This is a case study. I want the answer for question 5.Give the proliferation of mobile devices and e-commerce, what might Greens & Co. have included in its reseatch plan if it were first venturing into the U.S market today?

U.K. Supermarket Chain Considers California Trends and Tastes HOLI Expansion Opportunity Greens & Co. is one of the largest and most successful supermarket chains in the U.K. It offers a full range of grocery stores, from large warehouse outlets located in suburbs to its trademark GreenXpress centres that offer smaller convenience-style shops throughout more urbanized areas. The GreenXpress format is smaller than traditional U.S. big box locations. The company's concept involves offering fresh fruit, organic products and precooked meals with no trans fats, artificial colours and flavour, and minimal preservatives. It developed a competitive pricing strategy by establishing its own private label. Greens & Co. has aggressively moved into the U.S. by establishing a distribution centre in California and opening six GreenXpress locations in the Los Angeles area. The retail grocery and consumables market is probably one of the most concentrated in the U.S. Therefore, a strategic research plan was required prior to recommending the move into the U.S. grocery market. Analyzing the Data Planning an expansion into such a highly competitive market required an investment in research. Market researchers for Greens & Co. learned that its major U.S. competitor, McLarens, controlled nearly 20 percent of the grocery and consumables market. However, it did not have the same presence in California as it did in other states, which gave Greens & Co. the opportunity to launch without competing directly with McLarens. The GreenXPress format was also strategically chosen to suit the west coast demographic. The smaller convenience outlets were thought to cater to on- the-go urbanites with a high disposable income, and addressed the need for coverage in underserved, low-income neighbourhoods. Company analysts spent time in U.S. homes to observe shopping and cooking patterns. The study involved visiting the kitchens in consumers' homes and examining the contents of their refrigerators, as well as tracking the grocery shopping frequency, spending and quantity patterns of several demographic segments over the course of 18 months. In addition, analysts gathered information from each family, including household income, family size, employment status and attitudes toward fast food and healthy meals, as well as the age of and time spent at home by each family member. Researchers discovered that many U.S. consumers are overwhelmed by choice and often visit several different stores a week. They also found that consumers typically visit a supermarket for meat and cereal, a specialty grocer for produce, a big box store to stock up on detergent and paper towels and a convenience store for bread and milk. In addition, Greens & Co. designed and conducted a research plan which involved collecting data through further sources. For example, approximately two years prior to Greens & Co. opening its first location in southern California, it sent representatives to visit a majority of its U.S. competitors and interviewed executives from these companies. It also established a mock grocery store and invited more than two hundred would-be shoppers to give their opinions. From this research initiative, it was able to see a correlation that both food quality and price resulted in increased sales. When offered a choice between equally priced products, consumers chose the healthier version 46 percent of the time, while consumers chose a slightly more expensive, healthier product 36 percent more often than a cheaper, less nutritional option. In addition, the company met with community organizations and determined that issues such as fair wages, environmental practices and inner city presence were important to potential consumers. As a result, the company has promised to pay more than minimum wage to its employees, provide employee benefits, source 60 percent of its produce locally, and open stores in what is known as food deserts areas with low retail coverage because of the low-income demographic. Research Recommendations The GreenXPress format is a cross between a grocery and a convenience store. Produce and products will be significantly less expensive than in convenience stores, while the environment is smaller and more customer oriented than typical grocery chains. This organization has the potential to break the mould of U.S. retailers and carve out its own niche offerings and retail shopping experience. Through its research it has determined that the U.S. consumables market is more of a push market-retailers will often determine what products to sell and aggressively use advertising to move the product. Greens & Co. is more consumer driven, and, after analyzing the research it conducted, recommends pursuing the expansion into the US market in Los Angeles, California. Learning Outcomes This case study relates to the following learning outcomes from the module Situational Analysis in the course Feasibility of International Trade: Design the research plan and conduct the designated research. Analyze research data and present findings and recommendations as they relate to the stated research objectives. Case Study Questions 1. Identify the types of market intelligence that Greens & Co. used to move into the U.S. market. 2. What information gathered from the research influenced Greens & Co.'s business decisions? 3. Using the case study, formulate the research objectives for the primary qualitative research that was conducted in U.S. family homes. 4. Was Greens & Co. pursuing exploratory, descriptive or causal research? Provide examples from the case study to support your response. 5. Given the proliferation of mobile devices and e-commerce, what might Greens & Co. have included in its research plan if it were first venturing into the U.S. market today