咨询公司面试案例分析指南_咨询面试系列（3）：a[1]

Firm:A.T.KearneyCaseNumber:Casesetup(factsofferedbyinterviewer):YourclientisaU.S.basedmanufacturerofbrandedcookies(cookiesthatcarrythenameofthemanufacturer)Recentlyprivatelabelcookies(thosecarryingthenameoftheretailer)haveemergedandthreatenedbrandedcookiesPrivatelabelcookiesemergedfiveyearsagoTwoandone-halfyearsagotheymadeup10%oftheoverallcookiemarket(brandbeingtheother90%)Todaytheymakeupapproximately20%oftheoverallcookiemarket(i.e.,therehasbeenasteady,linearincreaseofprivatelabelportionoftheoverallcookiemarketduringthepastfiveyears)TheoverallcookiemarkethasbeenrelativelyflatoverthepastfiveyearsPrivatelabelcookiesaremadebythesamemanufacturerswhomakebrandedcookies,theyarejustsoldunderthenameoftheretailerThereareessentiallythreemajorcompetitorstoconsider:Yourclient,whomakesonlybrandedcookiesAsecondmajorplayer,thatmakesbothbrandedcookiesandsuppliescookiesforprivatelabelersAcollectionofsmalloutfits,thatmakebothbrandedcookiesandsupplyprivatelabelersDistributionoccursprimarilythroughoneoftwotypesofoutlets:Groceryoutlets:allgrocerssellbrandedcookies,mostalsocarrytheirownprivatelabelcookies.Thisrepresentsapproximately90%oftotalcookiesalesMassmerchandisers(ex.Walmart,Sam’s,etc.):sellonlybrandedcookiesQuestion:HowlargewouldyouestimatetheoverallU.S.cookiemarkettobeintermsof$?Howlargeofathreatdoyoubelievethetrendinprivatelabelcookiesalestobetoyourclient?Basedonyourassessment,whatisanappropriatestrategyforyourclienttofollow?Suggestedsolutions:Thefirstquestion,estimatingthesizeoftheU.S.cookiemarket,hasnorightorwronganswer.Itisatestofacandidate’sabilitytomakereasonableassumptionsandworkquicklywithnumbersonan“orderofmagnitude”level.OneacceptableresponsewouldbetoestimatethenumberofU.S.households,estimatehouseholdconsumptionoversomeperiodoftime,estimatetheaveragecostofabagofcookies,andprojectoutforoneyear.Inthiscase,afteranestimatehasbeenmade,thecandidatewouldbetoldtoassumethemarketsizeis$1Billiontosimplifyanyfuturecalculations.Asstatedintheupfrontinformation,themarketisassumedtohavebeenflatforthepastfiveyears.Thesecondquestionismoreinvolved.Itinvolvesdeterminingtowhatextentyourclientisthreatenedbytheincreasingpercentoftheoverallcookiemarketrepresentedbyprivatelabelsales.Tobetteranswerthisquestioninformationshouldbegatheredpertainingtowhatisdrivingthedemandforprivatelabelcookies,towhatextentthishasalreadyaffectedyourclient’ssales,andwhatthelikelihoodisforthetrendtocontinue.Thefollowingarequestionsandanswersthatwouldbeprovidedinaninterviewscenario.Whatarethesalestrendsfortheclientoverthepastfiveyears?Yourclient’ssaleshavebeenflatat$600Mforthetimeframeoffivetotwoandone-halfyearsago.Overthepasttwoandone-halfyears,saleshavedecreasedsteadilydowntoapresentlevelof$560MM.Howhasmarketshareoftheprivatelabelsegmentbeensplitoverthepastfiveyearsbetweenyourclient’smaincompetitorandtheothersmallerplayers?Thesmallerplayerscombinedhad100%oftheprivatelabelsubsegmentfiveyearsago.Twoandone-halfyearsagoyourclient’smaincompetitorbegansupplyingprivatelabelers.Today,thismaincompetitorowns40%oftheprivatelabelsubsegment,thesmallerplayersowntheremaining60%Howhasmarketshareofthebrandedsegmentbeensplitoverthepastfiveyears?Yourclientheld60%ofthissegmentfiveyearsago,67%twoandone-halfyearsagoand70%today.Itsmaincompetitorheld30%fiveyearsago,25%twoandone-halfyearsagoand23%today.Thecombinedsmallerplayersowned10%fiveyearsago,8%twoandone-halfyearsagoand7%today.Analsisoftheaboveinformationtellsaveryimportantstory.Theprivatelabelsegmentwaslaunchedfiveyearsagobythesmallerplayers.Asprivatelabelfirstcutintothebrandedsegment,itcameattheexpenseofyourclient’smaincompetitorandthesmallerplayers,notyourclient.Inresponsetothis,yourclient’smaincompetitorenteredintotheprivatelabelsegmenttwoandone-halfyearsago.Thisfurtherhurttheirownsalesandthoseofthesmallerplayers,butalsobegantohurtyourclient’ssales.AdditionalinformationisrequiredtounderstandwhatisdrivingthedemandforprivatelabelcookiesHowdoesthequalityofaprivatelabelcookiecomparetothatofabrandedcookie?Consumerstudieshaveshownthatthereisanoticeabledifferenceintaste,textureandqualityinfavorofthebrandedcookiesAtthemanufacturinglevel,whatisthedifferenceincostofproductionandpricebetweenbrandedandprivatelabelproducts?Itcostsapproximately$1.50tomanufactureabagofprivatelabelcookieswhichwillsellfor$2.00toretailers.Itcostsapproximately$2.00tomanufactureabagofbrandedcookieswhichwillsellfor$2.75.Howdothesamenumberstranslateattheretaillevel?Aretailer,paying$2.00forprivatelabelcookiescansellthatproductfor$2.50.The$2.75bagofbrandedcookiescanbesoldfor$3.50.Thekeyfindingisthatfromacost-price-marginperspectiveitisadvantageousforboththemanufacturersandtheretailers,withallelseequal,tosellabagofbrandedcookies.Otherfactorsmustbecontributingtothedemandforprivatelabelcookies.Thinkabouttheincentivesateachlevelinthechain(manufacturer,retailer,consumer).ThefollowingquestionscanhelpfillindetailsHaveanyofthemanufacturersbeenabletogainadditionalshelfspaceforbrandedproductsbysupplyinggrocerswithprivatelabelproducts?NoHastheirbeene