Business and EntrepreneurshipBridgetown Newsagents - A Small Business Case StudyIntroductionDillons Newsagents is a local late closing store with a 'Mini-Mart' service. The 'Mini-Mart' side of the business is franchised from Dillons to a registered partnership: Mr. Charles Pettifer and Mr. Marc Devis. Full services are provided in the store, paper delivery service is also available along with the full assortment of groceries, fresh sandwiches, confectionery, videos, cigarettes and alcohol, etc. The newsagent is located in Stratford upon Avon, on the Birmingham Road, approximately half a mile from the city center and in a very residential area. The Tescos are the immediate traders of the newsagents. Nine years ago the newsagents were expanded with the aim of providing local residents with a friendly and convenient service. The lack of competition at the time provided excellent stability and expansion potential which was enjoyed until two years ago when a supermarket was opened nearby which posed a major threat to business . The company's growth, structure, strategies and competition are to be discussed in the following document. All information sources and research are obtained through two years' part-time employment with Dillon Newsagents. Growth of Dillons: In 1988, Dillons employed Mr. Charles Pettifer as operational manager, from this date the store supplied only newspapers and magazines for approximately eighteen months. . During this period Dillons was developing its own 'Mini-Mart' theme and therefore decided to expand the facilities to provide a range of groceries and other daily consumer goods as well as the usual current affairs literature . The store's opening hours have also been increased from the regular evening licensing hours of 5:30 p.m. to a more important time of 11:00 p.m. At this point, Mr. Pettifer decided to take over the store franchise offered by Dillons with the help of a silent partner, Mr. Devis. Mr. Devis owns shares in the company, but does not have the power to make decisions without justification. Franchising allowed Mr. Pettifer to obtain many products for newsagents at reduced prices. The entire store was Mr. Pettifer's responsibility, provided Dillons' standards were not violated. At the stage of development described here, it can be seen that Dillons newsagents are akin to the first stage of business g...... middle of paper ......illons management, the location of the store and the absence of similar stores in the local environment. At all stages of the company's life cycle, it appears that there is never any great financial threat to Mr. Pettifer. During the expansion, almost all of the risks involved were presented to Dillons management and Mr. Devis in their capital investments. After expansion, good trade and relationships with the main supplier of the store's products allowed for a method of selling or returning all products (within a reasonable time frame). This method proved ideal as it alleviated any concerns about developing the store's product line and ensured that there would be no loss of profit in the event of over-ordering merchandise, reducing sales or changes in market culture. The pricing strategy was governed by customer motivation. increasing profit margins. Short-term risks, such as the time it takes to make a profit on turnover, have been reduced, while the.