Panera Bread Case Analysis
Group 4
Alexis Alwood
Luke Harrington
Harmony Manion
Joel Muffett
Ferris State University Abstract
This case study is looking at the Panera Bread Company as a whole. It will assess the company’s strategy, competitive market position, financial performance and overall situation. It will also conduct a SWOT analysis and recommend a set of actions to deal with any issues and problems that Panera is encountering. Introduction
Panera Bread is a top leader in the fast and casual restaurant business in the United States. When it comes to fast and causal restaurants, consumers are viewing them as a step up in between traditional fast-food restaurants and casual dining. The company was originally founded in 1981
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They know that all their customers are going to be unique in their own way, so they would not be able to fully satisfy everyone by just offering the standardized products. By using this strategy, it allows their stores to be more appealing and it draws in more business. According to Chapter 5 in Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases (Thompson, 20e), “Successful differentiation allows a [company] to do one or more of the following:
• Command a premium price for its product
• Increase unit sales (because additional buyers are won over by the differentiating features).
• Gain buyer loyalty to its brand (because some buyers are strongly attracted to differentiating features and bond with the company and its products).” (Thompson, 2014).
By choosing to use the broad differentiation strategy, Panera Bread is striving to achieve the competitive advantage of having a friendly environment, a desirable product for everyone, and great customer service.
SWOT Analysis Panera has a decently attractive position looking at their SWOT analysis. They have a terrific brand image in all the United States and Canada. They also have a very distinctive ambiance and quality of food that is known throughout the
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One issue that they could address is the fact that the business seems to be more appealing to the lunch rush clientele. They could try to brainstorm and figure out a way to increase their clientele during the dinner hours, which in return will increase their evening sales profit. Another issue that Panera could face is their prices. There are a lot of cheaper alternatives to Panera, which is why they have a lot of competition. Panera Bread could have their managers focus on advertising and other ways to get their customers in the store without having their prices get in the