Retaling giants like Target Corp., Wal-Mart Canada Corp.or Canadian Tire Corp are now facing pressing threats: the fast-growing dollar strores. They have been a serious concern for years but are becoming a “bigger force” such as Dollarama Inc. and US Tree Stores Inc. who have been “expanding aggressively”.

Why is that, that “Dollar store sales are rising by about 9 per cent annually – more than three times the average annual uptick in the overall retail sector over the past five years”?   They are definitely a special type of business that has its own unique strategy. Its not as big as a Wal-mart but still offers an enourmous range of products so customers can get what they want for cheaper, and they can do all this without having to walk into a huge hipermarket; this is very convenient and saves a lot of time. And time can mean a lot for certain people.

Dollar stores “draw customers with low prices, convenience and simplicity” That could be their points of difference or brand positioning and what makes them a seriuos competitor. Is that all that has made these dollar stores have such a large influence now, that even retail giants find them threatening?

source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/how-canadas-retailers-discounted-the-rise-of-the-dollar-store/article4596897/

picture:http://www.frontiermall.ca/tenants.html

Sony Mobile Communications AB is targeting the Chinese smartphone market becoming a major rival for Apple. The industry is extremely competitive having many international companies, as well as a number of active domestic brands. But Sony Mobile will gain huge opportunities if it “focuses on the right products, is quick to respond to market demand and is speedier in innovation”(Shen)

Sony Mobile seems to have a very optimistic future if they can come up with strategies (long-term) suited for the fast growing Chinese market. Meaning, if Sony wants to bring the most out of the worlds biggest smartphone market, they have to know the market and target their consumers very well. This implies that marketing research on China’s smartphone market is now Sony Mobile’s fundamental focus and base.

The company is already ahead of the game for having already established itself in the Chinese’s customers’ minds and having its points of differences,it now has to take it the next stage. “Sony is a rare, comprehensive entertainment company, with operations in movies, music, gaming and financial services. If it integrates well, those resources would quickly make Sony devices stand out,” said Wang Ying, an analyst at Analysys International.

source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-09/24/content_15777457.htm

Picture: http://www.giantrobot.com/random-musings/a-blurb-on-jobss-international-legacy/attachment/sony-vs-apple/