Competitor Analysis for Conserv-A-Store - Essay Example

Competitor Analysis for Conserv-A-Store Competitor analysis in strategic management and marketing is the assessment of the weaknesses and strengths of potential and current competitors. With a competitor analysis, the company can establish what makes its services or products unique hence determining those attributes played by the company in order to attract the target market. The competitors for Conserv-A-Store are both direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors Direct competitors are those companies that offer similar services and products that function the same. These companies produce goods and services that are identical and are offered in the same target market. Some of the direct competitors for Conserv-A-Store are letsgogreen.biz, buygreen.com, theenergyconscious.com, greendepot.com, greenbuildingsupply.com, buildinggreen.com, greenandmore.com, greenhome.com, ecostoreusa.com, besogreen.com, ecoproductsstore.com, honestgreen.com and theultimategreenstore.com. a. Unlike Conserv-A-Store which is web retailer of green products for business and home and also acts as information resource dept for those attempting to practice greener way of life, many of its direct competitors only focus on lifestyle items such as yoga mats, items directed at women for the home, organic bedding and are not heavily on hard goods. The competitors are also poor when it comes to energy saving items and have limited selection of alternative energy items. In categories such as rubber mulch mats, Conserv-A-Store has few direct competitors such as Gemplers and Gardeners Supply. All competitors apart from Greendepot.com have a similar weakness of a relatively smaller market share hence reaping little benefits and profits. b. Letsgogreen.biz Letsgogreen.biz has a competitive advantage since it is a one-stop web superstore that sells eco-friendly green products for homes, business and offices. The organization also uses eco-friendly packaging, which speaks volumes about its commitment to the environment and sustainability. It also has an affiliation with another large company which increases its market share. The weakness of this organization is that it has a small market share compared to other large organizations. c. Buygreen.com Buygreen.com on the other hands deals with biodegradable and compostable ware, environmental products, natural organic products and solar powered products. The organization enjoys lots of strengths since businesses and commercial buyers are able to choose from a wide range of selections and products which are available at its environmentally friendly bags, disposable food ware, recycled paper products and green office supplies. d. theenergyconscious.com The strength of theenergyconscious.com is that it offers products that save on water and energy and which have highest efficiency labels including sense, water, and energy start and LEED. The products are also cost effective and pocket friendly to the consumers. e. Greendepot.com Greendepot.com is not a small business like Conserv-A-Store rather it is the nation’s leading suppliers of environmentally friendly lifestyle and building products, home solutions and services. This means that the organization enjoys a large market share hence a competitive edge over other small organizations like Conserv-A-Store. It has a wide range of products that it uses to target a wide range of the green market. f. greenbuildingsupply.com The strength of this organization is that it is a one stop shop for eco-friendly and natural home building products. Its website enables clients to browse through are different non-toxic and natural products. g. buildinggreen.com Unlike the other organization, buildinggreen.com has highly differentiated its products and services. The organization provides the clients with accurate, unbiased as well timely green design information. That is, the organization has specialized in the provision of information resources on green design. h. greenandmore.com The company has highly differentiated its products into allergy buyers club, green and more, sleep buyers club and pain relief which enables it to target different consumers based on their tastes, preferences and needs. By doing this, the company creates a positive perception to its target customers on the added value of its products. i. greenhome.com The organization has also differentiated its products and services in that it provides tools for simple and healthy living for homes and businesses. They products and services are aimed at showing the consumers about the sustainable alternatives that exist on daily basis. j. ecostoreusa.com The company targets a large market from a wide range of product that contain nasty chemicals and which range from hair, body, skin, baby, fragrance free, laundry, dish, and home products. Its products are safe for consumption and also safe for the environment which gives the company an upper hand in the market. k. besogreen.com The services of this organization are highly differentiated in that it offers information on the healthy approach towards the cleaning up of dirt hence making its customers to enjoy the added value of its services. This leads to high a level of consumer loyalty. l. ecoproductsstore.com The company lives in a consumer culture which is characterized by the need for disposable products. It has a competitive advantage over its competitors since it sells those basic disposable products that are required by consumers on daily basis. m. honestgreen.com The organization sells its products and services in both retail and in wholesale which enable it to enjoy the benefits of a large and small scale business. n. theultimategreenstore.com This organization enjoys competitive advantages from its one stop green shop which saves the consumers troubles of hoping from one website to another in search of products. The organization also reaps benefits from targeting families, homes and offices which gives it an increased market share. Indirect competitors Indirect competitors are those that fill the same customer with different service and product solutions. Conserv-A-Store competes with indirect competitors such as Home Depot and Lowes in both the bricks and mortar and online. Home Depot has its eco-options store within a store that is focused on green products. These two organizations have a huge market share compared to Conserv-A-Store since both are chain of stores that have physical shops in different USA states and internationally. Unlike Conserv-A-Store, the two stores enjoy a large number of consumer base and deals with numerous brands that gives the two companies upper hands in the market. The strengths of Lowes include its strong and efficient distribution system, efficient merchandising and marketing, and enhanced multi-channel experience. It weaknesses include global limitation since it only operates in Canada, USA and Mexico. Its lack of physical stores in different other companies where its products are shipped has a negative impact on its sales. The strengths of Home Depot include its product innovation. The company is the fastest growing retailer in the US, and it delivers quite innovative assortments. It has an excellent execution of its activities which has made the retailer to gain a large market share. However, the company has a lower online presence though the company has been working hard to provide its customers with an interconnected retail experience. Competitive Advantages Regardless of the competition it faces from small and large scale traders, Conserv-A-Store enjoys some competitive advantages. The organization also has extensive knowledge in its sourcing of products which offers maximum profitability for the company. The organization also offers great products while still educating the customers about its products and how the products fit in a green lifestyle. This gives the organization a unique space for growing its business in the direct consumer market. While other web retailers are focusing on soft goods, the organization focuses on servicing the requirement of the light commercial like property managers, installers as well as government entities that include school facilities, which offers huge sale potential and profit for the company. That is, the organization enjoys huge sales and profits from its product differentiation which has given it a competitive advantage. Works Cited Craig, Fleisher and Babette, Bensoussan. Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2003, pg 1-457 Read More