Kudler

Kudler Fine Foods is exploring the option of expanding its service to include a catering service in addition to the in-store parties that it currently offers

Kathy became a success by combining convenience and affordability. She intends to further this mission by including a catering service in addition to the in-store events currently available. Kudler is continuing to expand their business to achieve goals of meeting the customer's needs and also becoming more successful as an organization. Kudler has the ability to expand their services to include catering through the utilization of marketing resources and making appropriate business adjustments to expand and grow. The first step in achieving this result is building a solid foundation and identifying the marketing mix.

Marketing research can be defined as the collection and analysis of information to assist in the decision making process. As identified on the Kudler website, further marketing research is needed to determine a defined action. The surveys were not able to provide an adequate result. Further surveys could produce a trend in results of consumer reaction to gain accurate input regarding customer satisfaction with the current services and products offered. Through the current surveys the results showed the customers were dissatisfied, but further detail is needed to choose the appropriate course of action.

Kudler needs to define the marketing problem and the opportunity for increased customer satisfaction. At this time the problem seems to be related to gathering research and information to expand their current service offerings into areas such as catering or an organic food line. Kudler has missed a few steps in the process and this could be due to their immediate success. The company lacks an organized plan to determine the effectiveness of their decision, but they have created and followed strategic objectives. Kudler has and needs to continue to be more diligent in detailing the type of actions they plan to initiate and the expected outcomes for potential result.

Consumers have become increasingly interested in the quality of their health, relating directly to the foods they purchase and consume. As people become aware of food alternatives such as organic options they begin making changes to their current diet affecting their purchasing habits. As these changes have occurred stores such as Kudler need to make these options available and educate their audience regarding the availability. The organic and gourmet food market in the United States is rising at an accelerating rate, providing these products conveniently at one store location would provide immediate sales opportunities. As these products continue to gain popularity the sales potential will continue increasing, being in stride with this trend is important to establishing a loyal customer base.

An important factor for staying on top is being aware of the competition factor. Kudler has to not only establish their personal goals and business aspirations, but they have to know what is happening in the market place and find out who their competition is and what they are doing. At this time Kudler currently provides customers with educational experiences to create interest in products and as a great advertising tool for the stores. This current program coupled with a frequent shopper program would be beneficial for both the consumer and Kudler.

The in-store events at Kudler provide an atmosphere for more than just sales opportunities, but also a place for research and feedback from the customers. Kudler is consistently focused on the expansion of their consumer base and this includes expansion of the offerings of services and products to meet and exceed customer's needs. Through these activities Kudler would gain customer loyalty reaching their goal of customer satisfaction. Research has shown customer loyalty has a profound effect on business results. Customer satisfaction is only the first step in continued business success the next phase is gaining loyalty. The results from customer loyalty are repurchases on a more frequent basis and recommendations by current customers to potential customers.

Utilizing their current inventory processes Kudler will need to determine popular food items and recipes for their catering services by tracking the items used for their on-site events and their top purchased items. Through this process they would be able to determine a food menu to entice customers. A list of attendees from the on-site events would be a good starting place for surveying and determining possible interest for moving forward in pursuing the new business endeavor. Many of the customers attending the events would be the most loyal and would potentially provide the best feedback based on their current engagement in food preparation.

Kudler has maintained their success through loyal customers and convenience. The placement and marketing of the catering services will need to focus on the second portion of their mission, convenience. Positioning the service as convenience for those larger events requiring more than one cook or when timing is short. This could be a responsibility consumers of Kudler may not easily want to give-up, as their interests are in cooking and creating their own gourmet meals. By focusing on the convenience portion the costumer would feel less guilty about their lack of involvement in the preparation process. Kudler has continued to measure their inventory by a demand strategy they could also implement this into their catering services and provide customers with the opportunity to choice their own menu based on their needs.

Kudler not only determines their inventory through the demand strategy, but they also use the demand pricing strategy. This has been a successful tool in the past, but special consideration will be needed while they are implementing new products and services into their currently line-up. With any specialty gourmet item the price will be slightly higher, as you are paying for the quality of your items and services. Due to the nature of the business Kudler will need to provide exemplarily services focusing on the anticipation of the customers needs and meeting special requests in conjunction with their top-notch food. In this industry many times potential business comes from referrals or attendees from past events, meaning Kudler will need to focus on each event as it may be their last one. Success from each current event is crucial to ensure future success.

Establishing a perceived value is not only important to the pricing of the service, but also in the promotion of the catering service. Kudler will need to determine the potential needs for this service and focus on the value the customers will receive from the Kudler catering service differentiating them from the existing and potential competition.