Individual report on the impact of the current economic environment in a chosen country from the perspective of a multinational company (3,500 words). Following the special sessions run by the invited company and using existing data, students will put themselves in a consultancy role and write an economic research report aimed at advising the company on strategy. The report will generally help the client understand the developments in the international macroeconomic environment, identify risks and opportunities and make forward-looking recommendations.
you must finish all steps(first,second,final)
First,
1. You must prepare a preliminary review of the following:
– Client profile of the company Kitchen Craft (part of Lifetime Brands)
– Overview of current largest markets for the sector
– Brief analysis of competition in the sector/industry(local and international)
– Analysis of UK’s international competitiveness in this sector/industry
2. Choose one of the following countries as an expansion target for Kitchen Craftand add your name on the wiki list (first-come-first-served basis!)
o Vietnam, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia
3. For the country chosen:
– Identify status of local competition
Second,
4. Working as a group, you must prepare the following data on the country chosen:
– Determine economic risk factors:
o Recent economic performance developments
? GDP growth
? Sectoral contribution to GDP growth
? Projections for sectors relevant to Kitchen Craft (i.e. retail, kitchen and homewares)
? Household consumption, household incomes
o Public finances
? Budget balance
? External debt
? Credit ratings
o Monetary policy
? Interest rates,money supply (M2), credit growth
? Inflation
? Exchange rates
o External developments
? Balance of Payments accounts breakdown and trends (i.e. trade, FDI, reserves etc)
– Identify relevant aspects of regulatory environment
o Participation in trade agreements, multilateral conventions and regional economic integration
o Tariff and non-tariff barriers applicable
o Ease of doing business
o Market entry restrictions
o Restrictions on FDI, equity ownership and repatriation of profits and proceeds of sales
o Government incentives (concessions on import/ export duties, tax incentives etc.)
– Identify risk factors in the social and political environment
o Corruptionindex ranking
o Country/political riskranking
o Unemployment
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE FOR THE FINAL REPORT
Abstract
Introduction incl. company profile
UK retail sector competitiveness as per point 1 from above
– overview of sector and competitiveness rankings
– discussion of applied theory (comparative advantage, economies of scale, government intervention, gravity model, economic integration etc.)
Analysis of chosen country as per point 4 from above
– Discussion of risk factors with economic theory (where appropriate)
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
here’s some additional advice on writing the assignment.
You need to make sure you have a flowing argument, clearly signposted. Review the transition between sections and paragraphs – don’t jump from one idea to another. Lay out your lines of analysis and follow through.

I suggested you start with Lifetime Brands and its strategy for international expansion. Kitchencraft is part of this strategy, one of its many acquisitions – cue Dunning’s OLI and modes of entry (FDI).
Review the company’s business model – competitors/suppliers + distributors + the role played by exchange rates in the contractual arrangements.
There are clearly two things going on – manufacturing in China, exporting to the UK&US and then re-exporting/retailing in UK&US
Use the theory reviewed to explain competitiveness in manufacturing and exports in China
China exports the most homeware products – as in abs advantage
Look at comparative advantage – productivity (Ricardo) and endowments (H-O)
then it’s New trade theory – internal + external (+ dynamic) economies of scale in China.
You then show with theory the competitiveness in exporting/retailing in UK&US.
Use Porter’s diamond (national competitive advantage) – link back to
This leads on to WEF competitiveness report on UK
This leads to gravity model for the UK trade in which you overview the main factors – income, distance, cultural affinity, economic integration (trade agreements etc.). This allows you to highlight highlight the importance of these factors for your target country.
Now to your target country – overall place in WTO/ international trade architecture, eco integration etc.
Discuss aggregate risks – OECD country risk, World Bank ease of doing business, other country risk evaluations – which inevitably will bring in the economic factors. So then you look deeper into these.
State clearly the line of analysis for the economic indicators – i.e what’s important to ‘you’ (LTB/KC) – household expenditure, economic stability, exch rate volatility. This is to justify the indicators picked (you are not doing all of them!)
GDP, unemployment, consumer confidence
Budget deficit and debt for clues about fiscal policy – tax rises etc.
Inflation linked with interest rates and exchange rates – Fisher equation and international fisher effect
Focus on ‘spoons’ exported costed in $ to local distributors but priced in local currency.
You have some additional points you can consider in the original assignment brief.
Finally, draw the argument together into the conclusions and make recommendations for the company based on your analysis.

Individual report on the impact of the current economic environment in a chosen country from the perspective of a multinational company (3,500 words). Following the special sessions run by the invited company and using existing data, students will put themselves in a consultancy role and write an economic research report aimed at advising the company on strategy. The report will generally help the client understand the developments in the international macroeconomic environment, identify risks and opportunities and make forward-looking recommendations.
you must finish all steps(first,second,final)
First,
1. You must prepare a preliminary review of the following:
– Client profile of the company Kitchen Craft (part of Lifetime Brands)
– Overview of current largest markets for the sector
– Brief analysis of competition in the sector/industry(local and international)
– Analysis of UK’s international competitiveness in this sector/industry
2. Choose one of the following countries as an expansion target for Kitchen Craftand add your name on the wiki list (first-come-first-served basis!)
o Vietnam, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia
3. For the country chosen:
– Identify status of local competition
Second,
4. Working as a group, you must prepare the following data on the country chosen:
– Determine economic risk factors:
o Recent economic performance developments
? GDP growth
? Sectoral contribution to GDP growth
? Projections for sectors relevant to Kitchen Craft (i.e. retail, kitchen and homewares)
? Household consumption, household incomes
o Public finances
? Budget balance
? External debt
? Credit ratings
o Monetary policy
? Interest rates,money supply (M2), credit growth
? Inflation
? Exchange rates
o External developments
? Balance of Payments accounts breakdown and trends (i.e. trade, FDI, reserves etc)
– Identify relevant aspects of regulatory environment
o Participation in trade agreements, multilateral conventions and regional economic integration
o Tariff and non-tariff barriers applicable
o Ease of doing business
o Market entry restrictions
o Restrictions on FDI, equity ownership and repatriation of profits and proceeds of sales
o Government incentives (concessions on import/ export duties, tax incentives etc.)
– Identify risk factors in the social and political environment
o Corruptionindex ranking
o Country/political riskranking
o Unemployment
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE FOR THE FINAL REPORT
Abstract
Introduction incl. company profile
UK retail sector competitiveness as per point 1 from above
– overview of sector and competitiveness rankings
– discussion of applied theory (comparative advantage, economies of scale, government intervention, gravity model, economic integration etc.)
Analysis of chosen country as per point 4 from above
– Discussion of risk factors with economic theory (where appropriate)
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
here’s some additional advice on writing the assignment.
You need to make sure you have a flowing argument, clearly signposted. Review the transition between sections and paragraphs – don’t jump from one idea to another. Lay out your lines of analysis and follow through.

I suggested you start with Lifetime Brands and its strategy for international expansion. Kitchencraft is part of this strategy, one of its many acquisitions – cue Dunning’s OLI and modes of entry (FDI).
Review the company’s business model – competitors/suppliers + distributors + the role played by exchange rates in the contractual arrangements.
There are clearly two things going on – manufacturing in China, exporting to the UK&US and then re-exporting/retailing in UK&US
Use the theory reviewed to explain competitiveness in manufacturing and exports in China
China exports the most homeware products – as in abs advantage
Look at comparative advantage – productivity (Ricardo) and endowments (H-O)
then it’s New trade theory – internal + external (+ dynamic) economies of scale in China.
You then show with theory the competitiveness in exporting/retailing in UK&US.
Use Porter’s diamond (national competitive advantage) – link back to
This leads on to WEF competitiveness report on UK
This leads to gravity model for the UK trade in which you overview the main factors – income, distance, cultural affinity, economic integration (trade agreements etc.). This allows you to highlight highlight the importance of these factors for your target country.
Now to your target country – overall place in WTO/ international trade architecture, eco integration etc.
Discuss aggregate risks – OECD country risk, World Bank ease of doing business, other country risk evaluations – which inevitably will bring in the economic factors. So then you look deeper into these.
State clearly the line of analysis for the economic indicators – i.e what’s important to ‘you’ (LTB/KC) – household expenditure, economic stability, exch rate volatility. This is to justify the indicators picked (you are not doing all of them!)
GDP, unemployment, consumer confidence
Budget deficit and debt for clues about fiscal policy – tax rises etc.
Inflation linked with interest rates and exchange rates – Fisher equation and international fisher effect
Focus on ‘spoons’ exported costed in $ to local distributors but priced in local currency.
You have some additional points you can consider in the original assignment brief.
Finally, draw the argument together into the conclusions and make recommendations for the company based on your analysis.

Individual report on the impact of the current economic environment in a chosen country from the perspective of a multinational company (3,500 words). Following the special sessions run by the invited company and using existing data, students will put themselves in a consultancy role and write an economic research report aimed at advising the company on strategy. The report will generally help the client understand the developments in the international macroeconomic environment, identify risks and opportunities and make forward-looking recommendations.
you must finish all steps(first,second,final)
First,
1. You must prepare a preliminary review of the following:
– Client profile of the company Kitchen Craft (part of Lifetime Brands)
– Overview of current largest markets for the sector
– Brief analysis of competition in the sector/industry(local and international)
– Analysis of UK’s international competitiveness in this sector/industry
2. Choose one of the following countries as an expansion target for Kitchen Craftand add your name on the wiki list (first-come-first-served basis!)
o Vietnam, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia
3. For the country chosen:
– Identify status of local competition
Second,
4. Working as a group, you must prepare the following data on the country chosen:
– Determine economic risk factors:
o Recent economic performance developments
? GDP growth
? Sectoral contribution to GDP growth
? Projections for sectors relevant to Kitchen Craft (i.e. retail, kitchen and homewares)
? Household consumption, household incomes
o Public finances
? Budget balance
? External debt
? Credit ratings
o Monetary policy
? Interest rates,money supply (M2), credit growth
? Inflation
? Exchange rates
o External developments
? Balance of Payments accounts breakdown and trends (i.e. trade, FDI, reserves etc)
– Identify relevant aspects of regulatory environment
o Participation in trade agreements, multilateral conventions and regional economic integration
o Tariff and non-tariff barriers applicable
o Ease of doing business
o Market entry restrictions
o Restrictions on FDI, equity ownership and repatriation of profits and proceeds of sales
o Government incentives (concessions on import/ export duties, tax incentives etc.)
– Identify risk factors in the social and political environment
o Corruptionindex ranking
o Country/political riskranking
o Unemployment
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE FOR THE FINAL REPORT
Abstract
Introduction incl. company profile
UK retail sector competitiveness as per point 1 from above
– overview of sector and competitiveness rankings
– discussion of applied theory (comparative advantage, economies of scale, government intervention, gravity model, economic integration etc.)
Analysis of chosen country as per point 4 from above
– Discussion of risk factors with economic theory (where appropriate)
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
here’s some additional advice on writing the assignment.
You need to make sure you have a flowing argument, clearly signposted. Review the transition between sections and paragraphs – don’t jump from one idea to another. Lay out your lines of analysis and follow through.

I suggested you start with Lifetime Brands and its strategy for international expansion. Kitchencraft is part of this strategy, one of its many acquisitions – cue Dunning’s OLI and modes of entry (FDI).
Review the company’s business model – competitors/suppliers + distributors + the role played by exchange rates in the contractual arrangements.
There are clearly two things going on – manufacturing in China, exporting to the UK&US and then re-exporting/retailing in UK&US
Use the theory reviewed to explain competitiveness in manufacturing and exports in China
China exports the most homeware products – as in abs advantage
Look at comparative advantage – productivity (Ricardo) and endowments (H-O)
then it’s New trade theory – internal + external (+ dynamic) economies of scale in China.
You then show with theory the competitiveness in exporting/retailing in UK&US.
Use Porter’s diamond (national competitive advantage) – link back to
This leads on to WEF competitiveness report on UK
This leads to gravity model for the UK trade in which you overview the main factors – income, distance, cultural affinity, economic integration (trade agreements etc.). This allows you to highlight highlight the importance of these factors for your target country.
Now to your target country – overall place in WTO/ international trade architecture, eco integration etc.
Discuss aggregate risks – OECD country risk, World Bank ease of doing business, other country risk evaluations – which inevitably will bring in the economic factors. So then you look deeper into these.
State clearly the line of analysis for the economic indicators – i.e what’s important to ‘you’ (LTB/KC) – household expenditure, economic stability, exch rate volatility. This is to justify the indicators picked (you are not doing all of them!)
GDP, unemployment, consumer confidence
Budget deficit and debt for clues about fiscal policy – tax rises etc.
Inflation linked with interest rates and exchange rates – Fisher equation and international fisher effect
Focus on ‘spoons’ exported costed in $ to local distributors but priced in local currency.
You have some additional points you can consider in the original assignment brief.
Finally, draw the argument together into the conclusions and make recommendations for the company based on your analysis.