Debenhams Strategy 1

DEBENHAMS STRATEGY SELECTION AND EVALUATION

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 Debenhams Strategy 2

Introduction

Business strategies refer to the methods or plans used by companies in conducting

different functions in their business operations. It is the responsibility of the company

managers to formulate as well as implement the most appropriate strategy to enable it to

compete effectively and thrive in its environment. It also requires the efforts of the entire

company to achieve the preset goals. For this to be achieved, it is important for the company

to view the corporate level strategy as it is accountable for definition of the market and also

helps in deciding on which markets to compete as well as the geographical regions to

function in. This document mainly focuses on Debenhams Company by evaluating the

corporate level strategies. It gives a brief explanation of the strategies and then recommends

the appropriate strategy that can be embraced by Debenhams Company.

Brief Description of the Company

Debenhams is a British retailer that operates under the department store format in the

United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland. It also operates other franchise stores in other

nations. It was founded as a single store in London in the eighteenth century but remarkably,

it has grown to more than 160 shops that cover more than 10 million square feet of retail

space throughout the UK and Ireland. Its franchise stores are mainly in Philippines and other

countries (Debenhams 2012). Currently, the company has been ranked the second largest

department store in the UK. In the corporate level strategy, some of the strategies that can be

used in running firms include vertical integration, horizontal integration and strategic

outsourcing (DuBrin 2008). This document will however spotlight on strategic outsourcing

and horizontal integration.

Strategic Outsourcing

Outsourcing basically refers to contracting out a business operation to a provider

outside the business unit. Companies outsource their products, not for economic gain, but for
 Debenhams Strategy 3

Reference List

Debenhams 2012, Debenhams, viewed 23 January 2012, <http://www.debenhams.com/>.

DuBrin, A 2008, Essentials of management, Cengage Learning, New York.
Frank, AG 2000, ReOrient: global economy in the Asian age, University of California Press,
Chicago.
Furrer, O 2010, Corporate level strategy: theory and applications, Taylor & Francis, New
York.
Gaughan, PA 2010, Mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings, John Wiley and
Sons, New York.
Hill, C & Jones, G 2009, Strategic management theory: an integrated approach, 9th edn,
Cengage Learning, London.
Hitt, MA, Ireland, RD & Hosk, RE 2010, Strategic management: competitiveness &
globalization, concepts, 9th edn, Cengage Learning, London.
Jones, G & Hill, C 2007, Strategic management: an integrated approach, 8th edn, Cengage
Learning, New York.
Miller, FP, Vandome, A & John, M 2010, Horizontal integration, VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller
e.K, New York.
Rockford Consulting Group, 2009, Strategic outsourcing, viewed 23 January, 2012,
<http://rockfordconsulting.com/strategic-outsourcing.htms>.