To: Jessica Lee
From: Nicholas Jang
Date: October 20, 2020
Subject: Peer review of Formal Research Proposal: How can Urban Outfitters better adapt to the Chinese market with the existence of other similar fashion brands.
Thank you for submitting your formal report proposal for increasing Urban Outfitters’ market share in the Chinese fashion market. This proposal was well written and provided me with multiple insights into the problem your firm is facing. Below are my comments and suggestions that could be helpful to further improve your proposal.
First Impressions:
The proposal had clearly defined sections making it easy to read and interpret. The proposal was well researched and showed your experience with the problem at hand.
Organization:
The proposal was well organized with headings for each of the sections. There is a missing paragraph spacing line under the “Statement of Problem” heading, however, this does not impact my ability to read the proposal.
Introduction:
The introduction gave a sufficient explanation of the brand explaining its product line and where it operates. These details were well referenced with dates providing evidence. One clarifying question I have was UO’s 2018 expansion into China through brick and mortar stores or online shopping?
Statement of Problem:
The problem statement is concise yet fully depicts the problem that UO faces. Providing examples of competitors further necessities the importance to solve this problem. The statement also alludes to possible reasons why the firm is facing the problem.
Proposed Solution:
The provided solution is unique and something that aligns with UO’s values and general business model. The proposed solution presents little risk for the firm as they will be carrying established brands in the Chinese market. As I am not familiar with the Chinese Fashion Industry it could be helpful to include examples of brands you would try to partner with.
Scope:
To the asses, the feasibility of the proposed solution well-defined questions are included in the scope. The five questions are well thought out and demonstrate an understanding of the business climate UO is operating in. The questions show that both the consumer market and supplier relationship elements have been considered.
Methods:
The provided plan is strong as it is based upon quality primary data. Leveraging her position with UO, the author can obtain high-quality data from key decision-makers in the firm. For secondary data sources, databases could be useful to identify consumer behavioural preferences and traits.
Qualifications:
Your work experience both past and currently with UO provides a high level of credibility and validity to your research proposal. This effect was shown in numerous instances such as in the Methods and Statement of Problem sections.
Grammar and Typos:
I did not find any grammatical errors.
Concluding Comments:
After reading your research proposal it is clear that you have a thorough understanding of the material your report will be based upon. I thought that your use of examples further strengthened your arguments. As the reader will most likely not be as informed of the Chinese Fashion Industry, the continued use of examples are helpful. Overall the report was well written and quite interesting.
I hope my suggestions can help you during your revision process, please let me know if you need any clarifications or have any additional questions.
Link to Jessica Lee’s research proposal: Jessica Lee | Assignment 2.1 Research Proposal
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