Consumer electronics company, Sharp has made a name for themselves in the technology industry by producing state of the art television sets. On the surface it may appear as though the company’s sole focus in on electronics, when in fact Sharp initially launched their business selling mechanical pencils. It appears quite odd that a business can shift from producing pencils to television sets.
The company is now looking to expand into the strawberry market. Yes, you read it right, Sharp is moving into the farming sector. They plan on increasing their agricultural operations in Dubai by supplying Japanese strawberries. The demand for their strawberries is rapidly increasing in the Middle East, a consumer need left unfilled. Their rationale on making such a drastic decision is in response to their lacking sales in the electronic industry. Even though their sales are steadily increasing, the company is finding it difficult to compete with other technology titans. By tapping into the strawberry market, Sharp has the ability to use their technological capabilities to reinvent the entire sector.
Although the idea may be farfetched, Sharp scores high in terms of innovation and creativity. Not many other companies are willing to take such risks and expand their product line this dramatically.
Sources Used:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-27/forget-tvs-dot-sharp-sees-a-future-in-strawberry-farming#r=hpt-ls
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