In: Economics
What are the competition or barrier faced by Jewelry industry in Canada
1- List them
2-Choose your top 3
3-Describe them
4-Analyze them
Where do you fit in the Competitive landscape in Canadian market
Understanding Barriers to Entry
Competing as a business in any industry is a competitive prospect,
and only the strongest companies can survive competitive pressures
over the long term. In addition, entrepreneurs and businesses have
to pay a price and overcome distinct hurdles to enter any industry
as a new player. These obstacles are collectively referred to as
barriers to entry -- the things that stand in the way of entering a
market. Common barriers to entry include startup costs, specialized
licenses and certification, distribution challenges and the brand
equity of existing players in the market. Every industry presents a
different set of barriers to entry, and the jewelry industry is no
exception.
Inventory Costs and Sourcing
The cost of inventory is a significant barrier to entry faced by
new retailers in the jewelry industry. Depending on the planned
size of a store, simply stocking the shelves for opening day can
cost millions of dollars. In addition, retailers in the U.S. must
often look to foreign sources of inventory when dealing with
diamonds and other precious gems, and it can be difficult to secure
business with suppliers operating under high-volume contracts with
existing retailers. A jewelry retailer could circumvent this
barrier by sourcing inventory from domestic third-party
distributors, but at the expense of decreased profitability because
of higher inventory costs.
Overcoming Entrenched Brands
Jewelry shopping can be an emotional experience, and existing
brands in the industry have learned to build deep and lasting
connections with loyal customers by leveraging these emotional
experiences to create strong bonds. This unique aspect of customer
loyalty in the industry can make it especially difficult for new
retailers to compete. Jewelry retailers compete almost exclusively
on quality, creating a framework for consumer psychology that can
be difficult to break into. Existing retailers work hard to define
their brand as the best or only option for buying jewelry gifts,
again using emotional appeals, which can give new market entrants
an image of lower quality by default because of their lower brand
awareness.
Facilities Investment and Risk of Loss
Jewelry retailers face the same infrastructure requirements as
other retailers, including shelving, display cases, back-room
warehouse storage and point-of-sale systems. However, jewelry
retailers require advanced security systems to protect their
high-value inventory. The amount of security required of a retail
jewelry store can incur the largest infrastructure expense, after
the cost of cameras, safes and electronic monitoring for doors and
windows are taken into account. Even with advanced security, the
risk of loss from theft can be a significant deterrent to entering
the industry. Jewelry retailers should always carry adequate
insurance policies to cover significant loss, but the cost of such
policies can be another barrier to entry.