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Here’s the requirements from my professor:
Address the following issues in essay form:
Define the industry which is described in the case. Are the firms described primarily manufacturers? Retailers? Something else?
Analyze and discuss the industry in which Publix operates and its competitive environment using Porter’s Five Forces Model (analyze all five forces). You should have five sentences (one for each of the Five Forces) in this paragraph that begin something like: Competition among existing rivals in this industry is intense for the following three reasons… Again, there are five of these and each Force is analyzed separately from the other four.
What are the industry’s drivers of change? What in the case leads you to believe this?
What are the key success factors for this industry? What in the case leads you to believe this?
What I’m looking for is a DETAILED industry analysis. You can (literally!) copy/paste my suggested sentence in #2, above. Rewrite it for each of the Five Forces. Notice that I DID NOT ask you to suggest ways these companies can improve their operations—we’ll get to that later. I want to see how much you know about how the five competitive forces affect this industry.
Your paper should use the terminology from Chapter 3 in almost every sentence.
Reread Chapter 3 and the case before you start writing.
One

really important thing to remember is that I am not asking you to write about Publix or its strategy.
Another really important thing to remember is that I don’t want you to write about Publix or its strategy.
Also, you should keep in mind that you should not write about Publix or its strategy.
Don’t forget that I am not asking you to write about Publix or its strategy.
New starting Spring 2021: If you even mention Publix’s strategy, I will give you a 0 on this paper.
remember, I will read the case—you don’t need to retell the company’s history. Just answer the questions as directly and as succinctly as possible. Remember also, that you are to use only the information found in the case—don’t go dredging the web for everything ever written about this company.
Re-read the following instructions ELEVEN TIMES before you begin—especially the last sentence. I apologize if it sounds like I’m screaming at you; but, some of your predecessors have had trouble with directions.
If you don’t understand what a Five Forces Analysis is and how to conduct one, you should stop now and re-read chapter 3 in the textbook—maybe twice (maybe eleven times).
Notice that this case is written about Publix. Your analysis is not about Publix; it is about its competitive environment. Don’t write about Publix’s strategy—write only about the grocery industry.