SIB

Homework
1. The graph below shows a companys sales over a twelve-month period. Describe it.
(source: Hollett, : Business Objectives, !"#ord $niversity %ress, 1&&1'

The company started the year with an increase o# ()*, but with each month we dopped.
That means that in +pril we had ,ust 1- o# 1.. Then bagan the spring season and we
increase. /n 0ay we had 11, better than 2anuary. Then all summer we have sold steadily.
+#ter +ugust, we bagan to increase wich every month and in 3ovember we sold the most,
1))* 4 $ntil December we dropped again #rom 1. to 1(.
5. The table below presents a companys balance sheet. Describe it to. (Hollett, :
Business Objectives, !"#ord $niversity %ress, 1&&1'
6rmel plc consolidated balance sheet at -1 0arch 1&&5
1&&1 1&&5
7m 7m
8i"ed assets 1-- 1-)
9urrent assets
:toc;s 11 <5
Debtors .5 &.
9ash in ban; 51 -
11& 1<)
9urrent liabilities
=oans and overdra#t 1 51
9reditors >1 >.
Ta"ation 1< 51
1
1)
11
15
1-
1>
1(
11
1<
1.
2 8 0 + 0 2 2 + : ! 3 D
Dividend -> 1
&. &1
3et current assets <1 <>
Total assets 5)> 5)>
:hare capital and reserves 5)> 5)>
The thing is #rom 1&&1 to 1&&5, we lost only -7 #or #i"ed assets, the stoc;s
increased with 117, but the debtors with 117. /# in 1&&1 we had 517 in ban;, in
1&&5 we didn?t had any money. @ut the ma,or di##erence is only 17. The loans
and overdra#t increased #rom 17 to 517, the creditors >7, the ta"ation only -7,
and the dividend dropped #rom -> to 1, not a big di##erence to current liabilities,
#rom &. to &1. The total assets and the capital is the same as in 1&&1, that means
that the company it mentains the same.

-. The chart below shows the pro#its made by each o# a companys three #actories #or
each Auarter o# the year 5))-. The pie chart shows the number o# wor;ers in each o#
the #actories during the year. 0a;e a presentation describing the trends in pro#its and
the number o# employees in each #actory. (BEC Higher, 9ambridge $niversity %ress,
5))1'
Profits from each factory per quarter (2003'
Number of employees in each factory
5
=ondon have ,ust 1() employees and the pro#it is less than 7 > million and /n @ristol, the
company have the most employees, 1)), and in the 1
st
Btr they had pro#it o# 7 15 million, in,
=eeds have -() employees and 7 . million pro#it. The 5
nd
Btr, in @ristol had pro#it a little less
than 7 15 million, in =eeds the same li;e the 1
st
Btr and in =ondon 7 > million. /n the -
rd
Btr,
@ristol had pro#it 7 11 million, =eeds less than 7 . million and =ondon e"actly li;e the #irst
mounth. /n the >
th
Btr, the company had the wea;est pro#it in all #actories e"cept =eeds that
mentains the same li;e 1
st
and 5
nd
Btr with 7 . million, @ristol had 7 & million pro#it and
=ondon 7 - million pro#it.
>. The graph below shows the turnover #or three ;inds o# retail outlet, all owned by the
same company, during a three year period.$sing the in#ormation #rom the charts,
ma;e a presentation comparing the changes in turnover in the companys three types
o# outlet (15)-1() words' (BEC Higher, 9ambridge $niversity %ress, 5))1'
+t the department stores the turnover was () in 5))) and in 5))1 and 5))5 less than
-). /n :upermar;ets was the best o# all, in 5))) less than <), in 5))1 C <) and in 5))5 - .).
The small shops have gone worse, in 5))) only -), in 5))1 C 5) and in 5))5 less than -).
(. The three charts below show a companys operating pro#it (in 7 million', turnover (in 7
million' and unit sales (i.e. number o# products sold in the three years 5))<-5))&.
$sing the in#ormation #rom the charts, ma;e a presentation describing the companys
per#ormance in the three years. (BEC Higher, 9ambridge $niversity %ress, 5))1'
-
1. The bar chart below shows the percentage o# sales made by retailers in @ritain on
each day o# a typical wee; during the years 5))- and 5))&. $sing the in#ormation
#rom the bar chart, ma;e a presentation summariDing the changes that too; place
between 5))- and 5))&. (BEC Higher, 9ambridge $niversity %ress, 5))1'
This is a bar chart that shows the percentage o# sales made by retailers in @ritain on each
day o# a typical wee; during the years 5))- and 5))&. !n 0ondays, they sell the worst, a#ter
:unday, in 5))- less than 1)* and in 5))& about 1)*. Tuesday and wednesday they sale
the same, about 1)* or more. Thursday the sales grow more than 1(*, 8riday is the best
day o# the wee;, in 5))- C 5( * , the best and in 5))& a little less than 5)*. :aturday is a
good day too, they sale about 5)* each year, and :unday is the worst day o# all wee;, (*
or less.
>
. Describe the current economic situation in your country. Ehat is the economic
outloo; #or your countryF
Gey words: boom, peak, recession, recovery, spending, save, consumption, production.
+#ter Eorld Ear /, the application o# radical agricultural re#orms and the passing o# a
new constitution created a democratic #ramewor; and allowed #or Auic; economic
growth (industrial production doubled between 1&5-C1&-., despite the e##ects o# the
Hreat Depression'. Eith oil production o# <.5 million tons in 1&-<, Iomania ran;ed
second in 6urope and seventh in the world. The oil e"tracted #rom Iomania was
essential #or the Herman war campaigns.
!n 1 2anuary 5))< Iomania entered the 6$. This led to some immediate international
trade liberaliDation, but there was no shoc; to the economyJcitation neededK. The
government is running annual surpluses o# above 5*.Jcitation neededK This is to be
contrasted with enormous current account de#icits. =ow interest rates guarantee
availability o# #unds #or investment and consumption. 8or e"ample, a boom in the real
estate mar;et started around 5))) and has not subsided yet. +t the same time annual in
he economy is variable and during the mid-5)))s (5))-C5)).' has seen a low o# 5.-*
and high o# <..*. 0ost importantly, this poses a threat to the countryLs accession to the
6uroDone. The Iomanian government initially planned #or the euro to replace the leu in
5)15.However, e"perts predict that this might happen as late as in 5)1>.Jcitation
neededK 8rom a political point o# view, there is a trade-o## between IomaniaLs economic
growth and the stability reAuired #or early accession to the monetary unionJclari#ication
neededK. IomaniaLs per-capita %%% HD% is still only about a >)* o# the 6$ average,
while the countryLs nominal HD% per capita is about 5(* o# the 6$ average. /n the
winter o# 5))> the government introduced a #lat ta" o# 11* that was introduced on 1
2anuary 5))(. This is done in hope #or higher HD% growth and greater ta" collection
rates. The re#orm, which some called a MrevolutionM in ta"ation, was met with mild
discussions and some protests by a##ected by a##ected wor;ing classes. Iomania
subseAuently en,oyed the lowest #iscal burden in the 6uropean $nion, until @ulgaria also
switched to a #lat ta" o# 1)* in 5))<.
(
&.0a;e a company presentation. Ie#er to its main business activityNactivities,
headAuarters, turnover, number o# employees, current pro,ects.
Hroupe +uchan :+ is a 8rench international retail group and multinational
corporation headAuartered in 9roi", 8rance./t is one o# the worldLs principal
distribution groups with a presence in 15 countries and 51&,))) employees. The
company began when HOrard 0ullieD opened his #irst sel#-service shop in Ioubai" in
the district o# Hauts-9hamps -pronunciation is very similar to M+uchanM. +uchan has
branches in 8rance, and internationally in /taly, /ndia, :pain, %ortugal, =u"embourg,
%oland, Hungary, Iussia, 9hina, Taiwan, Iomania and $;raine. +s o# 5)11JupdateK,
+uchan had 1-& hypermar;ets and 5,>15 supermar;ets around the world.
+uchan opened its #irst store in :hanghai at 1&&&, and according to the
+uchan (9hina' /nvestment 9o. =td. o##icial report in 5))&, there are 11> stores
opened nationwide in 9hina. :uDhou 2in,i =a;e store that is located in :uDhou
/ndustrial %ar; had nine million population during that #iscal year with over #our
hundred million turnover and became one o# the biggest +uchan Hypermar;et in the
world. :uDhou store e"panded in 5)). and is the biggest +uchan Hypermar;et in
%eopleLs Iepublic o# 9hina, second biggest in the world. +lso, +uchan 9hina led to
open its online shopping website #or store in :hanghai and :uDhou. +uchan o##ers
online shopping only in those two cities so #ar and is opening in :uDhou its #irst
+uchanDrive store, based on its 8rench model in 0ay 5)15. +uchanLs second
Hreater Houston location opened in southeast Houston in :eptember 5))).Gaplan
said M+uchan had solid business its #irst years, but with only two stores in the
country, the company lac;ed buying power and economy-o#-scale advantages.P /n
2anuary 5))- +uchan announced that both o# its $.:. stores were ma;ing losses and
were going to be closedQ +uchan stated that it was instead going to concentrate its
e"pansion in +sia and 6urope.+uchan $.:.+. sold its #irst Houston location to Ho
6nterprises. =ewis 8ood Town occupied about 11),))) sAuare #eet( 1),))) m5' o#
the space, with the rest o# the space ta;en by other tenants.Gaplan said that by 5))-,
Mthe Houston mar;et is saturated with huge discounters and large grocery stores. /n
addition, many similar stores, including an H-6-@ 8ood and Drug :tore, the Hong
Gong :upermar;et, a :amLs 9lub, and a Eal-0art :upercenter had opened in
pro"imity to the west Houston +uchan. /n 6urope Doning laws would prevent such a
high concentration o# similar stores. Gaplan #urther added that M/n 6urope, shopping
malls are not as prevalent as they are in +merica, and +uchanLs everything-under-
one-roo# concept has greater appealM in 6urope rather than in the $nited :tates.The
second #ormer +uchan remains unoccupied, but was used as a shelter #or Hurricane
Gatrina victims in 5))( and Hurricane /;e victims in 5)). due to its large space.
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