REPORT Assignment Brief With a three million-strong workforce, and year-on-year growth, the retail sector is a significant contributor to the UK economy. Between 2016 and 2020, the retail sector workforce is projected to grow by 54,800. In some parts of the world, the retail business is dominated by smaller family- run or regionally-targeted stores, but this market is increasingly being taken over by billion-dollar multinational conglomerates like Wal-Mart and Sears. And yet, as the leading retailing players are increasingly seeking for opportunities to expand their global presence and are investing heavily in driving internet retailing sales, numerous local British retail companies have been successfully competing with their global competitors in the UK Market such as Morrisons, Ocado and Card Factory. Scenario You have been hired by a local British retail company (Either of Morrisons, Card Factory or Ocado) as a consultant in order to develop a market entry and business level strategy plan into the Chinese market. You are expected to write a report to summarize your research findings on the given tasks below. Tasks (100%) 1. Analyse and understand the external environment in the Chinese market: Opportunities, threats, industry competition, and competitor analysis. (25 marks) 2. Identify the firm's resources and determine the potential of the firm's capabilities and competencies in terms of a competitive advantage in the Chinese market. (15 marks) 3. Reframe the vision statement and the mission statement of the firm for the new strategic business unit in China. Critically evaluate if the firm can continue with the current vision and mission statements in the new market. (20 marks) 4. In the light of the preceding chapters, construct a SWOT analysis of the company and recommend a business-level international strategy for and market entry mode into the new market. (25 marks) 5. As a part of the assessment, all students should take the Employability Skills Self-Assessment Survey (PM303-ES-E16) in Week 1 and 10. (5 marks) To access the survey (in Week 1): https://goo.gl/forms/jz4EFit6PiYd4tOC3 To access the survey (in Week 10): https://goo.gl/forms/6oQEnzbRn3mmia6k2 6. Referencing (Harvard) (10 marks) Assignment Guide 1. The external environment affects the competition actions and responses firms take to outperform competitors and earn above-average returns. The External Environment Physical Economic Sociocultural Demographic Industry Environment and Competitor Environment Global Political/Legal Technological The Industry Environment Firms understand the external environment by acquiring information about competitors, customers, and other stakeholders to build their own base of knowledge and capabilities. On the basis of the new information, firms take actions, such as building new capabilities and core competencies as the basis for better serving their stakeholders' needs. 2. Resources, capabilities and core competencies are the foundation of competitive advantage. Resources are bundled to create organisational capabilities. In turn, capabilities are the source of firm's core competencies, which are the basis of establishing competitive advantage.