Automotive legend of the last century, GM, is one of the biggest corporations in the world. Although GM had big turmoils in its business, it still operates successfully in all over the universe. The aim of this assignment is to determine the GM’s business strategies with rises and falls by looking into their history, having the data of what and how did they do in their businesses and analysing their company activities. Being a leader and pioneer of the automobile industry since this sector’s infancy times , General Motors Corporation still keeps its successful place in this competitive business. Since 1908, General Motors Corporation (GM) is one of the largest auto producer in the world as measured by global industry sales, whose headquarters is in United States of America. William C. Durant was the founder of General Motors Company with being an innovator in automobile technology. As being a multinational Continue reading
Business History
History and Background of Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish airway company that was established in 1985 by three Irish businessmen – Tony Ryan (the founder of Irish aircraft leasing company Guinness Peat Aviation), Christopher Ryan, and Liam Lonergan, the owner of Irish travel firm Club Air. Tony Ryan’s two sons also took leading roles in the startup, with Cathal Ryan bringing his flying experience as a pilot while Declan Ryan offered financial expertise gained while working as an accountant. At the beginning, the firm had only one flight between London Gatwick and southeastern Ireland. Ryanair’s first aircraft had only 15 seats. Because of tiny cabins, the firm hired only people who were less than 5 foot and 2 inches tall. Soon after its launch, the company decided to work on Dublin-London route. This time was very prosperous. During this period, a number of the firm’s passengers grew from five thousand to eighty-two thousand. However, in 1990, Ryanair Continue reading
History and Background of Luxury Fashion Brand GUCCI
The history of Gucci has spanned more than 95 years. It began in 1921 when the brand’s founder Guccio Gucci established a company that specialized in the production of leather goods. The first store was opened in Gucci’s native Florence. It sold luggage items such as suitcases and bags. The positioning of the brand was the combination of aristocratic esthetics and Italian craftsmanship. Gucci had explored the refined and sophisticated style of English nobility when he was living in London and working in the high-class Savoy Hotel. Upon his return to Italy, he wanted to mix this style with the manufacturing traditions of Tuscan artisans to create classy, high-quality, original products. Gucci quickly attracted customers from certain social groups. Particularly, Gucci’s clients were local aristocrats and rich sophisticated foreigners who came to Florence on vacation. Since the region of Italy where Gucci emerged had been famous for its horse-riding amusements, Continue reading
History and Background of Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffee house chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened as a single small store opened in 1971 and became a coffee giant at the end of the millennium. Starbucks has led a coffee revolution in the United States and beyond. The store was opened by 3 men: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Browker. Starbucks for first nine months bought coffee from Peet’s Coffee. Within first decade Starbucks opened five stores. In 1983, Starbucks bought Peet’s Coffee the same year, Howard Schultz who was hired in 1982 to manage the company’s retail sales and marketing, took a buying trip to Italy, where another coffee revelation took place. He visited Milan’s famous espresso bars and captivated by the culture of coffee and the romance of Italian coffee bars. He returned home determined to bring that type of culture to the United States Continue reading
History and Background of Volkswagen AG
Volkswagen AG. is a German automaker that operates in the global automotive industry as a manufacturer and distributor. Volkswagen of America is one of its subsidiaries that is based in the United States. The Group’s principal activities are to design, manufacture and distribution of cars and other vehicles worldwide. The Group’s activities are carried out through two divisions: Automobile and Financial services. The Automobile division comprises the development of vehicles and engines, as well as the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses. The Financial Services includes dealer and customer financing and leasing, banking and insurance activities, vehicle rentals and the fleet management business. It is Europe’s no one car maker. The Group’s main product lines include the Volkswagen Passenger, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley ranges of vehicles. Volkswagen aims to increase its focus on core business, reduce production costs, and enhance profitability. To Continue reading
History and Background of Amazon
Considered a pioneer in online retailing, Amazon.com, Inc. expanded during the late 1990s to offer the “Earth’s Biggest Selection” of books, CDs, videos, DVDs, electronics, toys, tools, home furnishings and housewares, apparel, and kitchen gadgets. Through third-party agreements, Amazon.com also sells products from well-known retailers including Toysrus.com Inc., Target Corporation, Circuit City Stores Inc., the Borders Group, Waterstones, Expedia Inc., Hotwire, National Leisure Group Inc., and Virgin Wines. Sometimes criticized for its focus on market share over profits, Amazon.com put investor fears to rest when it secured its first net profit during the fourth quarter of 2001. The Early 1990s: Beginnings Throughout the 1990s, the popularity of the Internet and World Wide Web swept across the world, and personal computers in most businesses and households got hooked up in some form or another to Internet providers and Web browser software. As use of the Internet became more prevalent in society, Continue reading