Cinnamon Chex Retailing - Research Paper Example

Cinnamon Chex Retailing is a process of distribution of goods and services in the supply chain. Good are distributed from the suppliers or manufacturing companies. Distribution ensures goods and services reach the final consumer. It there fore means retailers have a direct link to the consumers in any supply chain. A failure in this channel of distribution leads to violation of consumer rights. Satisfied consumers are royal customers. Food production undergoes through this supply channel from the first stage of production to the last point of consumption. Manufactures, warehouses, and transporters maintain a timely delivery of products to their consumers. This paper explore the Cinnamon Chex; a food product popular in United States. It will endeavor to trace the production of Cinnamon Chex, its natural ingredients, and added ingredients. The paper further seeks to discuss supply chain, processing, delivery, and SWOT analysis. Finally, it will give the relevant recommendations about the product to consumers. Cinnamon Chex is a product taken as breakfast by many people. This food appears in a cereal meal that is highly nutritious (Crocker 49).Cinnamon Chex contains plant nutrients, mineral salts, and fiber. It is a whole grain meal. Cinnamon consumers have little information about its natural source. Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of several trees. These trees belong to genus cinnamonium that has a wide range of use in savory and sweet foods (131). The trees grow naturally in South East Asia, such as Bangladesh, and Sumatra. Cinnamon cultivation takes two years to mature. After full maturity, drying of branches takes place subsequent removal of the rough, wooden outer barks through a scrapping process (58). Drying of Inner barks takes four hours in an ideal dry, warm environment. Use of wet surfaces promotes growth of pests. This form of agriculture is an export oriented. Exportation of cinnamon promotes foreign exchange, which creates trade links amongst nations. Cinnamon is a spice that enhances marketability of the products that utilize it in their preparation (121). To make it appealing to the consumer to buy this product, incorporation of various products is desirable. Some of these products include salted whole almonds, brown sugar, chopped dry apples, and vanilla yogurt-covered raisins. The major nutrients in Cinnamon Chex include proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibers, and mineral salts. To prepare a sixteen -serving Cinnamon Chex, the recipe contains, one cup chopped apple, and two tablespoons light corn syrup. It also has half a cup of vanilla yogurt covered-resins, one table spoon of ground cinnamon, a third cup of packed brown sugar, and five cups of wheat Chex. Margarine is also part of ingredients in a quarter -cup portion (243). Timely manufacturing and delivery of Cinnamon Chex is essential. Manufactures should observe safety issues. All practices involved in the processing must be in accordance with Food and Drug Act. Ignorance to maintain high health standards means endangering lives of consumers. It also risks the Cinnamon Chex sales because of the probability of closure of the manufacturing companies (79). Food and Drug Act has mandate to issue orders for immediate termination of services for the manufacturing company that violates Food and Drug Act. Traceability of Cinnamon Chex is an essential tool in a business venture. This tool ensures proper management of inputs and outputs, which results into major improvements in terms of quality and efficiency. A mechanism such as external auditing and advice on safety plays a big role to stabilize depreciating quality of Cinnamon Chex product. Cinnamon Chex retailers employ a standardized system of traceability. This enables an easy trace back of recent sales through immediate buyers. Traceability helps to restore of company’s reputation. However, it is not always perfect in food. Cinnamon Chex retailers are no exception. SWOT analysis endeavors to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in projects or businesses. Managers conduct to find the favorable and unfavorable factors in the business venture. Some of the factors are internal and others external factors. SWOT is an indispensable tool in planning of the business objectives. Cinnamon Chex retailing system has considered SWOT. There are various departments in Cinnamon Chex retailers (45). These departments include Marketing, Corporate Planning, and Management .They work together to attain the objectives of the company. This paints a comprehensive picture of a company on its way to great heights of success. This specialization has enabled Cinnamon Chex to maintain stability even in times of deep national and world economic crises. Cinnamon Chex retailers use branding and co-branding as a strategy to phase out their worth competitors. This strategy has resulted to significant increase in number of their customers. Some of consumers through different means have acknowledged total satisfaction (122). Cinnamon Chex have retail operations in many parts in order to meet consumer needs within the shortest time possible. Through online retailing of customer-friendly products, their sales have doubled. Marketers share the stories of obstacles they come across to keep their brands relevant. This helps to design new strategies to keep their customers. The figure below is a representation of SWOT analysis. STRENGTHS Specialization is encouraged. There is good retention of employees. Good record keeping. Top class service. There is high percentage of sales. WEAKNESSES There is poor product promotion strategy. There is high rate of estimation of profits. OPPORTUNITIES Appreciation of high-quality Cinnamon Chex Online marketing Increasing number of outlets Greater appreciation of packaging THREATS Existing competitors Growth of start-up companies Emerging marketing strategies SWOT Analysis of Cinnamon Chex Retailers. Cinnamon retailers utilize the 4p’s of marketing. These marketing strategy leads to an increase in profits. These include product, price, place, and promotion. The first p in marketing stands for a product. These are goods and services you offer to customers. The product should be appealing to consumers .Quality, packaging and brand name of the product attracts consumers very much. This means that consumers do not buy only the physical product, but other attributes of the product influences consumer’s decision. Cinnamon Chex retailers put a lot of emphasis on their product and consumers express their satisfaction (147). The prices of Cinnamon Chex are very affordable to consumers. The retailers have embraced alternative pricing strategies. These strategies include, selling a product based on perception of their buyers, and adjustments of prices relative to that of their competitors. Provision of discounts to the customers is also another alternative pricing strategy used at Cinnamon Chex retailers (92). The Third P stands for place. Place is a distribution channel. Cinnamon Chex retailers use direct sales, include, door-to –door, on-site and e-commerce. Moreover, they utilize intensive, selective, and extensive distribution. In conclusion, Cinnamon Chex retailers need to pay attention to promotion. It was quite evident from the research that they should invest heavily on this market strategy. Through free samples, use of media, and other social networks they will win many customers. Work Cited Crocker, Betty. Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Cooking. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print. Read More