Aldi-Paper

Table of contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Company Background 3

3. External Environment 4

3. Internal Environment 6

4. Concluding Reflection 7

List of Literature 9

Internet Resources 10

1. Introduction

“Strategy can be defined as the determination of the long run goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals.” The driving force of every successful organization motivated to surpass its competitors or to keep up with the constantly changing complex industry is strategies that try to accomplish sustainable development and competitive advantage. The large companies, like Hofer in our example are usually no stranger to strategizing at the organizational internal level as they also try to maximize profits as well as minimize risks using a unique and effective strategy. During the executive lecture on May 10, 2011 I was further introduced to Hofer GmbH & Co KG, one of the most well-known discount supermarket chains worldwide, through a short presentation held by lecturer Magister Thomas Zwachte who is the branch manager of the subsidiary in Rietz. Although I was certainly much aware of Hofer since I am also a regular customer there, I didn’t really know that much about the company itself which is why I was mainly interested in attending this executive lecture in getting to know how it was able to effectively implement such a successful long-term strategy. Strategic management at a discount retailer can therefore be explained as the set of managerial actions and decisions in order to determine the long-term performance of Hofer including the external and internal environmental factors. With regard to this, the main goal of this paper is to provide a reflection on the issues mentioned in the executive lecture concerning Hofer KG.

2. Company Background

In the lecture I was given a short overview of the main facts and history of the company...