1. U-Haul is a multinational, multi-billion-dollar organization operating in every metro area and has reach to nearly every neighborhood in the United States, including most metros in Canada.

In an age of planned obsolescence, many appliance manufacturers do not directly offer repairs to their own products. The market is ripe for a company with significant resources to bring back appliance repair reliability and thus seek to serve current and new customers (Peter & Donnelly, 2019).With most repairs costing significantly less than a new appliance, this service, and the design of the strategic plan for it, can save the average customer significant money while reducing waste (Peter & Donnelly, 2019).

By offering professional installation and repair services, U-Haul will be the first in mind during and after moves, when items, such as a washer, dryer, refrigerator, or stove, need to be installed or if there was damage because of a move.This service can be offered as both a direct staff repair technician in major markets or as a coordinator for smaller market contracting. Such a new enterprise will provide a number of new avenues for U-Haul's growth and avoid the stagnation which sets in and drives many companies into obsolescence (Peter & Donnelly, 2019). This model is similarto how many other service providers, such as AAA, operate. It is a consumer-friendly approach aimed at simplifying the task of locating, vetting, and scheduling installation/repair for major appliances ("white goods"), which often can be repaired.

There are two major sources of competition and many minor ones. The major sources are existing big box hardware like Lowes and Home Depot. Lowes and Home Depot, which both have over 2000 locations in the US, Mexico, and Canada (Stores by state and Province, n.d.; US Store Count by State, n.d.). The big box locations are already present in the appliance industry as retailers with access to parts and an existing customer base.However, by offering repairs this could harm their lines of business by preventing the sale of new appliances, which might be a feature of their own SWOT analyses (Peter & Donnelly, 2019). The second form of competition comes in the form of existing networks like HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, or Angi (Angie's list). These sites exist as coordinators to find local professional for several services including repairs, handyman work, general contracting, and moving.

SWOT analysis's importance and reason can be described with the following: "it helps someone weigh up the internal and external factors which may affect the outcome of a decision" (Huyhn, 2016). We are conducting this SWOT in order to help determine whether positive gains can be made for U-Haul on several fronts, most specifically in the proposal to expand its services to include "white good" installation and repairs.

1. Does the SWOT appear to be comprehensive? Are the elements clearly stated and understandable?
2. Does the prioritization seem logical?
3. What would you do differently?
4. what should be eliminated? Why?

 

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The SWOT analysis provided appears to be comprehensive and the elements are clearly ... View the full answer