‘Strategic management tools and techniques and organizational
performance: Findings from the Czech Republic’, Journal of Competitiveness, 7(3).
Flynn, D 2014, ‘Qantas, Emirates lead as Australia's top international airlines’, Australian
Business Traveller.
Mainardes, E W, Ferreira, J J and Raposo, M L 2014, ‘Strategy and strategic management
concepts: are they recognised by management students?’, E+ M Ekonomie a Management,
(1), p.43.
Pearce, R 2017, ‘Qantas to back startups in innovation push’, Computer World.
Qantas, 2017, ‘Our company’. Retrieved from
https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/company/global/en.
Sosiawani, I, Ramli, A, Mustafa, M and Yusoff, R Z 2015, ‘Strategic Planning and Firm
Performance: A Proposed Framework’, International Academic Research Journal of Business
and Technology, 1(2), pp.201-207.
Woolworths, 2017, ‘About Us’. Retrieved from
https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-brands/supermarkets/Woolworths.