From: paul.marwood@vs-tc.com
To: me
Date: 7th July, 07:02
Subject: FW: Background Information
Hi! I’m sorry to email you so early in the morning, but it is rather urgent and I would really appreciate your help.
We have a new client called ‘Close Knit’. As the name suggests, they are a clothing manufacturer that specialises in formal workwear (suits, ties, blazers, and so on) for all genders. Their sales took a hammering as a result of the Covid pandemic, and since then they have never really recovered.
They have approached us to do an initial review of their business model and to advise on some of their planned changes. Please have a look at the client’s email I have forwarded to you below for more details. I have also sent you some additional documents which will help give a clearer picture of the business and the problems it may be facing.
Please produce a written document which analyses:
1. Close Knit’s proposals;
2. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the business faces; and
3. Any other topics or solutions that you think are relevant.
Furthermore, please include any questions or points of clarification we should pose to Close Knit. These should help us better understand their situation and inform our analysis.
I have a meeting with Close Knit at 10:00, so if you could pull this together in about 45 minutes when you get into the office that would be great! Please ensure that it is professionally written and well-structured as I will give the client a copy of it.
Attachments:
Thank you very much for your help, and I look forward to reading your work!
Best
Paul
From: camilla.swanson@cknit.com
To: paul.marwood@vs-tc.com
Date: 4th July, 16:41
Subject: Background Information
Hi Paul
Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. As you requested, here are some notes on our business for future reference:
As we discussed, Close Knit has never recovered from the pandemic. Even though some workers have been returning to the office, there seems to have been greater adoption of remote working practices. This has meant our existing customer base has shrunk, and the number of new customers per month has also fallen. We are not sure whether this is just a result of remote working practices, or whether people just do not like traditional workwear anymore!
In addition, we are unsure whether our products and their respective prices fit the current market. We know that disposable income will play a role in how much workwear consumers buy, but we would also appreciate some greater insight into how other macroeconomic factors, like inflation, are affecting the demand for our products.
Furthermore, we only have one high street store in central London, but otherwise, we sell our products online. Historically, this store has generated a decent amount of revenue and the storefront is a great way to advertise our brand to new consumers. However, we are unsure whether it is still worth keeping given the trend away from traditional high street retail. It would be great if you could advise on the pros and cons of having this store and what your recommendation is.
Finally, we have a couple of proposals to shake up our product line and hopefully rejuvenate our sales (see the internal memorandum I previously sent you for further details). Please let me know what you think of them and whether we have identified the most important problems and effective solutions.
Thank you for your help and I look forward to speaking with you again this Thursday!
Best
Camilla
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