首页
登录
职称英语
(1) After taking a brief hiatus to weather the recession, an invasion of Brita
(1) After taking a brief hiatus to weather the recession, an invasion of Brita
游客
2023-11-25
30
管理
问题
(1) After taking a brief hiatus to weather the recession, an invasion of Britain by some of America’s best-known retail brands—including Best Buy, Banana Republic and Forever 21—is back on the march. And early reports from the front line in the land of shopkeepers indicate that, unlike with earlier attempts by U. S. retailers to break Britain, British consumers are welcoming the invaders with open arms—and wallets.
(2) That’s not always been the case. While the British public has long had an appetite for American fast-food vendors, the record of U.S. retailers who have tried to make it big in Britain is mixed. But the latest arrivals enter the market as already established brands with built-in consumer awareness, thanks to the dominance of U.S. culture in media and online. And they satisfy British shoppers’ desire for "something new," says analyst Natalie Berg, of London-based consultants Planet Retail. "They all bring a cult aspect" to the U.K. high street.
(3) Best Buy—America’s largest consumer-electronics chain—kicked off the latest rush into the British market in May, when it opened its first-ever U.K. store. The 4,650-sq-m big-box outlet in the London suburb of Thurrock is the first of eight to 10 stores Best Buy expects to open in the country this year. And it has proved an impressive beachhead: in terms of sales volume, that first weekend was the chain’s biggest opening weekend in its 27-year history. "We had strong expectations," says Paul Antoniadis, CEO of Best Buy UK (who won’t reveal how much they took in over those first three days). "But the actual delivery was brilliant."
(4) For some U.S. stores, this will be their first foray into the U.K. Following in Best Buy’s footsteps is California-based Forever 21, which specializes in cheap, trendy clothes for young women and will open its first U.K. branch in Birmingham, northern England, in November. But for others, now is the time to expand on past success. Hollister, which is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), has proved extremely popular in Britain since it launched its first surf-shack-chic store in London in 2008. Hollister rode the recession like it was the perfect wave. Despite the economic downturn, it opened 11 more stores across the U.K. over the past two years, most recently in April. As a result, A&F reports that average sales volume for Hollister’s British stores is six times the level of its U.S. stores.
(5) Meanwhile, Gap-owned Banana Republic, which debuted in London two years ago, opened its second and third stores in the city last December and April this year. Even in what was a tough year for retailers of all nationalities, Banana Republic’s total U.K. net sales in last year hit $24 million, up from $23 million a year earlier.
(6) What’s the attraction? Britain boasts an overall retail market worth around $415 billion—a tempting target. The U.K. is also a good launchpad for further expansions into continental Europe. Moreover, thanks to growing online sales, U.S. retailers no longer have to blanket Blighty with shops to achieve full market penetration. They can open a few flagship stores in key cities, and back them up with a strong Web presence, which in turn reduces overheads and risk.
(7) The Internet also provides a strong prelaunch marketing tool: Best Buy set up a U.K. website back in January that featured blogs, forums and advice, and used social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to build anticipation for the Thurrock launch. And there’s a new, postdownturn draw too: cheaper rents. U.K. retail rents have historically been sky high, particularly in London. Now many landlords-hit by a raft of vacancies-are willing to bargain.
(8) While the invasion is off to strong start, U.S. retailers shouldn’t consider Britain a sure thing. U.K. retailing is a highly mature market that’s brutally competitive, particularly now as retailers battle to entice credit-crunched shoppers back into shops. "It’s probably not a great time to enter the British market," says Sarah Peters, an analyst at British retailing consultants Verdict Research, "But I’m not sure if there is ever a good time." Indeed, Britain’s retailing landscape is littered with the bones of successful U.S. retailers who stumbled badly when they crossed the Atlantic.
(9) Limited Brands, in conjunction with British fashion chain Next, failed in an attempt in the 1990s to transplant Bath & Body Works to Britain. And Whole Foods Market, which opened a massive food emporium in London in 2007, lost around $52 million in the British capital last year, thanks in part to formidable competition from mainstream British supermarket chains that are already well stocked with organic groceries.
(10) If this latest flock of U.S. retailers does well in the U.K., it will likely be because they offer British shoppers something completely different. Forever 21, for example, will face resistance from established, strong domestic clothing brands, including Topshop, New Look and Primark. But Best Buy, on the other hand, has an edge. Not only are its big-box stores a novelty in Britain, but so is the brand’s emphasis on customer service. Its Geek Squad unit gives customers round-the-clock technical support, and shoppers can use its in-store setup service to configure gadgets before taking them home. "Consumer-electronics stores in the U.K. traditionally have not had good reputations for customer service," says Matthew Piner, another Verdict Research analyst. "And no one has really challenged them before."
(11) To pay for its U.K. invasion, Best Buy, which was pummeled by the recession, has already shelled out around $30.5 million and expects to spend around another $50 million to $58 million this fiscal year. That’s a big bet. But for Best Buy, and many other U.S. retailers, the potential payoff for succeeding in Britain means it’s one worth making. [br] Which of the following statements about the passage is NOT true?
选项
A、The British retailing market is so competitive that it is not easy to be penetrated.
B、There may be no perfect time for American retailers to enter into the British market.
C、The American retailers are definitely achieving big success in the Britain market.
D、The after-sale service provided by American retailers satisfied British consumers.
答案
C
解析
根据题意可定位到第2段、第5段和第6段。根据第8段首句和最后一句可知,并不是所有的美国零售商都能在英国获得成功。故C与原文不符,为正确答案。细节判断题,注意要在原文中找到依据,A对应第8段第2句话,B对应第8段第3句,D对应第10段第3句话。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3217180.html
相关试题推荐
PASSAGETHREE[br]WhatcanwelearnfromthestatementsofMsQuezada?Takinga
PASSAGEONE[br]WhatdidyoungGandhi’sbehavior,liketakingdancinglesson,i
(1)Aftertakingabriefhiatustoweathertherecession,aninvasionofBrita
(1)Aftertakingabriefhiatustoweathertherecession,aninvasionofBrita
(1)Aftertakingabriefhiatustoweathertherecession,aninvasionofBrita
(1)Aftertakingabriefhiatustoweathertherecession,aninvasionofBrita
(1)Aftertakingabriefhiatustoweathertherecession,aninvasionofBrita
EffectiveNote-takingThedifficultyoftakingnotes:No
EffectiveNote-takingThedifficultyoftakingnotes:No
EffectiveNote-takingThedifficultyoftakingnotes:No
随机试题
Thereportersaidthatthisnewfilmwasbasedon(history)______events.histori
TinyCameraClippedonYourShirtA)I’vebeensnappingphot
按照《屋面工程技术规范》GB50345,防水等级为I级的屋面防水设防道数为()
个人贷款前咨询的主要内容包括( )。A.个人贷款合同中的主要条款。如贷款利率、
()是对企业、家庭或个人正面临的和潜在的风险加以判断、归类和对风险性质进
间接费包括()等。A、基本费用 B、职工探亲路费 C、财务费用 D、
质量检验记录不仅要记录检验数据,还要记录检验日期、班次,由检验人员签名,其作用主
单位面积质量小于()g/m2的纸质、布质壁纸,当直接粘贴在A级基材上时,可作为
下列选项中,属于资金筹集费的资金成本是()。A.股票股利 B.债券利息
下列工作中,属于设计阶段范围的有()。A.方案设计 B.编制设计文件
最新回复
(
0
)