Université de Nantes 2010-2011

Cigdem Guc - Anna Guichen - Noëlle Henri - Alexandra Kohlert

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Index of content

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 3

I. The company: Canistar ........................................................................................................... 4

1. Presentation of the company ............................................................................................... 4

2. Marketing Mix .................................................................................................................... 9

3. Competitors ...................................................................................................................... 12

II. New product: Trendog ......................................................................................................... 13

1. Definition of Trendog ....................................................................................................... 13

2. Why such a product? ........................................................................................................ 13

III. New export market ............................................................................................................. 16

1. Why the USA? .................................................................................................................. 16

2. SWOT analysis ................................................................................................................. 17

3. Presentation of the USA ................................................................................................... 20

4. Market analysis through market survey ............................................................................ 26

5. Efficient price in the USA ................................................................................................ 28

IV. Communication .................................................................................................................. 30

1. Logo ................................................................................................................................. 30

2. Means of communication ................................................................................................. 30

3. Distribution ....................................................................................................................... 35

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 44

Sources ..................................................................................................................................... 45

Table of figures ........................................................................................................................ 46

Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 47

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INTRODUCTION “For me a house or an apartment becomes a home when you add one set of four legs, a happy

tail, and that indescribable measure of love that we call a dog.”

This quote from Roger Caras, president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty

to Animals (ASPCA), reflects pretty well how our company Canistar considers dogs in our

lives. Pets and more particularly dogs are becoming more and more faithful companions for

owners. That is why Canistar wanted to protect them and to make them smarter thanks to

dog‟s wear. Indeed some can think it is the latest fad that companies have thought to make

money. It is not only a question of money but also a question of protection and beauty. What‟s

more natural to dress a dog when it is cold or raining or when you simply want him to be

beautiful without harming him?

Of course, dogs are not doll with whom we can play. Our company Canistar commits itself to

the respect of dogs. Our doggies should not be considered as dollies.

This report will present first our company and the different steps of its growth before dealing

with our project of expansion.

Cigdem Guc, Managing Director.

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I. The company: Canistar

1. Presentation of the company

CANISTAR is a young company which was created in spring 2005 by 4 students after their

degree in International Business. It was an idea of Cigdem GUC, the managing director now,

who thought about the flourishing market of pets. In France (and in most of developed

countries) dogs have became very important for their owners, they are spending more and

more for their simple comfort (between €600 an €800 per year in France). During the past few

years, dog‟s way of life have changed; they are more sensitive to the weather as they are

living indoor all the day. The necessity of clothes to warm dogs has become to be

indispensable. Moreover, all of us are fond of pets, particularly dogs.

Our headquarters is implemented in Paris, St Ouen area.

First, to sell our products, we used our website because we had

no money enough to open a shop.

Three years later, in spring 2008, as our profits were increasing

we opened the first shop in Paris, an area where luxury goods are

sold: St Honoree area. Thanks to Anna who was working in the

jewel sector, and some contacts, we had an opportunity to set up

a shop in this area. All of us were involved in this new

adventure. We chose to open a store in Paris because some of us

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were living there and above all because Paris is one of the European cities of art and fashion.

To start a business like this, it was necessary to work with some stylists. For about 3 months

we had worked with a fashion design school, CREAPOLE. After this time we decided to hire

one of the students who was very creative: Mr. Dubreuil. He became our stylist in summer

2007. Recently, we hired a stylist assistant, Mr. Zotti as a trainee

Concerning financing, we had personal capital. We succeeded in entering the stock exchange

in the end of spring 2008 which allowed us to raise money and to consider the settlement of a

shop. Our main first shareholders were our families.

We started our business with mid-range products in order to target a large part of the

population. To enter the market we have decided as a strategy to fix our prices with regard to

competitor‟s prices. Concerning the range of our clothes we produce: coats, shirts, dresses,

sportswear, and costumes.

Figure 1: Income statement, 2007-2008

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Figure 2: Turnover, 2009

This chart shows the 2009 turnover. It represents a total of €1,000,000. As we can see the

major part of the turnover is registered in autumn and in winter, during the colder months

(September: €89,000 / October: €135,000 / November: €146,900 / December: € 168,000 /

January: € 158,000 / February: € 97,000). During this period coats are mainly bought. The

next pie chart illustrates that.

Figure 3: Sales autumn-winter (2009-2010)

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Identity card

Identification of the company

Name & date of birth Canistar / 21.03.2005

Juridical status SARL (similar to a Limited Liability

Company in the USA)

Company activity Conception, distribution and selling dogs‟

wear

Activities

Main products Dogs‟ wear (coat, dress, shirt, costume,

sportswear)

Geographical repartition of turnover France

Market: national, international … National market, expanding currently to the

USA

Supplier Tessuto, Italy

Size

Number of employees 1managing director, 4 employees, 1 trainee

Turnover €1,000,000 in 2009

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Organizationchart

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2. Marketing Mix

A) Products

Canistar produces different range of products such as coat, skirt, sportswear and costume.

Figure 4: Proportion of each range of products in sales

Our sales are based on coats, which represent 35% of our sales. We are more focusing on the

production of coats and shirts because they represent 80% of our sales.

Example of each range of product:

Coat

Shirt

Dress

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Sportswear

Costume

B) Price

First our company sold mid-range products via the website. Prices were not expensive

because we chose to target a large part of the population. To enter the market we have decided

as a strategy to fix our prices with regard to competitor‟s prices.

When we decided to open our shop in the fashionable district St Honore area which is a rich

area, we intended to higher our prices. Indeed our brand started to be well-known and our

profits were increasing. In order to fix as best as possible these new prices we used acceptable

price method.

This practice leads to know about the maximum price people are prepared to pay.

For example, we asked 100 potential customers about the price of a coat. We asked them 2

questions to find the acceptable price range:

1) Below what price do not you buy the product thinking that it is a bad-quality product?

2) Above what price do not you buy the product thinking that it is too expensive?

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Here is the table of the results:

Price (€)

Number of

people who do

not want to buy

because poor

quality

Cumulated

percentage

Number of

people who do

not buy because

too expensive

Cumulated

percentage

50 1 100 0 0

55 5 99 0 0

60 13 94 0 0

65 22 81 5 5

70 19 59 6 11

75 27 40 16 27

80 11 13 16 43

85 2 2 33 76

90 0 0 17 93

95 0 0 7 100

Total 100 100 100 100

The best price is €80 for a coat. But this method has some disadvantages. Indeed potential

consumers are not confronted to other products; they are not in purchasing situation.

Moreover, they do not know the cost price of the product.

For our shop in St Honore area we take into account this survey. However, on our website, as

there are mid-range products, prices are much lower. For a standard coat, on our website, the

price is €20.

Of course, we have also to take into account the fixed and variable charges as well as the

logistics and transport costs. Indeed we import our material from Italy, from our supplier

Tessuto.

Finally, fixing prices depends on the costs and on the target.

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C) Place

In France, we are selling our products on our website (www.canistar.com), in our shop in St

Honore area in Paris and recently we have a partnership with a French mail order company La

Redoute. In its catalogues we are able to sell our products. La Redoute will take a commission

of 15% of our sales.

D) Promotion

We decided to promote our products through different

media such as magazines which target women

(Femme Actuelle) and through internet. As new

technologies are invading our daily lives, we created

Facebook and Twitter accounts.

As we wanted to prove that we are socially aware, we

have a partnership with the French association “30

Millions d‟Amis”.

We also take part in pet shows in France and abroad such as “Animal Expo” in the Bois de

Vincennes in France an “Interzoo” in Germany.

3. Competitors

In France, we have to point out our main competitors so as to compete with them and to

distinguish our company.

Retailers: They always have a department devoted to pets care which includes food,

accessories and sometimes a little proportion of clothes. Usually the choice is very short

because they are not specialized in clothes for dogs.

Pet shops: They are shops specialized in pets care, from birds and fishes to cats and dogs. For

instance in France we will find Maxi Zoo and Truffaut. The choice is larger than in retailer

shops because they are specialized, but the choice remains short because they are not

specialized in dogs, and let-alone in clothes.

Grooming parlor: Sometimes in grooming parlors, we can find a display stand where there are

clothes for sale.

French online shops: There are three main French websites dedicated to dog clothes selling:

- Shoopidog and DogVip, which sell only their products on the Internet, they have no stores.

- LaPetAvenue, which sells by the Internet and has a showroom located in Nice.

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II. New product: Trendog

1. Definition of Trendog

We decided to create a new range of products called “Trendog”, an acronym for „trend” and

“dog”. Indeed this range consists in creating trendy dogs‟ wear. Thanks to Trendog, doggies

can be dressed like their owners. It is a range launched specially for our new export market

which is the United States.

We mainly create products according to orders that we receive from customers. Consumers

send us an explication of what they would like and a photo, and then we try to find the more

lifelike to satisfy the need of our customers.

There is another solution: consumer can choose on our website through a dozen of models we

thought that can suit the consumer‟s wills.

2. Why such a product?

This new range is created for the Unite States because the pet industry is increasing in the

USA. People are more and more interested in taking care of their pets. The article on the

website www.allbusiness.com shows very well that aspect and the fact that pets tend to be

more humanized:

“Pets aren't just the faithful companions that we come home to every night. In today's

marketplace, pets are hip. Among the trendy set, pets are akin to living, breathing fashion

accessories. North American consumers have grown accustomed to seeing images of

celebrities unabashedly doting on their pets with jeweled collars, leads, and uber-expensive

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designer carriers. And although the average consumer isn't likely to invest in a Burberry

slicker and booties for their beloved Chihuahua, there has been a definite trickle-down effect.

The bottom line is Americans are spending more to pamper their furry, finned and feathered

friends.” […] “A tremendous humanization factor is transcending into the pet segment.

There's a huge wellness behavior spillover as well," he says. "More of the things we humans

do for humans from a wellness and longevity-enhancing perspective are being translated into

the pet segment. This trend is evidenced by the increasing interest in things like natural

supplements and pet health insurance.”

Figure 5 :Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures:

Year Billion

2010 $47.7 Estimated

2009 $45.5

2008 $43.2

2007 $41.2

2006 $38.5

2005 $36.3

2004 $34.4

Figure 6: In 2009, $45.5 billion was spent on pets in the U.S.

Food $17.56 billion

Supplies/OTC Medicine $10.41 billion

Vet Care $12.04 billion

Live animal purchases $2.16 billion

Pet Services: grooming & boarding $3.36 billion

Figure 7: For 2010, it estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on pets in the U.S.

Food $18.28 billion

Supplies/OTC Medicine $11.01 billion

Vet Care $12.79 billion

live animal purchases $2.21 billion

Pet Services: grooming & boarding $3.45 billion

The following spending statistics are gathered by APPA from various market research

sources. There is also a huge demand for products such as clothes in this country.

We decided to launch this new range according to a survey we established in early spring

2010 in the USA.

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It is important to notice that our company is not specialized in humiliating clothes. We focus

on beauty and on the respect of doggies. The previous photos show all that we do not want:

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III. New export market

1. Why the USA?

First of all, the US pet industry is booming. Then, according to www.trenhunter.com, pet

owners continue to identify with their pets or treat them like real children. The multi-billion-

dollar pet industry shows no signs of losing demand, with pet owners spending increasingly

more on fashion and luxury items.

Comparative chart

Factors Germany Russia USA UK

Number of dogs 2

4 5

2

Pet industry 3

4

4

3

Accessibility of

the country

4

3

3

5

Politic stability 5

2

4

4

Economic

situation

3

2

5

3

Competition 4

3

2

3

France fashion

image

3

3

5

1

TOTAL 24 21 28 21

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Thanks to our increasing sales and profits in France, we are planning to expand abroad. We

want to tackle a new market where we can sell our dogs‟ wear and where the pets‟ industry is

quite important.

In order to choose the best market possible, it is necessary to elaborate a comparative chart in

which we crossed some factors and some countries.

We have chosen 4 countries in which there are numerous pets: Germany, Russia, USA and

UK. We studied the number of dogs, the pet industry, the accessibility of the country

(logistics, cities …), the politic factor, the economic situation (GDP). We considered also the

competition and the image of France fashion.

Thanks to all the data, we classified the information, from 1 to 5 (5 being the best note).

The results show the score of each country, the USA came first with 28 points.

2. SWOT analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Good image of France in the USA (fashion,

style, quality)

Successful experience in France

Rising sales

Trendy collection

Young and dynamic company, motivated team

First export market

Brand unknown in USA

Not our own shops in USA

Different currency (exchange rate)

Hard to increase production fast

Opportunities Threats

USA : attractive market (eccentric culture, lots

of dogs)

High purchasing power

Partnership with grooming salon

Dogs market rising

Website Glamour do supplies (Dallas)

Website Oh my dog (San Francisco)

Competition from cheap products made in

China

Quick change of fashion

Economic crisis

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Here are some explanations of the different criterions of the SWOT analysis:

Strengths

Good image of France in the USA: France represents fashion in general and more

particularly smart fashion. French products have also an image of quality. This will help us to

integrate on the market because people will not hesitate to buy our products wondering if they

are solid.

The experience has been successful in France; our sales have increased quickly so it

encourages us to have a go on foreign markets. If French people have liked our products, we

can imagine that foreigners may like too.

Our company is young, dynamic and our team is motivated. All the company members feel

involved in this project because it could be a turning point for the company and so for us,

employees. Therefore we are ready to do our best to succeed and to get a good future.

Today sales keep on rising, so that is very encouraging because that means that the

company keeps on growing. Moreover, rising sales give us high profits and so, give us the

financial means to export.

Our collection of clothes for dogs is very trendy. That is what differentiates us from other

possible competitors. The company tries to be aware of current trends and to adapt the clothes

quickly.

Weaknesses

It is our first export market. We do not have any experience in exporting so we will have to

do our best to succeed, that means to deeply examine the American market and hire

competent and specialized persons.

Our brand is unknown in the USA. People do not know that our company exists, so we will

have to make a huge advertising campaign to get known and to give an image of quality of

our company.

We do not have our own shops in the USA. We will expose our products in already existing

shops. We will have to pay retailers, and we will depend on their own image. People will not

enter the shops if they do not like the brand, and therefore they will not be able to discover

our products.

The different currency: the US dollar in the USA, and the euro for Europe. That means that

we will have to be careful about the exchange rate, to be sure that we will not lose out.

If our collection has a greater success than we expect, we will have to increase the

production quickly, and it could be difficult for us to do so because we remain a small

company for the moment.

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Opportunities

The USA is an attractive market. It is a more eccentric culture than in France and people

are more open-minded and more likely to dress up their dogs. Moreover, the study of the

American market showed that there were a lot of dogs, so a lot of dogs to dress up.

There is a high purchasing power in the USA, higher than in France.

We will have a partnership with a grooming shop to expose our products in that place, and

that is strategic because people who will see our products are people who already take care of

their dog.

The American dogs market in general is rising. American people spend more and more

money in dog kit.

It is the best moment for us to export. Our turnover is the highest since the creation of the

company, which gives us the financial means to export and to take risks.

Threats

Local competitors and American online shops competitors. The two main competitors

concerning American online clothes shops for dogs are Glamour do supplies (Dallas) and Oh

my dog (San Francisco). Our products are quite the same type so we will have to appeal to

people so that they want to buy ours instead of others.

Competition from cheap products made in China. Often there is a tendency to buy the

cheapest products. We will have to emphasize the fact that cheap products are not good

quality products and that ours are more expensive but more solid and more durable.

Quick change of fashion: We have to be responsive with our collection because fashion can

change very quickly and trendy clothes can rapidly become old-fashioned.

Economic crisis: Since 2008 the economic crisis has made much damage and it is not the

best period to create a company. Moreover the crisis has been more intense in the USA than

in Europe.

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3. Presentation of the USA

A) The United States of America at a glance

Capital City Washington DC

Largest City New York

Area 9 629 047km²

Population 310,908,000 (13/12/2010)

Population density 32,04 inhabitant/km²

Currency United States Dollar $ (USD)

1$ = 0,761€ ( (07 October 2010)

GDP per capita: 47 440 $ USD (2008)

Climate Due to the huge size of the USA, the climate

is very varied: in general, the climate is

temperate.

National Language English

Government Federal Constitutional Republic, a politically

stable country

Infrastructure Goods are mainly transported by inland

waterways and the sea as well as on the roads

and railroads.

All states have an airport

Total number of dogs 72,114,000 (2007)

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B) Why did we choose the United States of America?

We carried out a Comparative Chart comparing the USA, Russia, Germany and the United

Kingdom. Regarding the exigencies and the given data, the USA result as the most interesting

country to export too.

We have chosen two cities in particular, New York and Los Angeles because they seem to

have the best opportunities due to their popularity and the high number of wealthy and female

customers. In New York more than 51.4% of the total population are women and in Los

Angeles 50.2%. On a first step we will set up a sales outlet in New York and if it works we

will implant another outlet on the West Coast, too.

Population

With over 310,908,000 inhabitants, the United States of America is the third most populated

country in the world after China and India. There are different ethnicities as Afro-Americans,

Latinos or Asian people which form the melting pot of the USA. The numerous population

represents a large potential market.

Geography

The USA is the third largest country in the world by area after Russia and Canada. The USA

shares borders with Canada in the North and Mexico in the South.

Due to the huge size of the USA, the climate is very varied: in general, the climate is

temperate. In Florida and Hawaii you can find tropical climate, arctic in Alaska, arid in the

Great Basin of the southwest and semi- arid in the Great Plaint to the west of the Mississippi

River.

Language

English is the official language with 82% of the population claiming it as a mother tongue.

But on a federal level, no official language is registered. The second spoken language in the

USA is Spanish with more than 10.2%, other Indo-European languages represent 3.8% and

Asian languages 2.7%. A lot of Spanish speaking people do not even speak English and live

in areas where everybody speaks Spanish. Most American people do not speak foreign

languages. We therefore have to communicate in English.

Currency

The national currency is the Dollar. The Americans give priority to payment by checks or

credit cards. But they do not refuse to pay in cash. The standing order and direct debit are

nearly inexistent.

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Government

The USA is a federal constitutional republic of 50 states. The democrat Barack H. Obama is

the current president of the United States of America. He was elected the 44th

president on the

20th January 2009. The USA has founded and initiated a lot of important organization which

still exist today for e.g. the NATO, the United Nations and the international bank for

Reconstruction and Development. The USA practices the separation of powers. The most

important power is the legislation represented by the congress and the senate which take place

in the Capitol in Washington. The executive is represented by the president and the judiciary

power by the Supreme Court.

Main Cities

The capital of the USA is Washington DC but it is not the biggest city. New York comes in

first, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Philadelphia. The most

populated region is the North East which includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire,

Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Growth

The annual Gross Domestic Product expanded to annual rate of 2.5% in 2010. The average

GDP is around 3.31% including a period of 1947 to 2010.

Economy

The USA is the largest national economy in the world. This is partly due to the freedom of the

private sector which takes the majority of economic decisions, but is also due to the minor involvement of the government as well as the low level of regulations. More than 29.6 million

small businesses and more than 139 of the biggest worldwide companies are implanted in the

USA. The most important sector is the Wholesale trade followed by Manufacturing and Retail

trade.

The 5 biggest companies in the USA according to the revenue are Wal- Mart, Exxon Mobile,

Chevron, General Electric and ConocoPhillips. But people trust more these companies:

Google, Kraft Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Intel Corporation and General Mills.

C) Import- Export

The United States of America is the third largest exporter in the world behind China and

Germany and the world´s top importer.

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Main trading partners USA

Export (in billion of US Dollars) Import (in billion of US Dollars)

Canada ( 204.7) China 8296.4)

Mexico ( 129 ) Canada ( 224.9)

China (69.6) Mexico (176.5)

Japan (51.2) Japan (95.9)

United Kingdom (45.7) Germany (71.3)

Source:http://www.census.gov/foreigntrade/statistics/highlights/top/top0912yr.html

France is situated on the eight place concerning export and import.

The main exported goods include aircraft, motor vehicles, food, iron and steel products,

electric and electronic equipment, industrial and power-generating machinery, organic

chemicals, transistors, telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.

The USA imports mainly non-auto consumer goods, fuels, production machinery and

equipment, non-fuel industrial supplies, motor vehicles, food, feed and beverages as well as

aircrafts.

Regarding to the export we have to respect different duties and norms.

Duties

Thanks to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing of the World Trade Organization, trade of

textile and clothing is no longer subject to special quotas.

As we produce a part of our production in Italy we have to take in account the European and

the USA Export duties. The main part of the production will be exported directly from Italy to

the United States of America whereas the other part will be refined in Paris.

France and Italy are members of the European Union which makes the export easier because

the European Union allows the free movement of goods between the state members.

Norms

The producer has to respect the law and the regulations about dangerous products. Those

supervise normally the production of the following products as toys, clothes for children and

others. As a producer, you have to be aware of the following dangers:

- Mechanical dangers, flammability of the materials, toxicity. The textile producer has to respect

to the obligation of a personal label or a C.A. number which able to identify the producer. The

producer has to respect the label norms and standards as e.g. the “made in”.

In compliance with the American law, indicated prices will be duty free. The consumer is in

charge of adding the tax rate of the state where he buys the product.

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D) Competition

Competition in the USA

One of the first dog clothes retailers was founded in the 1950´s. Since then hundreds

followed. But it was never as popular as it is today thanks to the development of the Internet.

It became easier to promote the products and to gain recognition rapidly. The second step was

to find an adapted place to open the shop and to launch its product line. Still today, the Internet market place persists as the main source of income for all retailers.

These are the main competitors in New York:

Jacques in the city

Founded in 2010

Founder(s) Paula Tatum

Headquarters New York

Products Designer logo shirts with Swarowski crystals

Sales Not specified

Revenues Not specified

Shop adress Retail partnerships

Website www.jacquesinthecity.com

Canine Styles

Founded in 1959

Founder(s) Not specified

Headquarters New York

Products T-Shirts, polos, dresses, blankets, toys

Sales Not specified

Revenues Not specified

Shop adress 3 shops around New York e.g. :

Canine Styles

830 Lexington Avenue (Btwn. 63rd & 64th)

New York, NY 10021

Website http://www.caninestyles.com

Trixie and Peanut

Founded in 2002

Founder(s) Susan Bing

Headquarters New York

Sales Not specified

Products Designer collars, leashes, stylish pet apparel, toys

Turnover Not specified

Shop adress 23 East 20th Street, New York City

Website www.trixieandpeanut.com

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E) France – USA relationship

America´s birth is closely connected with the involvement of France in North America.

Already during the first settlements, French explorers went through the country. French

military forces played a major role in the Independence War with Great Britain and the

purchase of the Louisiana Territory by France gave the USA a good impulse to become a

global power.

Since then, the United States and France share deep trade and economic relations. The highest

competition affects the commercial aircraft industry between the American Boeing and the

European Airbus.

The USA and France are, among others, the co-founders of the United Nations, NATO, WTO

and G-8.

F) Intercultural differences between France vs United States of

America: comparison chart

If we want to work successfully with the Americans we have to fight against several

stereotypes:

Stereotypes

The Americans see the

French as:

- Lazy

- Coward

- Dirty

- Not democratic

- Arrogant and

conceited

The French see the

Americans as:

- Arrogant

- Moralizing

- Insular

- Domineering

- Violent

- materialistic

Fundamental values

Highly implicit Highly explicit

Pessimist and negative Optimist and positive

Like what is complex Like what is simple

Contextual: it depends Binary: true or false

To be a member of a group Individualism

Being: You are judged on

what you are

Doing: judged on what you

do

Quality of life Quality of work

High Context culture Low Context culture

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Ambitions

More reactive, creative and

inventive

Process-oriented: everything

has to be done as planned

and written in the contract

There is always a winner

and a looser

Try to get a “win-win” deal

Market share orientated Profit share orientated

Business Context

Law and contracts are

important but not final

Law and contracts must be

respected

A contract is closely linked

to a relationship

A contract is not linked to a

relationship

Intensive communication

between colleagues ->

everybody is up to date

Communication only

between members which are

concerned

Time management France and the USA are monochronic cultures:

- one thing at a time

- last minutes changes possible

- adjusting time to circumstances

- freehanded sense of time

4. Market analysis through market survey

A) Why a market survey?

In order to develop our brand and to sell our products in The United States, we had to know

and understand the American consumers‟ needs. That is why we decided to run a market

survey (cf appendices I).

This market survey aimed at knowing:

- Where could we develop our new export market?

- Is there a potential market?

- Are people used to dress their dog? How?

We first thought of three countries: Great Britain (London), Russia (Moscow) and the United

States (New York). We run market surveys on these countries. Best results came from the

United States; indeed we noticed that dressing dogs is widespread, that people are highly

influenced by fashion and that they have a good image of French fashion.

According to these results, we decided to run a second market survey on the United Sates in

order to identify our new target and to focus on.

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B) The results

We targeted the 2,000,000 dogs‟ owners living in New York, so we interviewed 200,000

people in order to have a representative sample of the population (p27). According to the

survey, our target is:

- Mainly women between 25 and 45 years old who are influenced by fashion.

- They belong to the upper class, so they are well resourced.

- They take care of their dog appearance and health.

Concerning dogs and their owners:

- We noticed that it is quite common to dress a dog as 64 % of interviewed people said that

they have already bought clothes for their dog. It shows that we did not make mistake when

we chose New York as our new export market.

- We wanted to know if there is a kind of clothe that people buy in majority; we discovered

that 60 % of people that we have interviewed have already buy a coat. So, we decided to

launch a “best seller”. We will produce in important quantity coats for dog in different colors

and with different patterns, that we our stylist will design.

- The market survey aimed also at knowing the motivations of people to buy these clothes. It

revealed that dogs‟ owner who dress their pets want a product with a real function, which is

not only aesthetic, but which protect them from the rain and the cold. We have to take this

information into account in order to use it when we produce coat. We have to develop a range

especially for the winter, and also another for the rainy periods, without forgetting the style.

- Concerning the price of the items, we noticed that people are generally ready to buy clothes

with a price between $65 and $85 (see the calculation of the most efficient price).

- Our survey showed us that interviewed people love their dogs, especially in big cities where,

with modern lifestyle, dogs are considered as a substitute of children. So we have to take into

account this fact, and use it during our advertising campaign.

Concerning customers and fashion:

- Our target is influenced by fashion that is why we have to be careful of new collections to

offer a product which will be trendy.

- We have to develop a range of product for special events (wedding, birthday, party...),

because we discovered that it is a potential market and our customers may be interested by

this. It fits with the new needs of customer to have a smart and stylish dog.

- One of the most important information that we collected is the fact that 41% of our customer

would like that their dogs wear the same clothes than they wear. We have to establish a

28

partnership with a designer of human clothes in order to create same clothes for dogs and their

owner.

- During our study, we also test the French image of fashion in the United States. We can

conclude that it is very positive as 80% of interviewed people think that French fashion is

good or excellent. We have to use this image to advertise Canistar.

- The question which concerns our notoriety revealed one of our weaknesses: the fact that we

are unknown on the United States. Indeed we have included a notoriety question “Have you

ever heard about our company?” The result is quite worrying because only 7% of interviewed

people are aware of our company.

C) Conclusion of the market survey

This study revealed three important elements: first, we have to develop a strong advertising

campaign to make our brand well-known, then we have to target women, between 25 and 45

years old, and finally we have to develop a range of clothe for dogs and their owners.

5. Efficient price in the USA

After having analyzing the market in New York and understanding the needs of our potential

customers we decided to ask people about the price of a coat so as to find an efficient price for

our « best seller » in the United States.

We have to be very careful choosing it, because prices help consumer knowing what kind of

product we are selling. Indeed if the price is too low, consumer may think that we are selling a

bad quality product and on the other hand if we are selling it too expensively, consumers will

not be interested in our products.

As we want to have a high end image, we thought to sell the coat at a high price. Moreover, it

should help us to maximize our profit. But, we also have to think about competition and not to

put prices too high.

We run a psychological price survey. We have interviewed 1000 persons; they had to answer

to two questions:

- Under what price would you think the product is of poor quality?

- Over what price would you not buy this product because you think that it is too expensive?

29

Prices ($) Q1 Non relative

consumers(%)

Cumulated

% Q2

Non

relative

consumers

(%)

Cumulated

%

Prospective

consumer

(%)

55 79 7,9 7,9 0 0 100 7,9

60 116 11,6 19,5 0 0 100 19,5

65 152 15,2 34,7 0 0 100 34,7

70 191 19,1 53,8 23 2,3 100 53,8

75 212 21,2 75 98 9,8 97,7 72,7

80 136 13,6 88,6 154 15,4 87,9 76,5

85 68 6,8 95,4 201 20,1 72,5 67,9

90 42 4,2 99,6 249 24,9 52,4 52

95 4 0,4 100 275 27,5 27,5 27,5

100 0 0 100 0 0 0 0

1000

1000

According to the survey, the best selling price should be $80. Considering the cost production

($39), the export price ($4,8 by item) and the margin that we have to pay to the retailers (5%

=> $4 by item), $80 should be a good price.

30

IV. Communication

1. Logo

Our logo represents a golden dog collar with some diamonds. In the

middle of the collar there is our name: Canistar so as to associate our logo

and our name. The dog collar shows a chic and a stylish image of our

company because we are targeting people who are little bit wealthy. We

chose a stylish a feminine font too because our target is more feminine

than masculine.

2. Means of communication

A) By internet

As the web is more and more attracting customers, we decided to communicate through

internet. We bought advertising spaces on websites dealing with dog‟s topic such as websites

dealing with dogs care, dog‟s food and passion for dogs.

People who will see our banners are people who already feel involved in taking care of their

dogs so they are likely to be interested in our products. The website in question will receive a

commission every time someone will click on our add. (cf. next picture)

As a strategy we have also thought of referencing our website on online directories (to register

and introduce our company in all the online general directories and in specialized directories

dealing with pet care, pet food and clothes for pets).

Of course, we have create our own page on social networks websites, including the history of

the company, our activity, the news, some photos of pieces of our collection and the name of

our website (Facebook, MySpace…). (cf. next picture)

31

This aims at building up an e-reputation, to appear first and the most often in Internet searches

that people make.

Another strategy is to send direct mail advertising to customers of grooming shops and the spa

hotel where we will sell our products.

Finally, Updating of our website: www.canistar.com (cf. next picture)

B) Through magazines with advertisement and voucher

We chose the main dog magazines of New York:

-New York Dog: is a Vanity Fair for dog-lovers

-K9

-Modern dog

- Cesar‟s way: Cesar‟s Way is an all-inclusive lifestyle magazine for loving and dedicated dog

owners. Also known as “The Dog Whisperer,” Cesar offers his readership authoritative

practices, philosophies, and teachings.

- Dog Fancy

32

On these magazines we are going to put short articles about our company: explanation of our

company that wants to tackle the US market, the praise of France fashion which mix quality

and beauty, our innovation: Trendog. We also put a discount coupon of 10 euro for a

minimum of 50 euro of purchasing. It can be used in grooming shop or Bloomingdales but

also on our website thanks to numbers, bar code.

On New York Dog, as it is more fashion and chic than the others we are going to put an ad:

She is only with him for his style

More information on www.canistar.com or go to

Bloomingdales, NY

More information on www.canistar.com or go to Bloomingdales, NY

The advert shows two dogs in a stretch limousine. Thanks to the limousine and the dog

which is wearing a dinner jacket we wanted to underline the fact that we are a luxury and

fashion brand which fits for the smaller as well for bigger dogs. The slogan" She is only

with him for its style" makes the dogs more human because no dog is interested in clothes. It

aims to attract the future customers. Furthermore, it is an eye- catching slogan.

33

C) Thanks to flyers

Size: A6 (10x15)

On the front page:

The name

The logo

The website

We put only few information so as to attract

people and arouse curiosity. The color is

also a meaning to attract people. Why pink:

because we target more women than men.

A unique color: its catch the customers

eyes.

On the back page:

The name at the top

A short recap of the company

We put the place where we can find our

products and our new range of products

so that future customers can imagine

briefly what kind of products we

produce

We also put an image of a dog in order

to catch the eye. And make the flyer

friendlier.

34

AIDA method: It‟s an easy-to-follow formula .AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire,

and Action. It means approaching your copywriting and ad layout in a way that persuades the

reader that they want what you have to offer.

A for ATTENTION: the first step in the AIDA Method is grabbing

the reader‟s attention

I for INTEREST: using the second person, meaning just like we are

talking privately with friend.

D for DESIRE: Talking about how the product or service can help them, solve their problem,

or meet their need.

A for ACTION: They want and need your product or service and now they‟d like to know

how to get it. Tell them and give them a couple of options. It‟s time for “Action” – the call to

action, that is. “Buy now!” “Call now!” “Enter to win.”

There is a direction way, from top left to bottom right that makes easier the reading.

D) Thanks to well known people, stars

Celebrity wear is a new concept of advertisement. We want to offer our products to dogs of

famous American people and to pay paparazzi to take photos of them. When these pictures

will be published on magazines our brand will be see by the readers, our potential customers.

Why should it work?

First, we have to contact famous people, so we have to speak with their manager and convince

them that it is a chance for them to be associated with our modern brand. Moreover we offer

them the dog clothes. Finally, it is an original step and we think that these famous people will

be touched by the fact that we thought to their dogs.

Who should we target?

Obviously, we should target famous people who got a dog, and that our customers like. They

also have to be good looking and to have pictures of them quite often published in magazines.

We have selected six famous people:

- Ashton Kutcher a 30 years old actor, who is good looking and who is owner of a pinscher.

He is also married with Demi Moore, an actress who looks like to our target

- Mariah Carey, the famous singer is not only known for her voice but also for her good

looking. There are pictures of her which are published on magazines of the whole word.

- Gisele Bundchen, a top model. It is very positive to associate our brand with her image,

because she is not only a fashion icon but she is also the former girlfriend of Leonardo Di

Caprio, which allows us to benefit positive and glamorous image.

35

- Mickey Rourke, the actor. He is very famous and he has a lot of fans. It is obviously a good

point for us if he accepts that his dogs wear our clothes.

- Pink, the singer. She is not only famous for her songs but also for being part of PETA

association, the association which defends animals. To associate our products with her image

will help people to understand our love for dog.

E) Car advertising

A very efficient way of advertising is sticking Canistar‟s ads on American cars which travel a

lot, as personal cars or taxis, in return for a monthly payment to drivers (cf. next picture).

3. Distribution

A) E-commerce

The e- commerce sector is the only sector which is steadily growing since several years due to

the fact that internet are more and more up and coming.

Figure 8: Various retailing channels in the United States.

Source: http://www.tlldailyadvisor.com/images/charts/lbd/chart5.jpg

36

B) Partnership: department stores

Another way to promote our products is the partnership with department stores as well as

grooming parlors and dog&spa hotels.

Why department stores?

To understand this notion it is necessary to explain it: a department store is a large retail

establishment, divided into several departments, which offers an extensive assortment in

variety and range of goods. The advantage of a department store is that all departments are

housed under the same roof to facilitate buying, customer service, merchandising and control.

Considering our project, department stores seem to be the most adapted mean of

communication to promote our new product line. It is true, first of all, due to the high number

of clients who use the shop daily and secondly due to the well-located sites which fit perfectly

with our prospects.

The most popular department stores in the USA are Bloomingdales, Macy´s, Saks Fifth

Avenue, Barneys and JCPenney.

Which one?

As regards the promotion of our image, we have chosen two well-known department stores in

New York: Bloomingdale´s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Why these two?

Bloomingdale´s is the leader and owns more than 40 stores in 12 US

states. It turns his attention to upscale fashion and home- related goods.

Bloomingdale´s is known for its fashion sense and jump started the

careers of many famous designers as e.g. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein

and Tommy Hilfiger.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Inc was founded in 1924 in New York and is

implanted in more than 26 states. It offers a wide range of products as

clothes for men and women, jewelry, accessories, sportswear,

cosmetics and much more.

Which marketing strategy?

After all these research we had to establish a marketing strategy. We will use the same

strategy in both department stores. Both department stores sell already dog clothes but the

brand diversity is not well developed for the moment. Canistar wants to make the most of the

brand‟s popularity to market its own products while using their sales area.

37

Choice of department stores

To start our advertising campaign we have decided to create two sales areas:

One, in the Bloomingdale´s store at 59e street, Manhattan, New York

and the other in the Saks Fifth Avenue store at 611 5th Avenue, New York

Both stores are well located in famous districts which are very attractive for tourists thanks to

the proximity of Central Park and the popularity of the Fifth Avenue but also for the

inhabitants of New York. The subway stations nearby make the access to the store easier.

Contracts

Over a period of time we discussed with the company management to finally draw a

conclusion. These are the main points:

In each store we will have an exhibition site of 6m x 6m for nearly 4 months from

September the 1st to January the 15th. We chose this period after analyzing the market

study and this will be the period of time where people are the most willing to buy a

coat for their dogs.

The monthly rent amounts to $2000 (rent without utilities of $1500 and additional

costs of $ 500 including electricity, water, telephone)

From the December the 1st to the December the 31th we will rent a shop window to

show our collection to the pedestrian. Therefore we have to pay an extra fee of $ 1000

per month. With this aim in view we hope to lure the passers-by who are looking for a

special Christmas gift.

Moreover, Bloomingdale´s and Saks get a 0.5% commission on each sale.

We will integrate the company logos on the CaniStar website.

Sales booth

To find an adapted sales booth, we contacted several store construction manufacturers in New

York to get an estimation of costs. In the end, Reed Construction won the tendering for our

project. Their presented us a variety of sales booths:

38

This model meets our expectations:

This sales stall allows the presentation of our collection in a very effective way.

The advantage of this model is that it has 4 separated rooms to avoid more than 2 dogs being

in the same room. So there will be less problems with barking and

fights between dogs. Another good point is that it is accessible from

all sides. It is like an “open space”. Each “room” is designed in

connection with our collection. So there is a “Trendog”- section,

a “I want to be a star”- section, a “costumes”- section and a “Casual

wear”- section. Furthermore, each room is furnished with shelves to

present the clothes in different colors and sizes. The middle room of

the sales booth is used as a kind of rest room. Inside, pet owner can clean their dogs, get some

snacks for the dogs and for their own as well as get some further information about the

Canistar products.

The sales stall is reared near the main entrance on the first floor so that it is reachable for dog

owners without disturbing other clients.

For all the period we will appoint 3 sales assistants for the Bloomingdale´s sales stall and the

Saks Fifth Avenue one.

Shelves

Information

area Information

area

Information

area

« Costumes »

« Trendog » “I want to

be a star”

« Casual

wear »

39

Costs

Costs for the both sales stalls and the for the whole period:

Rent sales (complete) $18 000

Rent for shop window $ 2000

Wages (complete for 4 months) $40 000

merchandise purchase $20 000

Stocking $2000

Shiping $3500

Travel costs $900

Construction of sales stall $1500

Commission 0,5% each sale

Expected TOTAL costs $95 000

We aim for an average benefit of 5%.

C) Partnership: Grooming Parlor

Why?

As CaniStar is not known in the USA we need a lot of trading partners. Due to the fact that

nearly every dog needs a coat cut regularly we thought about an advertising campaign in

different grooming parlors all around the town. The grooming parlors clients are for us

prospective clients, too. They are more prepared to buy a coat for their dogs when the winter

starts because they have usually small sized dogs. Furthermore, the typical customers of

grooming parlors are women aged from 30 to 65 which are in our target customers.

Which?

There are more than 100 grooming parlors in New York. Finally we have chosen these 3:

Atlantic Grooming Parlor367 Atlantic Avenue,East Rockaway, NY 11518

Olimpia Grooming Parlor 1019 Fort Salonga Road, Northport

Diva´s dog, 12 Forest Hill, NY 11526

40

For us, they are the most adapted to our project because they want to show certain values such

as luxury, coziness and elegance. These are the same target values as ours. All parlors have a

very fashioned and designed interior. Moreover they satisfy with high quality grooming tools

and every worker has to pass a medical training in animal care.

Contracts

The main points of the contract with the grooming parlors are the following:

We will put some dog puppets in each store to present our collection. During the

period from the 1st of September to the 15th of January we will change the clothes

every week to show our new collection as much as possible.

Near each dog puppet we will put some flyers and order coupons

Each grooming parlor is beholden to exhibit our advertisement either in the shop

window or in the shop

For the provided place we have to pay $300 per month

CaniStar is responsible for giving the new clothes for the whole month at the

beginning of each month

Moreover, each grooming parlor gets a 0.4% commission on each sale. Here again, we

integrate the company logos on the Canistar website.

Dog puppet and flyer

The dog puppet measured 60cm x 40cm x 19cm. They are

manufactured by the Austrian company “onlinezoo”. We

use the same example in our French shops. Each grooming

parlor will get 3 puppets and they can decide on their own

where to put them. The particularity is that you can deform

the puppet and put it in the position you want to show a dog

sitting down or laying down. It is possible to clean the dog

by taking off the white drapery. The cloth made of cotton is

washable. These dolls exist in black and brown, too.

Each doll wears one piece of our collection.

The flyer is the same as describes above as well as the advertisement.

41

Costs

Costs for the 1.September to 15. January:

Advertising place $1350

Transport and stocking $100

Expected benefit $4500

Puppets $1000

shipping $3500

Commission 0.4% each sale

Expected TOTAL costs $12 000

We aim for an average benefit of 5%.

D) Partnership: “Dog Hotel”

What is a “dog hotel”?

Dog hotels are a new trend. It is a place where you can leave your dog when you are on a

business trip or when you are on holidays and you cannot take the dog. Or even for a single

day if you do not want to leave your dog alone at home. The hotel offers besides the normal

services as boarding, daycare, grooming and training, special massages and special baths for

dogs. They are user-optimized thanks to special opening hours from 7 am to 10pm every day.

Who is our trading partner?

In this field we will work with the group Dog & Spa Hotels situated in New York. They own

two hotels, one near the Madison Square Park and another near the Upper west side. They

offer all services as described above and as specific feature, they offer a party service for dog

birthdays etc.

Why did we choose them?

As for the department stores and the grooming parlors, we are looking for brands which are

linked with a luxurious image and have something special. We were attracted by the new

concept.

Contracts

Over a period of time we discussed with the company management to finally draw a

conclusion. These are the main points:

42

The advertising campaign lasts from the 1st of September to the 15th of January; if it

works we will renegotiate a new term.

Showcases are disposed in the hotel lobby near the reception

Flyers and order coupons are disposed on the reception desk

Each month we have to pay $500 for both showcases and $30 for additional costs such

as electricity

Moreover, New York Dog & Spa gets a 0.4% commission on each sale.

We integrate the company logos on the CaniStar website.

Through their website we start an advertising campaign. Each user gets a 10%

discount

Promotion

At both hotels we will install showcases with weekly changing collections.

We will use once more the dog puppets to present the collection. In each

shelves we will place 2 dog puppets. They are placed in a way that they

look at each other. So, the customer gets an overview of the whole cloth as

they can skirt the show case. As well, there will be another collection

presented on each shelf. There are lights inside the show case to illuminate

the products.

Costs

Costs for the both sales stalls and the for the whole period:

Rent sales $2400

Stocking $ 1000

Shipping $ 3500

Travel costs $ 150

Construction of sales stall $ 400

Commission 0.4% on each sale

Expected TOTAL costs $ 8000

We aim for an average benefit of 5%.

43

E) Total budget of our advertisement campaign

Internet € 30,000

Magazines € 60,000

Flyers € 40,000

Shops € 50,000

Cars € 20,000

Celebrities € 70,000

TOTAL € 270,000

44

CONCLUSION

For 5 years, Canistar has been growing considerably in France. The idea of proposing trendy

clothes for lovely doggies has been a great success. This was mainly due to efficient market

research and marketing mix .That is why our company decided to enter new market and to

export our products to the United States of America. This market was the most apposite to

enter according to market research and surveys. In order to be well-known there we decided

to devote a lot of money in making a huge advertising campaign in New York. Thus, we can

expect a great return on investment, in a short time.

However, our company still has to deal with other challenges such as the highly competitive

global market and the settlement of a subsidiary in New York.

45

Sources Statistics

http://www.facco.fr/-Population-animale-

Humanization of pets

http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/clothing-clothing-accessories-stores-stores/513618-

1.html

http://www.agilityability.com/dog-clothes.html

http://www.dogonlinestore.com/service.php?cid=1

http://ezinearticles.com/?Starting-a-Business-in-the-Dog-Clothing-Industry:-Is-Now-A-Good-

Time&id=158055

Booming of the pet industry

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/US-Non-Food-Pet-Supplies-Market-Increases-3-

2009-Future-Growth-Hinges-on-Human-Animal-1103988.htm

http://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/the-humanization-of-pets-traditionally-human-

products-are-extending-into-th

http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36000.html

http://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1952/umfrage/groesste-laender-der-erde/

http://www.tlldailyadvisor.com/images/charts/lbd/chart5.jpg

http://www.understandfrance.org/France/Intercultural.html

46

Table of figures Figure 1: Income statement, 2007-2008……………………………………………………p 5

Figure 2: Turnover 2009…………………………………………………………………....p 6

Figure 3: Sales autumn winter 2009………………………………………………………..p 6

Figure 4: Proportion of each range of product in sales……………………………………..p 9

Figure 5: Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures…………………………………………….p 14

Figure 6: In 2009, $45.5 billion was spent on pets in the U.S……………………………...p 14

Figure 7: For 2010, it estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on pets in the U.S……….p 14

Figure 8: Various retailing channels in the United States…………………………………..p 35

47

Appendices

48

Appendix I: Market survey

49

Appendix II: Results of the market survey

50

51

52

Appendix III: Job Advertisement

Bilingual Export Assitant (M/F)

Canistar is a dynamic young company based in Paris, specialized in clothes and accessories

for dogs. The company created in 2008 has obtained very good results on French market in

2009 and intends to enter foreign markets. Basing on a significant market survey, the brand

seeks to launch its trendy collection in the United States of America. Therefore the company

intends to hire a bilingual export assistant, who will help to develop this new business.

Your mission

Supervised and guided by the export manager of the company, you will ensure the right

development of the American market. On the long run, your cooperation will help the

company to understand the needs of American people and to meet these needs by selling them

Canistar‟s products.

Your tasks

Taking part in market survey in the United States

Helping the export manager to manage orders and logistics

Creating presentations and reports about the current American market

Making documentary researches about the American import-export norms

Helping to negotiate freight costs and monitor transport lines

Organizing trips to USA

Dealing with enquiries from clients and suppliers

Liaison with the sales team

Tracking deliveries

Entrance requirements

You have at least 6 months of experience in Logistics or Export

You are bilingual French-English

You have good administrative and logistics skills

You have good knowledge about USA

You are willing to travel regularly between France and USA

You have perfect skills of computer software (Access, Excel, Word, Sphinx)

The gross salary for the job is 20 000€ a year, depending on your experience.

Please send your resume by mail or by electronic mail to the following address:

Canistar Entreprise

12 rue de la Libération @ : canistar-emploi.fr

93400 Saint-Ouen

53

Appendix IV: Complaint letter

CANISTAR COMPANY

Sales department

15 avenue Gabriel Péri

93400 SAINT OUEN

FRANCE

Suzy CLARKSON

Flat 3 A

415 West 51st Street

New York, NY 10019

UNITED STATES

: (212) 123-4567

@: s.clarkson@gmail.com

November 20, 2010

Dear Sir or Madam,

Clothing rub off on dog

Since the launch of your brand in the United States, I became a faithful consumer of

Canistar‟s products and until now I was very satisfied. However, my enthusiasm sharply fell

when a Canistar product which I had bought two weeks before on the website faded on my

dog. It concerns a red coat which bled with contacts of the rain and so turned my white dog

into pink.

I was very shocked by this event and I had to face rather high expenses to repair the damage,

in particular the bill of the groomer. To be quite frank, I am hesitating if I will buy other

products of your future collections. However, I consider that I have a right of compensation

for the caused damage. I enclosed a photo of my dog after this drama that you get a general

idea of the damage.

I ask to get a refund of the price of the coat. Furthermore, I hope that you take measures to

avoid that this kind of inconvenience does happen again. After reimbursement of costs I will

hand back the article so that you can judge the problem by yourself.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully

Suzy CLARKSON

54

Appendix V: Answer to complaint letter

CANISTAR COMPANY

Sales department

15 avenue Gabriel Péri

93400 SAINT OUEN

FRANCE

Suzy CLARKSON

Flat 3 A

415 West 51st Street

New York, NY 10019

UNITED STATES

: (212) 123-4567

@: s.clarkson@gmail.com

November 20, 2010

Dear Ms Clarkson

Clothing rub off on dog

We were very sorry to read the letter from the 20 November 2010 dealing with the issue of

the discoloring of one of our clothes. We apologize for the caused damage. We cannot

understand how it could happen because we take care of the quality of our products.

Naturally we will reimburse the groomer bill as well as the clothes. We only ask you to send

us the receipt.

As a sign of goodwill, we will offer you a discount of 10€ on our new collection. You can use

this discount either in one of our shops or on our website.

With respectful regards, we remain,

Yours sincerely,

Noëlle HENRI

Sales Manager

55

Appendix VI: Minutes

Minutes of the meeting concerning the problem with the Product N° 76479

02 December 2010

Members present: Cigdem Guc, Managing Director

Noëlle Henri, Sales and Administration Manager

Anna Guichen, Marketing Manager

Alexandra Kohlert, Export Manager and Secretary of the meeting

Absent: Emanuel Zotti; Stylist (business trip)

Agenda:

1) Presentation of the problem by Ms Henri

2) Discussion of possible solutions

3) Final decision

Discussion:

Ms Guc opened the meeting at 15.30 by welcoming all the members. She asked Ms Henri to

explain the reason of the meeting.

First Item:

Ms Henri reported that there is a problem with the product n° 76479, a red coat, which rubs

off on dogs in touch with water. The company got several letters of unsatisfied customers who

ask for reimbursement. The company´s supplier in Italy, Tessuto, bought the material on the

Chinese market without testing it.

Second Item:

- During the meeting Ms Henri checked the contract with the supplier Tessuto which prove

that there are responsible for testing the quality of the product.

Ms Guc called our insurance company to get information about the repayment modalities.

They fixed an appointment for the next day.

- Ms Guichen was thinking about a suitable solution to calm the customers down without

harming the firm image. She suggested creating a new advertising campaign. Ms Henri

mentioned to send an apologize letter. Ms Guichen thought about sending emails to clients

who bought the products via the website www.canistar.com instead of displaying a brief

message on the website.

- Ms Guc wanted to focus on the refund of the clients and asked for evidences that they have

to furnish to be refunded.

First of all Ms Henri and Ms Guichen discussed about the importance of the receipt, photos

and about the reimbursement. Finally they decided that the customers have to furnish the

receipt. They decided also to ask directly the clients how they prefer to be refunded.

56

Third Item:

Finally the decision was to focus on the refund of the clients. Ms Henri said that the problem

with the supplier could be solved later and that Canistar do not have enough money for the

advertising campaign. Ms Guichen suggested that we offer a voucher of € 75 which represents

50% of the total amount of the defective product.

Ms Henri and Ms Guichen will be in charge of controlling receipts and managing vouchers as

well as methods of payment.

Ms Guc thanks all participants for their presence and concludes the meeting at 16 hrs.

Date of next meeting- 16 December, in the main boardroom

57

Appendix VII: Cvs

Cigdem Guc 5 Place Victor Mangin 44200 Nantes +33 (6) 37 41 14 54 cigdemguc@hotmail.fr D.O.B: 19/01/1989 EDUCATION

2010-2011 (in process)

Master 1 LEA English-Spanish, University of Nantes

(44) France Relevant coursework: English civilisation & traduction, Spanish traduction, Latino-American civilisation, International business, Marketing, International law, Informatics, Communication, Logistics

June 2010

Licence in LEA English-Spanish-Italian, Foreign languages in international Trade, 3-year degree, University of Nantes. (44) France

June 2007

Secondary school diploma with a specialization in Economic (equivalent to A-level), with distinction, Lycée Jeanne D’Arc Montaigu (85) France

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Since September 2010 & May 2008

In charge of marketing, Agence Intervalles & Latitude Etudiante, Nantes (44) France

Summer 2007-2008 & 2009

Cashier & putting merchandise on display, Système U, (85) France

LANGUAGES SKILLS & I.T SKILLS

French English

Fluent-Native speaker Advanced – European level: 825/990 ( TOEIC 2010)

Spanish Proficient– European level : C1 (BULATS 2010) Italian Turkish

Basic knowledge Basic knowledge

I.T skills Database (Access & Open office database), Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Sphinx : Survey software Kompozer : Web authoring system Photofiltre : Image editing software

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

FRENCH / ENGLISH / SPANISH

58

ALEXANDRA KOHLERT

31, rue Gutenberg

44100 Nantes, France

Phone : (+33) 6.50.53.97.00

E-mail : alexandra.kohlert@yahoo.fr

The University of Nantes

Masters in Foreign Languages in International Trade

Expected date of graduates May 2012

Introduction to Logistics, International Law Studies, Management, Marketing and Communication

The University of Nantes

Licenses in Foreign Languages in International Trade (B.A. 3 years university degree)

Focus on Languages, Economics, Marketing, Management and Communication

September 2006- September 2010

Program Assistant at EAIE conference, Nantes- France

September 2010

Assistance with the set-up and preparation of the various conference venues

Assisting conference speaker with the on- site preparation (e.g. technical equipement) of their sessions

Providing friendly and professional service to conference participants

Receptionist, Camping Pola, Tossa de Mar- Spain

July- August 2009 and 2010

Customers liaison and support

Responsible for the Check- in and check- out

Helped with the daily book- keeping

Flight attendant at Germania Airlines

September 2005- October 2006

Compliance with the security instructions on board

Acquisition and application of the first aid- standards

Customers liaison and support

European Voluntary Service in a French- German day nursery, Nantes -France

September 2004 – July 2005

Care and supervision of the children

Prepared and carried out activities

Camp counselor for AWO Strausberg and Kinder und Jugendring Berlin- Germany

Seasonal, 2001 – 2004

Responsible for the well- being of the children

Planned daily activities

Experienced in leading teams

Proficient in written and oral French and English ( TOEIC 965/990 points, June 2010)

Good knowledge in Spanish and notions in Arabic

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access proficient

Experience with HTML

EDUCATION

EXPERIENCE

SKILLS