1. Executive Summary
This case study provides an evaluation of Sara Lee Corporation and particularly its operations of product lines available through the Wal-Mart stores. To begin with, an effective SWOT analysis of the company was conducted where strengths and opportunities are identified while addressing possible threats and improving its weaknesses to avoid giving the competition an aggressive advantage. Marketing requires effective identification of issues as a key factor in devising the best methods of addressing them. Therefore, Kirk Nelson identifies the BasicHipster style to be a major problem in the market because it was not doing well. Effective establishment of the best possible solution is therefore critical to maintain the corporation’s market share for the Wal-Mart Account. This analysis generates key alternatives that Kirk Nelson as the Sara Lee Wal-Mart Girl’s Panty analyst should consider in getting out of the current deadlock. This study recommends that Sara Lee Wal-Mart account should retain the FashionBikini due to its better performance compared to the New FashionBikini and introduce back into circulation, the new BasicHipster.
2. History or introduction
Sara Lee Corporation is a fortune 500 company listed on the NYSE. They mainly mass market their diverse product lines of food and beverages, branded apparel, and household products through large retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, but also smaller store as well. Sara Lee, under the Hanes branded apparel operates a product line of underwear called Girls Panty (GP) targeted girls ages 4-12 that include 3 cuts or styles: FashionBrief, FashionBikini and the BasicHipster. The Girl Panty line in Wal-Mart had to meet its sales and supply standards. Sara Lee Corporation maintained high sales due its ability to analyze its products on the basis of the market demand and thereby maintaining the customer’s preference. This case study