Strategic analysis of service differentiation in women's clothing retail in Angicos/RN

Abstract

Retail clothing stores typically deal with high competitiveness. Thus, it is important that these companies have well-defined strategies to achieve competitive advantages, aiming for better sales results, customer loyalty, and satisfaction. Female clothing stores in Angicos/RN also deal with high competitiveness due to local competition. Therefore, this research aims to identify the strategic factors that enable these stores to differentiate themselves from competitors through strategic tools: SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and Porter’s Competitive Strategy. For this analysis, a questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with three stores in the city of Angicos, characterizing a multiple case study. As a result, it was found that the main factors influencing clothing purchases in these stores are: customer service, exclusivity of pieces, location, marketing campaigns, installment payment, complementary services, and product quality. This research can contribute by helping stores with characteristics similar to the studied companies to improve their competitive factors for achieving better results, and also contribute academically to the study of strategic tool utilization in small businesses.