DISASTER PREPARATION Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DISASTER PREPARATION - Research Paper Example If there are risk factors that could result into their own illness, that of their family members as well as those that they come into contact with. In the event of violence, they are encouraged to think about the available security services that are available at the scene of the disaster and this ensures their own safety and that of their patients. RNs have the responsibility to act ethically if the victims that they are helping out are members of their family or friends (American Nurses Association, 2010). However, RNs are advised to put their patients’ needs first at all times and this ensures that they act ethically at all times. Nurses have the duty to act according to the code of conduct governing the practice and this facilitates efficiency while handling disasters. Volunteering in a community wide disaster can be challenging for RNs in various ways. This is caused by various aspects that are present in a community-wide setting. First, volunteers are called upon to ensure the safety of their patients first. This means that they are forced to put their lives at risk. In relation to this point, volunteers put their lives at risk, those of their family members and those that they touch or talk to. This is owing to the fact that they might get an infection while volunteering and are in a position where they can transmit it to other members of the society. Secondly, ethical issues arise when helping out in community-wide disasters because these volunteers are likely to come into contact with friends and family (American Nurses Association, 2010). They may be tempted to help out their family first and this goes against the code of conduct governing their practice. This explains the reason as to why volunteers should be highly cautious in this situati on. The other challenge that I will be likely to face in community-wide disasters is the likelihood to face legal problems. This is because some of the members of the community recognize me and therefore

Personal statement(Business Economics Msc) Why do you want to study Statement

(Business Economics Msc) Why do you want to study this course and how will it help you in your future aspirations - Personal Statement Example I have always had a passion in the world of business and economics, and that is the reason I follow economic issues through the media. Every day that passes, we are all exposed to a lot of financial information from different sources such as mass media and the Internet. The information presented in these sources only represents a section of issues that make up the economy. Economic information seems hard and vague to be understood by persons without advanced education in economics. It is critical to understand economic issues in order to make wise decisions in life and the world of business. I consider that Economics will help me develop an understanding of what is becoming a single global market. I firmly believe that my knowledge in Economics must be enhanced by enrolling in a master program in order to adapt quickly in this area of learning. When one understands how the economy works, one will be in a position to make investment decisions and teach other people about the same. With this in mind, the significance of economy in people’s lives has compelled me to believe that having a masters degree in Business Economics would be valuable for my future career and decision- making. I think a Masters in Business Economics will challenge me to understand how significant the economy of a nation can be, and how it can recover from the chaotic situation it encounters today. A learned person in Economics can identify the issues that affect the economy and help to fix them in a timely manner. A Master in Business Economics is an ideal program for my ambitions because of the steps I want to make in my career. The program will help me build on my skills and knowledge that will appeal to employers. A Master in Business Economics will help me gain very marketable knowledge to help the economy of my country. The knowledge gained after pursuing this program will be critical in helping business

The Role of Integrity in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of Integrity in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Most people will never be involved directly or indirectly with district attorneys, judges or probation officers. Police officers are therefore the â€Å"face† of the criminal justice system for most people. Integrity in their actions is necessary so that the credibility of the criminal justice system in America can be maintained (Klockars, 2006). Corruption, cronyism and a lack of integrity plague police forces around the world. In some countries, the last person you want to interact with is a police officer because any interaction will include threats of imprisonment or the solicitation of bribes. Police officers are charged to do the right thing according to duty. Everyone working in a professional capacity within the criminal justice system needs to uphold their duty in an ethical manner, but police officers have a special responsibility to do this. The enforcement of laws needs to happen in a manner that is fair and unbiased. Any lapse in integrity makes this impossible. A breach in integrity creates an inherently unjust situation. Police officers are often forced to make difficult decisions. Acting with integrity is a sure guide when the time comes for making hard choices. A lack of integrity for a police officer can be manifest in many ways. One way is through a biased application or enforcement of the law. Holding different groups within the community more accountable for breaking laws than other groups is unethical and lacks integrity. These divisions can be made along the lines of race, gender, sexual orientation, income level and age. Police officers need to keep in mind that proper enforcement of the law can not be dictated by membership in a certain group. When laws are enforced this way, integrity is lacking. Another profound breach of integrity police officers may be involved in is through the taking of bribes or hush money. While this is the norm in some

Quench as World Leading Soft Drinks Brand Case Study

Quench as World Leading Soft Drinks Brand - Case Study Example According to the paper, Quench’s market position was particularly threatened by the media identifying their product as one of those with excessive levels of sugar. Given their customer base’s preference for healthy products, coupled to the focus on obesity as an urgent global health issue, Quench’s turnover has declined sharply and the company now faces an uncertain future. In this paper, solutions to the current problems faced by Quench will be identified and expert recommendation on how to regain lost market share given to Quench’s board of directors. The first alternative solution for Quench focuses on the company increasing their promotional and marketing strategies, specifically in consumer segments that are untapped. Quench could capitalize on their brand image within the sector, such as their good business practices and environmental initiatives and promote these to the consumers. By promoting their positive social and environmental initiatives, the y could gain an advantage with consumers who may dismiss Quench as another corporate entity out for profits. Rotfeld identifies comfort, simplicity, local sourcing, and going green as the food and beverage trend of 2013, which are aspects that Quench may use to advertise their environmental initiatives, in turn enticing consumers who are eco-conscious. With regards to comfort and simplicity trends, consumers are seeking to return to normalcy after the recent recession, as well as to resume pre-recession consumption habits. Quench could take advantage by re-energizing their brand and marketing its achievements in the social and environmental arena. However, this strategy has several limitations for Quench, including the magnitude of controversy around the company regarding unhealthy ingredients that may not be undone through promotion of its good deeds.

Field Notes and Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Field Notes and Reports - Essay Example Criminal investigation is the way of finding out, assembling, organizing, classifying and presenting evidence to establish what occurred and the person involved with the crime. Criminal investigation is a useful process, and it uses subtractive explanation, a reasonable procedure in which the ending follows from certain details. An investigator proves that the suspect is guilty of a crime through a certain aspect of the evidence (Lyman, 2013). There exist three main scientific methods in which a criminal can be identified, they include; Dactylography: is the study of fingerprints as a way of identifying an individual. Dactylography is regarded as a dependable way of recognizing an individual because the fingers’ and hands’ papillar lines are unique (Lyman, 2013). DNA: Forensic scientists can utilize DNA contained in the semen, blood, skin, saliva or hair found at the scene of a crime to recognize an identical DNA of a suspect. The FBI was the initial public sector crime laboratory in the United States to allow cases for DNA scrutiny. Uniformed and plainclothes officers play different roles in the criminal investigation as people rely on them to safeguard their lives and property. Various police officers focus in various fields such as chemical and microscopic scrutiny, guiding and firearms lessons, or handwriting and fingerprint recognition. Some work in various departments such as Special units and special weapons and tactics also known as SWAT (Lyman, 2013). It reviews and estimates the related features of an offense committed by diverse criminals. The inductive reasoning is founded on the hypothetical and investigational study of the criminal behavior. Inductive reasoning does not require expert forensic acquaintance, education or guidance in the criminal behavior study (Becker, & Dutelle, 2013). Deductive reasoning requires acquaintance and application of psychology, sociology, criminology and psychiatry. In deductive reasoning an

Bayfield Mud Analysis Essay Example for Free

Bayfield Mud Analysis Essay The Bayfield Mud Company has had some problems with their 50-pound bags of treating agents. They sent shipped some bags to Wet-Land Drilling, Inc. that were found to be short-weight by approximately 5%. Wet-Land first did their own study on how many bags were short and by how much. They randomly sampled 50 bags and found the average net weight to be 47.51 pounds. Wet-Land then contacted Bayfield Mud about the situation. Bayfield gave a 5% credit to Wet-Land for the mistakes. Wet-Land was not completely satisfied with the credit because the errors in the weight of the bags could have hurt their operations. Wet-Land informed Bayfield Mud that if something like this happened again, they would take their business elsewhere. Bayfields response to all this was to expand from a one-shift to a two-shift operation. Then, they had to expand to a three-shift operation. The additional night-shift bagging crew consisted of all new employees. The most emphasis was placed on increasing output. It was very likely that only occasionally were bags double checked on their weight. This is where the statistical control has come into place. The problems that Bayfield Mud faces include the possibility of losing a customer in Wet-Land, Inc. Another problem is putting out a product that is not acceptable. This problem could lead to more than just the loss of one customer, but perhaps an even greater amount. Based on the information given in the following charts and numbers, especially the control chart, it is obvious that the bag problem is out of control. Out of the 72 times that samples were taken, 14 were out of control. That is unacceptable for a company who intends on satisfying the customer and maintaining business. Something must be done in this company to correct the problem that has arisen. Some recommendations that I have would be to focus more on the quality rather than the quantity. The managers are so intent on getting the most products, that they are willing to sacrifice the quality. It may be time to have a meeting with all managers to reemphasize that the focus should be on the quality. If the people in the upper positions do not care about the product,  only that they produce a lot of it, then it may be time to think about hiring some employees in those positions that will focus on quality. A recommendation that is not as severe would be to take the time to weigh more, if not every, bag. The company needs to ensure that the bag really does weigh 50 pounds. If they are going to offer a 50 pound product, then make it 50 pounds. It seems that the times that most of the bags are less than 50 pounds are around the nighttime shifts. Also, the times that it seems more bags are over 50 pounds are during the daytime shifts. They need to develop a system to ensure the accuracy of weighing the bags. Whatever they would implement would have to increase quality, while not hurting the output numbers. There is a large demand for their product, so they must be able to meet the demand. Bayfield Mud Company has a lot of improving to do. After looking at the charts and numbers on the following pages it is obvious that something needs to be done. For the samples to be that out of control is very unacceptable. Perhaps Bayfield needs to change their strategy or even do an entire makeover of their management team. Obviously something needs to be done to ensure the success of Bayfield Mud Company.

Retail Book Industry in Nz Essay Example for Free

Retail Book Industry in Nz Essay The aim of this report is to analyse and outline the business perspectives for opening a new independent book store in the Auckland region. The report analyses the current book retail industry and specifically discusses a new book shop’s viability highlighting the internal and external risks and opportunities as well as strengths and shortcomings. To assess the book retail competitive environment elements of SWOT and Porters’ Five Forces analysis tools were utilised (Needle, 2000). The major strengths of a new book shop which could be turned into a competitive advantage are the independency and local governance, relationship with publishers and closeness to customers. The major threats to and weaknesses of the new venture are attributable to low bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000), to lack of resources, and high market competition. The report’s conclusion is that anyone intending to enter the book retail market by opening a new store is advised to be mindful of the industry’s risks and challenges in order to mitigate those on the one hand, and to fully capitalise on the opportunities offered by the industry by turning its strengths to a competitive advantage, on the other hand. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Table of Contents3 1. Introduction4 2. Discussion5 2. 1 Competitive Environment5 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group5 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus6 2. 1. 3 Dymocks8 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers9 2. 2 Risk Assessment11 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers11 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources12 2. 2. 3 Market Competition13 2. 3 Opportunities14 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance14 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers15 3. Conclusion17 References18 1. Introduction The given report is commissioned by Susan and Michael Clarke to be completed by 27 August 2009. The report’s main objective is to provide an independent analysis of the book retail industry including potential risks and opportunities of opening a new independent book store in the Auckland area. In order to assess the current business environment, the market competitiveness in which a new proposed book store would be operating is analysed including such main industry players as Whitcoulls, Dymocks and Paper Plus on the one hand, and a number of independent book stores on the other hand. Elements of the Porter’s Five Forces’ (Needle, 2000) were incorporated to analyse the competitive environment of the book retail industry. The findings from the analysis of the competitive environment were then utilised to identify and analyse strengths and weaknesses of as well as opportunities and threats for the proposed new independent book store (Samson Daft, 2005). 2. Discussion Bookselling is a big industry in New Zealand. According to (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008), starting from 2007 the annual books spending in New Zealand has not gone below $1 billion. Books have always been perceived as a lucrative retail business due to high margins[1] and book value that has not changed much over time (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). 2. 1 Competitive Environment There are two main groups operating in the New Zealand book retail market being chain retailers and independent stores. Historically, the book retail market has always been dominated by a few book retail chains occupying almost 90% of the book retail market, leaving the local independent book stores with no more than 10% of market share (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). The main book retail chains operating in New Zealand are Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks. 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group The AR Whitcoulls Group (Whitcoulls Group) is the largest retail chain in New Zealand presented by the Whitcoulls, Borders and Bennetts Tertiary stores (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The group is also internationally operating in Australia and Singapore with more than 130 Angus Robertson and Borders stores (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). After acquiring the Australasian and New Zealand businesses of the second-largest United States bookstore chain Borders[2] (â€Å"Whitcoulls Borders bid cleared†, 2009) in 2008 the Whitcoulls Group obtained access to a high demographic serious books market niche (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). As a result, the Whitcoulls Group operates 90 stores across New Zealand (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007) accounting for up to 45% of the book  retail market (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). Further to the existing dominance in all the CBD areas, Whitcoulls is planning to expand into small-town areas starting from Te Awamutu, Richmond and Ashburton (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). The recent recession prompted the group to seek cost cuts by merging its Australasian retail operations’ support offices into one division located in Australia (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The group is also looking into opening the online selling operations in August (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus The Paper Plus chain being fully New Zealand-owned is the second-largest book retailer in New Zealand (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company operates as a franchise system and has been around for more than 25 years (â€Å"New look†, 2008). Historically Paper Plus has been a strong player in a stationary business[3] whereas its role in bookselling was not taken seriously by the industry[4]. This is one of the reasons why Paper Plus is currently outperformed by Whitcoulls when it comes to bookselling (â€Å"New look†, 2008). However, Paper Plus has recently become an aggressive player in the book retail market announcing an ambitious goal to become number one book retailer in New Zealand[5]. Paper Plus has recently refitted all their 105 stores as booklovers destinations (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009) aimed at improving store layout and putting more emphasis on books (â€Å"New look†, 2008). In the meantime, the television and radio celebrity Kerre Woodham was signed up as a frontwoman to do book reviews by hosting the â€Å"books and bubbles† events (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company’s marketing position is further strengthened by participating in the Fly Buys programme and the agreement with New Zealand Post to host Post Shop and Kiwibank services in Paper Plus stores (â€Å"New look†, 2008). As a result, the company manages to gain a competitive edge by not only targeting the niche of traditional booklovers but also those people who do not have a clear intention to buy books but visit the shops for Post Shop or Kiwibank services. On the management side, Paper Plus has promoted a strong support policy to its franchise stores including effective training by the local support office[6]. In the meantime, Paper Plus has been focusing on the relationship with local publishers as well as has considerably increased spending on advertising raising customer awareness about its products[7]. This all has enabled the company to enter the recession with a very strong financial and marketing position. 2. 1. 3 Dymocks Dymocks is Australian-owned and has been around for over 130 years opening its first store in Auckland in 1994 (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks operates as a franchise system running more than 80 stores in Oceania including six New Zealand stores located in the North Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks has been operating with the â€Å"love of books† concept having a reputation as a serious bookseller only without expending their product range to stationary, music and movies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company offers their customers more of a contemporary bookbuying experience through the â€Å"Booklover† Rewards Programme (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company focuses on the New Zealand books being historically in the top 10 sellers. Dymocks have been experiencing a sustainable growth opening four new stores over two last years with further plans to expand into the South Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). However, the recession has almost reversed this growth as Dymocks had to close three stores in two months: two in Auckland and one in Wellington[8]. The main causes for these closures were very high rents, bad locations, no street frontage or through traffic and high competition from Borders (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). In addition to this Dymocks had to resort to centralise administration in Australia by closing its New Zealand support office. As such, out of the three main book retail chains, Dymocks has been weakened by the recession the most and is more concerned with a struggle to retain its existing six stores. 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers In contrast to the recession-linked problems faced by the book chains the independent booksellers[9] do not seem to suffer any recession at all (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). Despite some loss of customers choosing to go to library instead of buying books, the recent recession helped books products gain a momentum in the gift market[10]. The books’ popularity and affordability merits attribute to the people’s preference of a good book or dictionary gift over a $300 vase or duvet blanket (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). According to an industry expert[11] it is because the book chains have not been putting sufficient effort and resources into the customer relationship side, while independent stores have managed to develop a very loyal customer base by their excellent customer service, professionalism and personal approach (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). As such, the independent book stores see the recession times as a good opportunity to pull new customers from the book chains which due to their large size and lack of knowledgeable staff cannot compete with independent stores on the professional advice, recommendation and customer service sides (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). The competitiveness of the book retail market is further strained by online booksellers, which have experienced a considerable growth over the last few years in some cases almost doubling their sales each year[12]. Taking into consideration the competitive environment analysis above, the book retail market can be defined as highly competitive. Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks were found to be the main competitors due to their market dominance on the one hand, and high bargaining power with book publishers on the other hand (Needle, 2000). 2. 2 Risk Assessment Taking into consideration the above analysis of the book retail industry’s competitive environment the following could be identified as risks and threats for a new independent book store. 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers Upstream of the value chain (Samson Daft, 2005) a new independent shop would have a challenge to sign book publishers and authors in to obtain the rights to sell their books. The authors and publishers would likely be inclined to work with big retail chains or strong independent stores as being representative of better channels for promoting and distributing the books. Bookshops would usually compete over the right to sell quality books in order to win the customers’ preference and loyalty. The industry experience shows that it is not the large stock but rather a good book range and quality that enable a shop to be preferred by customers over its competitors (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, bearing in mind the tight economic conditions and high market competitiveness, a new independent shop would have a risk of not being able to obtain a competitive book range due to insufficient bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000). 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources Opening a new store would require significant spending starting from hiring or buying the store to paying professional staff competitive wages. The Dymocks example with closing two Auckland stores (one of which after only a few months after opening) showed how much a store location mistake can cost to a shop regardless of its reputation, product range and popularity (Refer 2. 1). Thus, a company wishing to enter a book market would face not only the challenge of funding to open a new store but also to be able match the location trade advantages with costs. The downstream of the value chain (Samson Daft, 2005) such as advertising and promotion as well as customer relations would also require significant funding. The Paper Plus and independent book stores examples show that investing in advertising and building customer relationships are one of the most effective and powerful means to sustain and further gain market share in the current competitive environment (Refer 2. 1). The independent stores’ achievement of being able to build loyal customer base is due to having professional sales people on floor capable of providing good service along with knowledgeable advice to the customers (Refer 2. 1). Therefore, the lack of resources both material and human would be a weakness of a new shop when entering the book retail market populated with rich chain retailers and professional independent stores. 2. 2. 3 Market Competition New Zealand has a very high number of book shops per capita in comparison to other countries (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). Thus, a new book store would be entering the market which according to some industry experts is already overpopulated[13] with such strong players as Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Dymocks not mentioning about independent stores and online sellers experiencing a significant growth in recession (Refer 2.1). Whitcoulls has considerably improved its marketing position through acquiring the Borders operations whereas Paper Plus, being strengthened by combining its services with Post Office and Kiwi Bank, has put a comprehensive action plan in place to fight for number one bookseller in New Zealand. In the meantime, the independent shops are gaining a recession momentum to strengthen their current position by capitalising on the inability of big chains to provide competitive books range, on the one hand, and appropriate level of customer service and support, on the other hand. Taking into consideration the above facts, the book market could be classified as mature where there is no unoccupied market niche (Samson Daft, 2005) left for a new book store to capitalise on. As a result, for a new store to become successful it will literally mean fighting for other shops’ customers. The implication for a new book store is that it will be very hard to compete with the current industry players that have a very high customer loyalty and market reputation for providing exceptional customer service on the one hand and significant resources, aggressive advertising and market dominance, on the other hand. 2. 3 Opportunities This section discusses the main strengths of and opportunities for a new book store in the current business environment. 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance The centralisation of the stores support and governance is a common move for many in pursuit of cutting costs. However, experience shows that under the current level of competition store problems are timelier and more effectively resolved if there is local governance in place (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The main competitors of the proposed book store are strategically and operationally managed from overseas[14] making these shops quite inflexible and not quick enough to react to market changes as someone in Australia decides how many copies of a particular New Zealand book the stores should stock. In the meantime, the independent book stores have not felt the recession and are thereby able to respond quicker and serve customers’ needs better by preferring to have better books range over larger stock of out of date books (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, the independency of a new shop would put the company in a better position in regards to timely reacting to industry changes and thereby avoiding unnecessary losses usually resulted from poor decisions made. 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers Independent governance makes a proposed new book store closer to local publishers and customers. The New Zealand Book Publishers Association consisting of 95 local publishers is not satisfied with the current â€Å"super market† store running model used by the chains[15]. The main disadvantages are: the decreased books range printed as bulk purchases are made at cost of the books diversity[16], the chains often abuse their bargaining power with publishers[17] and the central display system with ineffective books categorisation[18] (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). As such, the New Zealand publishers are naturally more inclined to work with small independent stores who will have less bargaining power but more flexibility of buying and distributing books. On the other side of the value chain, a new store would have an opportunity to capitalise on the chains’ clumsiness and lack of personal touch when dealing with customers. The main lesson learnt from chains’ struggle in the current recession is that customer satisfaction and loyalty could on its own determine the book retailer’s commercial future. Independent stores, in turn, have put a particular emphasis in implementing effective customer loyalty programs and achieving loyal customer base. Therefore, despite the high market competition, there is a good opportunity for a new book store to win the book chains’ customers by offering better books range, more professional service and personal approach. 3. Conclusion Taking into account the above analysis, the opening of a new independent book store can be classified as a â€Å"Question† according to the BCG strategic tool (Samson Daft, 2005). On the one hand, the independence, local governance, good relationships with publishers and closeness to customers could enable a  new book store to become a successful venture, thereby shifting to the â€Å"Star† BCG section distinguished by quick growth and expansion. On the other hand, if the new venture has not managed to establish a strong market presence by providing sufficient funding, professional staff and developing effective strategic relationships with publishers, entering the current highly competitive book retail market could result in a commercial failure. The book retail market can be classified as very mature and highly competitive. As such, it would be quite challenging for a new independent book store with limited resources, on the one hand, and the low bargaining power with the publishers, on the other hand, to compete with the book retail chains as well as with a number of other well established independent bookshops and online booksellers in the Auckland region. In the meantime, the fact that a new book store is going to be independent and locally run provides a competitive advantage of knowing its publishers and customers better and, thereby reacting to industry changes quicker and more effectively. The final success of the new proposed book store would be mostly dependent on its ability to cope with high market competitiveness and mitigating its weaknesses on the one hand and capitalising on its strengths and opportunities currently present in the book industry. References Needle, D. (2000). Business in context: An introduction to business and its environment (3ed. ). London: Thomson Learning. Samson, D and Daft, R. (2005). Management, 2nd Pacific rim edition. Australia: Thomson Learning. Big boys books. (2009, January 1), The Press, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/150420/Big-boys-books#share Booksellers ready to write new chapter. (2008, July 14), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3objectid=10521367 Boutique booksellers boom. (2009, August 13), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/dominion-post/wellington/2743304/ Dymocks’ official website. www. dymocks. co. nz. How the book trade is turning a page. (2009, June 13), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz. ezproxy. auckland. ac. nz/business/news/article. cfm?cid=3objectid=10578175pnum=2 New look for friendly book chain. (2008, June 21), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/497996 Whitcoulls Borders bid cleared. (2009, January 1), NZPA, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/130168 Whitcoulls finally picks up NZ Borders stores. (2007, June 07). The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3objectid=10514932 Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding by the book in Borders buy-out. (2007, November 22), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www.nzherald. co. nz/shopping/news/article. cfm? c_id=318objectid=10477609 Whitcoulls widens its Borders in $137m deal. (2008, July 7), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/477324 [1] According to industry experts books margins vary from 40% to 50% out of total price (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). [2]The group AR Whitcoulls group acquired 30 Borders stores as well as exclusive rights to the Borders trademark in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore worth $NZD137 million (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The New Zealand Borders operation acquired included five stores: three in Auckland and one in each Christchurch and Wellington (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [3] The recent achievement of Paper Plus is being recognised as the top seller of greeting cards (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [4] Historically only six out of 105 Paper Plus stores were positioned as serious booksellers (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [5] The company’s growth strategy is supported by the strong financial position improved from the loss of $401,000 in 2007 to profit of $748,000 in 2008 (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [6] Paper Plus has purchased a new 500 square metre store in Aucklands Sylvia Park to be used for training the franchisees how to implement an effective store layout and design to boost books sales (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [7] Whitcoulls admitted in the past that their loss of market share was directly caused by Paper Plus increasing its advertising spending (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [8] The Auckland Smales Farm franchise store and the company-owned Queen Street store went into liquidation in May and June 2009 and Wellington Lambton Quay shop closed in May 2009 (â€Å"How the book trade†, 20). [9] The most popular independent book stores include Unity Books (Auckland and Wellington), Scorpio (Christchurch) in Christchurch, Vic Books (Wellington), Dear Reader (Auckland), The Booklover (Auckland) and of Cambridges Wrights Bookshop (Auckland) (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [10] According to the owners of ‘The Childrens Bookshop’, a book shop in Kilbirnie, last year the store has experienced a 12% increase in revenue mainly driven by the parents preferring books for gift for their children (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). [11] Tom Beran owning independent stores in Grey Lynn (Dear Reader) and Takapuna (The Booklover) (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [12] For example, the New Zealand online seller www. fishpond. co. nz starting in 2004 expanded to Australia in 2006 and in 2007 was recognised in the Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50 list noting the fastest-growing companies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [13] According to Dymocks CEO, Don Grover the New Zealand bookselling market is already over-supplied (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). [14] Among the book retail chains occupying 90% of the market only Paper Plus is locally supported, whereas Whitcoulls and Dymocks are both owned and governed by Australian companies (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [15] That was evidently expressed in the open opposition from the Book Publishers Association of Whitcoulls’ bid to purchase Borders’ stores as they know that it will result in a decrease of the books range bought by the chain (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [16] For example, a book offered by a small publisher could be of a particular interest to smaller towns’ readers. However, a local chain store is unable to make a purchasing decision instead having to sell the books decided in the support office across the Tasman (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [17] For example, Whitcoulls is viewed by the industry as a tough negotiator with inflexible buying policies demanding from publishers at least 50% discount (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [18] Compared to chain stores that cannot add or change the central display system, the independent stores have much more flexibility in deciding how their stock should be grouped and displayed on the floor (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009).