Abstract
Nowadays, companies are upping their competitive index in order to keep up with the globalization trend sweeping the international business landscape. A company cannot hope to survive only by opening subsidiaries in its own country. So, these companies are forced to open subsidiaries in other countries; however, this necessitates some previous studies to ascertain if it would be simple or hard to establish operations in a certain country. The cultural, demographic, geographic or economical differences can often be reasons for the failure in the implementation of a company on a market.
This document deals with French company Caroll's intention to enter the Chinese market. This “middle market” is very difficult owing to the country's cultural disparities from the Western nations. Initially, we will present an overview of the company and followed by that of the Chinese market. Finally, we will present our marketing plan for its implementation.
Founded in 1963 by Raphael Levy and Joseph Bigio, the company was originally named “Les tricots Caroll”. It gained immense popularity with its knitwear products and premium Shetland wool and has amassed over 1,000 retailers. In the 80s, it started to evolve with the addition ofa “Prêt à porter” collection, and opened its first stores in France. In 1984, it opened its first branches.
In 1988, Caroll International registered itself on the stock market and the Group Vivarte took over the knitwear retail chain.
In 1994, Caroll defined a new position on the market by creating the special brand “Caroll Paris”. The company mainly targeted the modern women, who were well aware of their needs and not hesitant to voice them either. In couple of years, Caroll International reinvigorated its image and developed its market shares. In 1997, it began its development in other countries in Europe and all over the world. Currently, it has 310 stores worldwide, in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Lebanon and Japan.
In the past forty years, Caroll has gradually established itself as one of the most important successes in the “Prêt à porter” (ready-to-wear) sector in France. Today, Caroll is appreciated for the quality of its products, its style and its know-how.
