Functional Ares of Top Shop Business - Case Study Example

INTRODUCTION The organization of any company has its base on functional areas. These functions are divided into different departments that carry out different responsibilities of the day to day activities.[Sut12] The employees are classified by their different expertise in different fields. The main reason why functional areas in an organization exist is because there is need for efficiency. Key functions in many established companies include human resource, customer care and the accounting department. The top shop business Top shop is a lady’s shop with trendy outfits. It has over 300 stores around the world. It also has around 165 stores for men’s wear. It is the number shop in Britain when it comes to clothing, accessories and make up. This company offers high quality products at a reasonable price and it has embarked on technology to market and sell its products. THE 5 KEY FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN TOP SHOP BUSINESS Human resource: their main responsibility is to look and hire new employees who will efficiently carry out the company’s responsibilities. They also make sure that their employees are well trained to enhance efficiency in their endeavors. They should make sure that the employees have filed in all the paper work before they embark on their duties. They also determine the salary scale for each employee according to the employee’s occupation and responsibilities in the company. Marketing: this department should always give directions on what products the company should release to the market. It should always be aware of what is on market and what is not. They should also know the needs of their customers and be sure to meet each and every one of it. They reach these conclusions by researching through various mechanisms. They help the company to put its strategies in order so as to meet the demand of the customer. They have a responsibility to determine the price of a certain product considering the cost involved in processing it. All products should be advertised and promoted so as to educate the public on the products. This needs budgeting and proper planning. They determine the distribution channels that are going to be involved in distributing the products. The ICT and administration support: This group has always supported day to day running of the business. They involve themselves in the clerical duties, cleaning of the premise, they offer computer and technological help and they ensure people’s security health and safety. Operations: this is a department involved in producing the nice and appealing garments seen on the web to see that the customers are coming back for more. They are people with skill, creativity, attention to detail and informed. They use the available machinery, the building and raw materials provided to come up with products to be sold to the clients on order. Research and development: With the use of ICT, people are able to stay informed and get as much information as possible. The customers can give feedback which will inform this department on what they want. This department keeps competition on check by updating on existing designs. Customer care: [Lyo12] notes that the front desk is the most critical and sensitive area. The front desk personnel should never fail to impress so as to have many clients. For every opportunity be it a phone call, an appointment honor, the excellence of the business should be seen. The front desk has always set the pace for everyone in the company to emulate and internalize. The main responsibility of this department is to make sure that their customers are satisfied and their questions are well answered. They answer calls from customers, give extra information on the products or services offered and solve their customers’ problems in relation to the products they are interested in. The personnel in this department are well trained and they understand the company’s policies. Additional responsibilities include receiving of payment, handling refunds, cashing checks, and selling stamps.[Sut12]. Customer care is found in three main stages especially in manufacturing companies. They include those that receive phone calls, emailing and technical support. Accounting: accounting department is divided into three branches, i.e. accounts receivable, which follow up customers who still have not cleared their debts, accounts payable have specialized in receiving payments from their customers, and payrolls have specialized in paying the employees accordingly and at the right time RIVALS AND HOW THEY DEAL WITH THEM H &M is the main rival of top shop. Other rivals include Main line, premium, boutique, and unique. It is not surprising that such a big company faces a lot of competition from companies which do the same business. [Cla10] argues that Top Shop has a unique way of doing things. With its high tech technology, the Top Shop is able to involve the customer in choosing the products they are interested in. Consider the technology used when a customer is choosing the new range of make product launched in the market a few months ago. “We wanted our customers to be able to interact and play with Top shop Make Up online.”[Cla10]. With TAAZ technology, it customers found it fun to interact with the company therefore loyalty from the customers was created. Top shop values brand extensions. This is so because if done effectively, it can help businesses get extra pennies the reason why businesses exist in the first place. The Top Shop makes sure that they have thoroughly promoted and advertised their products so that they can gain popularity in the market. Their advertisements are impressive and convincing enough to its customers. It is obvious that the product must compete with other products of the same kind but effort should be put in when advertising and promoting it on the web and social media. Top shop has to fight its way up to fit among the top competing brands. They have to make sure that their products have been trusted and accepted in the market. They have made a point that all their products should match or be better than the existing ones so as to be positively accepted in the market. Top Shop management offers training seminars to its employees as this is the only way to keep the firm in touch with the current fashion and events. A new brand should be consistent in the market once accepted. Ensure that there is a clear distribution plan, the quantity and quality of the supply is as needed, and how the stock is kept safe from harm and damage during transport. The product involved especially the makeup should have the ability to stay longer in the stores. Hygiene is important to all its outlets. Inside the stores, in the makeup area, “testers and disposable applicators and cleaning equipment should be available and assistants should be trained in all aspects of the product range, including the ability to re-create core looks and trends.  [Cla10]. With their potential of creating products that flow with season, they have an opportunity to get clients throughout the year and at all seasons. Once in the store, all ages find what fits them best. Not only is Top Shop management panel interested in profits but it also relies on the customer’s feedback on their product. This ensures that the customer stays loyal to the retailer. If the new brand requires some skill to use it, then information is given to the customer to make sure that they learn about it before using. Their brands are well tested through qualitative and qualitative research. It can never be released without that positive feedback. The Top Shop products are designed to borrow something from the already existing brands in the market, bring something to the market, and build the vision and the give direction to the success of the whole company. Once in the market, the marketers are supposed to work extra hard so as to expose the product. Brands should be designed to meet different groups according to age. A keen research should be done after the product has been released into the market to make sure that the results got during the testing period match with the results after releasing the product to the market. These results will help the marketers get information on how they are to market the product on the web and in media. During their pre-launch and their post launch, the company created anxiety to the consumers who marked their products as a must have. Top shop not only offers clothes and make up, but it also looks at how one can shop for things like furniture, order gifts and purchase tickets at the comfort of their chairs at home. The top shop use models to display their clothes and make up. ADVANTAGES THE ONLINE BUSINESS The main advantages of an online business is that it provides optimized offers for its customers to select from, reduced administrative costs, there is an increased inflow of profits, minimizes the simple errors made by human beings if done manually. Remember that these mistakes can be very expensive to the firm leading to loss of a lot of money. High quality customer service, there is fast and effective communication between the customer and the retailer. On line business is growing day and night.[lau11]. With the expanded product offers by the retailers, free shipping and availability of social media has encouraged such businesses as the Top Shop, based in the UK, to do most of its business around the world through online activities. This business can be done on phone, table computer or a lap top. It has made things really easy for people around the world. They can access things much faster and cheaply from different destinations of the world. TAAZ .COM AND TOP SHOP During the promotion of the new makeup kit by Top Shop, TAAz .com was involved greatly in marketing the product online. ““The quality of the TAAZ.com virtual makeover tool and the ability to customize the experience to reflect the Topshop brand made them the perfect partner. It’s so much fun, it had all the girls at Topshop HQ instantly addicted!” This technology allowed the customers to digitally access the new makeup and try it on. The customers could load their photos and the technology helped them choose their best suiting make up kit. It is obvious therefore that all the customers that tried this had so much fun and were satisfied with the services they received. Top shop secured love and trust from its customers. Something that is very important for the success of any business. INFLUENCE OF TOPSHOP ON THE MARKET It’s potential to involve upcoming designers, its ability to produce alluring products, appearing on London fashion week, spread marketing, author influential blog and working together with upcoming designers,[Sam11], has greatly influenced other people in business. For any business to be successful, it has got to be trusted. Trust is created by being clear on your brands. Top shop had an ambition of copying a catwalk but in the long run, they came up with something original, with personality and character. Inspired by the London youth group Top Shop has now set a trend for today’s fashion in the UK. It’s collaboration with some well known fashion designers has earned this company a lot of recognition. Recognition will definitely raise eyebrows for people to want to know what you are involved in. it may bring success or failure. For top shop, it was its driving force to success. -Top shop values social media as most advertisements are no longer working for people in this era. Customers are easily convinced by a word of mouth. Use of bloggers, on line magazine and social networks are now replacing media in promoting products. The social media can be used to win a place in the customer’s hearts. By using a social media, you open up to your customers. They capture the imagination of the fashion community. By using blog, you are able to gauge how you are doing from the comments made by the society concerning your brands. You can be able to know what the society prefers, your competitors, you loyal customers, online influencers and lead users. REFERENCES Sut12: , (Suttle, 2012), Lyo12: , (Lyon, 2012), Sut12: , (Suttle, 2012), Cla10: , (Turner, 2010), Cla10: , (Turner, 2010), lau11: , (heller, 2011), Sam11: , (Sam, 2011), Read More