Juicy Couture has been successful in selling women’s clothing using an unusual
strategy.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the key to the firm’s strategy is to
“limit distribution to maintain the brand’s exclusive cachet, even if that means
sacrificing sales, a brand-management technique once used only for high-end luxury
brands.” In 2006, Juicy clothes were sold in only four department stores: Neiman
Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom. In 2006, its sales have more than
quadrupled since 2002.
Source: Rachel Dodes, “From Track Suits to Fast Track,” Wall Street Journal,
September 13, 2006. How does limiting the number of stores in which Juicy’s products
are sold contribute to its success?
A) By sacrificing sales, the company was able to focus on producing high quality
products.
B) It enables Juicy to price its products at a premium and differentiate them from lower
priced products.
C) It helps establish Juicy’s products as luxury items favored by the very wealthy.
D) Maintaining the exclusivity of a product increases the demand for the product.
The “Big Mac Theory of Exchange Rates” tests the accuracy of the purchasing power
parity theory. In July 2013, the Economist reported that the average price of a Big Mac
in the U.S. was $4.56. In Sweden, the average price of a Big Mac at that time was 41.6
kronor. What is the “implied exchange rate” between Swedish kronor and U.S. dollars?
A) 0.11 kronor per dollar