Joggers World Case Analysis: Evaluating Strategic Options and Recommendations

Introductions:
This case will be done as an individual assignment. Your goal is to demonstrate your knowledge of the appropriate course material and your ability to effectively communicate. This is not to be worked on as a “team effort”.

Your primary focus for this case is to evaluate the situation that Sue Knight (owner of Joggers World) finds herself in; identify the core problem and the strategic options that make the most sense. Finally, you will recommend the best strategic option with an implementation plan summary. The case should include,  but not be limited to the following:

 

The background and context of the case (5-C analysis, SWOT, and any other situational analysis tools that you think are appropriate to the case)

 

Identify and clearly state “the” problem in a clear and concise manner. What is the main issue we are trying to solve for Samantha?

 

Discuss alternatives that solve the issue identified. If an alternative is mentioned, it must solve the problem. Do not add an alternative that cannot solve the problem, in other words, will never be chosen.

 

An evaluation of alternatives. What are the most important criteria for this case? Use it to analyze each alternative.

 

Recommendation and Implementation. What do you recommend and why? Discuss the next steps for Samantha to implement based on your recommendation.

 

Grade Allocation
The case is worth 25% of your final grade. Please review the rubric posted to understand breakdown of marks. The maximum score is out of 50 points. I have provided a case deck template that serves a skeleton of the minimal requirements. The allocation of space for each of the required areas is up to you as long as the assignment requirements are appropriately covered. For this case a 10 - 16 page deck is appropriate.
Remember that you must submit a power-point document on-line on BlackBoard under “Assignments” Section.

 

Other Important Reminders
• No inappropriate repetition of irrelevant case facts, inapplicable and/or irrelevant points, missing points, poor flow and/or poor layout of individual pages.

• As with all cases in this course, all the information required to solve the case is in the case unless otherwise stated in the specific case instruction document. Searching for information and answerson the Internet is not required, nor is it permitted unless specifically required in the case instructions.

• Cover page with your name, student number, email address, the course & section, the professor’s name and the submission date on it
• Date and page numbers on every page
• Note that an executive summary is NOT required for this deck
• Proper spelling, grammar & sentence structure is essential
• Consistent fonts, font sizes, page-numbers, dates, etc.
• Logical flow & structure to the deck
• Are the key analytical sections of the deck aligned (do the alternatives match up with the problem and with the recommendations) Focus on clarity of logic flow.

• Is the analysis and thinking superficial or is there depth of thought and analysis
• Is the content in the body of the slide well thought out?

 

Joggers World
Sue Knight, owner of Joggers World, is trying to decide what she should do with her retail business and how committed she should be to her current target market.

 

Sue is 42 years old, and she started her Joggers World retail store in 1987 when she was only 24 years old. She was a nationally ranked runner herself and felt that the growing interest in jogging offered real potential for a store that provided serious runners with the shoes and advice they needed. The jogging boom quickly turned Joggers World into a profitable business selling high-end running shoes—and Sue made a very good return on her investment for the first 10 years. From 1987 until 1997, Sue emphasized Nike shoes, which were well accepted and seen as top quality. Nike’s aggressive promotion and quality shoes resulted in a positive image that made it possible to get a $5 to $7 per pair premium for Nike shoes. Good volume and good margins resulted in attractive profits for Sue Knight.

 

Committing so heavily to Nike seemed like a good idea when it is marketing and engineering was the best available. In addition to running shoes, Nike had other athletic shoes Sue could sell. Therefore, even though they were not her primary focus, Sue did stock other Nike shoes including walking shoes, shoes for aerobic exercise, basketball shoes, tennis shoes, and crosstrainers. She also added more sportswear to her store and put more emphasis on fashion rather than just function.