Competitors and Competitive Rivalry Research Paper

Competitors and Competitive Rivalry - Research Paper Example It sells its products in physical store format along with online stores (Goldberg, â€Å"Why the toy industry isn’t having any fun†). The first company to start a television campaigning. The shop owners provide excellent customers service by catering to individual customer’s needs for all festive occasions. The brand is established since the year 1920 Weakness The company targets pet owners because it specializes in making customized stuff toys for the pet owners (Goldberg, â€Å"Why the toy industry isn’t having any fun†). The company lays emphasis on the manufacturing of core products like greeting cards and other gifting products. Opportunity The threat of substitutes is low for the company because there are few companies who manufacture customized stuff toys for pet owners. ... The company lays special emphasis on the manufacturing of greeting cards and has lost its exclusivity of producing stuff toys. The company has slowly lost its reputation as a leading stuff toymaker. The competition in the toy industry is very intense and the profitability of the company is decided by certain factors like quality of the stuff toys, price and play value. Among the top stuff toy companies Build a Bear and Pillow Pets are expected to maintain its market position and also yield a decent amount of profits even in the current situation (â€Å"Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Competition†). Pillow Pets has not been able to manufacture stuff toys on a large base but Hallmark has been an established stuff toy maker and greeting card manufacture since 1910 (Linders, â€Å"Competitiveness Proofing Toy Related Industry †). Emerging Trends & Future Competition in Stuff Toy Industry The current scenario in the stuff toy industry is weak and the industry has been witnessing decreasing trend in the purchase of the stuff toys and pillows. The US stuff toy industry has been witnessing weak sales and it has currently generated profits of $ 17 billion (â€Å"Annual Sales Data†). The worldwide sales of the stuffed toy have also decreased since 2010; the profits amounted to $83.4 billion in the year 2012 (â€Å"Annual Sales Data†). However, certain series of toys imitated from the popular movies like Skyline series have remained popular among the children and teenagers. The Disney series has also been popular and has gained worldwide popularity. By observing the current trend it has been noticed that the stuff toy industry has been witnessing declining sale and only certain series have been generating huge amount of revenue amidst this economic slowdown. The

Equity and trusts Degree Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Equity and trusts Degree - Case Study Example This is so because, even though equity looks at intent and not form, equity is also bound to take cognizance of the express will of the Parliament. We shall now turn our attention to the provisions of the will made by James: a. 100 000 to my beloved sister - Emily, in absolute confidence that she will use a decent amount to look after my step daughter, Mary: James is entitled to leave as much money as he wills to his sister or on trust for his step daughter. The problem we have in the scenario at hand is that of the three certainties i.e. whether what James stated amounts to a declaration of trust over the 100,000 The second is whether the amount left for Mary is identifiable The issue of objects does not seem problematic as Mary is clearly the intended beneficiary. The last problem that we will deal with is what would happen to the 100,000 if no trust is to be found. To consider whether James has created a valid trust or gave a power of appointment. In Re Weekes' Settlement (1897) a testatrix left property to her husband with a 'power to dispose of all such property by will amongst our children in accordance with the power granted to him as regards the other property which I have under my marriage settlements.' The court decided that the document did not create a trust for the children of the testatrix but a mere power of appointment for the husband to distribute the money if he willed. In the will left by James, an analogy could easily be drawn with the facts in Re Weekes' Settlement (1897). He has left the 100,000 to his sister with a power of appointment that she could use a decent amount of the money for the care of James's step daughter. There are also cases where a relatively clearer intention was found like in Mussorie Bank Ltd v Reynor (1882), here also the question was whether the testator actually wanted to create a trust. However, in light of cases like Lambe v Eames (1871) where the Court of Appeal refused to hold a valid trust because the testator left a estate to his widow stating 'to be at her disposal in any way she may think best, for the benefit of herself and her family' seems to be closest to facts at hand. The only problem in concluding that the money was an absolute gift to Emily is the case of Comiskey v Bowring-Hanbury (1905), where a trust was held on the words 'in full confidence that', in our case, similar words are used. In Comiskey however, the testator's words were construed in such a way also because they were followed by an instruction that if the wife died without devising the property to her nieces then the property will be divided equally amongst them. James uses similar words, 'in absolute confidence' but one may be bound to incline towards earlier authorities as there are no further instructions. This indicates two things, first, that