Assignment 702 Task A
Task A
(http://www.ibisworld.co.uk/market-research/catering-services.html)
The Catering Services industry has struggled during the past five years. Since 2008-09, a severe economic downturn has led businesses and households to spend less on catered events. Businesses faced with plunging profitability cut back sharply on catered events such as office parties, corporate seminars and product launches, and reduced average spend per head for events that did go ahead. The deteriorating consumer climate led consumers to put off discretionary events and choose to cater events themselves or spend less at a restaurant rather than use the industry 's services.
Similar to the textiles and fashion industry, the catering industry is interesting in the sense that it is part leisure, part necessity. Countries within the UK, and even cities and towns within those countries, are painted strongly in character by their decided method of foodservice and how they have attempted to either follow on the waves of change, or stubbornly resist it. There are places within Britain even – Lavenham, for instance - which are still extremely traditional in their foodservice and have scarcely changed at all with the times. Pubs, cafes and small bakeries being just about the only type of eating establishment one might find. Turning dining into a leisure activity is much the sign of a matured, metropolitan capitalist-model society. Independent, “commercial” business rise to seize or exploit potential niches in the market and make themselves a profit. With the rise of such a profit and free-enterprise-oriented society as ours, many regulations and legislature have come into place in attempt to standardise and/or control the employing methods of such companies. A few of which would be the “Sex Discrimination Act” of 1975, stating that discrimination of an individual on the grounds of their gender or marital status, leading to them being denied opportunities or training for promotion would be
(http://www.ibisworld.co.uk/market-research/catering-services.html)
The Catering Services industry has struggled during the past five years. Since 2008-09, a severe economic downturn has led businesses and households to spend less on catered events. Businesses faced with plunging profitability cut back sharply on catered events such as office parties, corporate seminars and product launches, and reduced average spend per head for events that did go ahead. The deteriorating consumer climate led consumers to put off discretionary events and choose to cater events themselves or spend less at a restaurant rather than use the industry 's services.
Similar to the textiles and fashion industry, the catering industry is interesting in the sense that it is part leisure, part necessity. Countries within the UK, and even cities and towns within those countries, are painted strongly in character by their decided method of foodservice and how they have attempted to either follow on the waves of change, or stubbornly resist it. There are places within Britain even – Lavenham, for instance - which are still extremely traditional in their foodservice and have scarcely changed at all with the times. Pubs, cafes and small bakeries being just about the only type of eating establishment one might find. Turning dining into a leisure activity is much the sign of a matured, metropolitan capitalist-model society. Independent, “commercial” business rise to seize or exploit potential niches in the market and make themselves a profit. With the rise of such a profit and free-enterprise-oriented society as ours, many regulations and legislature have come into place in attempt to standardise and/or control the employing methods of such companies. A few of which would be the “Sex Discrimination Act” of 1975, stating that discrimination of an individual on the grounds of their gender or marital status, leading to them being denied opportunities or training for promotion would be