Sichuan Province Earthquake Effects On Tourism Tourism Essay

Sichuan Province Earthquake Effects On Tourism Tourism Essay Sichuan province is located in the Sichuans plateau in the inland of Southwest China; it is commonly referred to as the land of abundance. It has an enormous territory and rich in resources and is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in China. This province has several historic and cultural sites and other natural and manmade tourist attraction sites. The attraction sites and the famous Sichuan cuisine normally characterized by hot flavor, and incomparable beauty make the province a wonderland that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. Sichuan is also a major industrial region in China; the province has both heavy and light industries. Plans were underway of developing this region into a high tech industrial centre. A massive earthquake, the famous Wenchuan Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, hit western Sichuan, China in 2008. According to official figures, released 65,185 people were confirmed dead. Over 68,636 of them were from Sichuan province, approximately 374,171 of others were reported injured and scores of others missing. Millions of people were left homeless and a lot of private and public property destroyed, the economic loss incurred was approximated to be over  ¥ 1,000 billion. The earthquake extremely affected all economic sectors in the quake-hit areas and tourism was no exception. Study of the impacts of the quake on tourism enhances the hypothesis of tourism and more significantly serving as the basis for planning and policymaking. Problem statement The earthquake is believed to have killed 54 tourists in Sichuan province. During the period, over ten thousand tourists were stranded and over 30 flights and 300 vehicles used to evacuate them. The tourist industry lost over $ 7.24 billion in the earthquake. With regard to the contribution of tourism to the regions economy, there have been major reconstruction efforts after the earthquake. Destructive catastrophes, such as the Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean (2004), Hurricane Katrina (2005), the Wenchuan Earthquake (2008), the Samoan tsunami (2009), and the Haiti earthquake (2010) have lately put the limelight on natural disasters, with real time TV footage screening the events as they unfold. International media issue warnings to tourists to stay away, while local economies experience immediate and widespread impacts from the loss of tourism earnings, and endure many months of uncertainty before a return to anything resembling normal business operation. Tourism destinations are highly sensitive to interruption by natural disasters because tourism operations are reliant on functioning critical infrastructure, including electricity, sewage, communications and water; lifelines which are inevitably damaged and disrupted for a prolonged period following a damaging event (Ritchie 2009). Flow-on effects from disasters also include significant disruption to the supply and distribution chains of even the most prepared businesses (Lee Harrald 1999). Economic losses are attributable to a decline in damage to infrastructure (Laws et al. 2007). The interdependencies of the tourism industry have been one of its great strengths, allowing it to rapidly expand and diversify. However, natural disasters can produce immediate, cascading failures within the tourism sector that have the ability to reverberate within communities and countries for many months and years. This study highlights physical and social impacts of large magnitude earthquakes. According to Sichuans local media, reconstruction in the Sichuan tourism sector has been separated into three levels. The initial stage was trying to attract the domestic tourists to the quake hit areas, followed by focusing on local tourism enterprises to restore global tourism market. Finally reviving the entire tourism sector by or after the year 2010 and make it the leading sector in the region. This earthquake affected the potential tourists perceptions on the Sichuan tourism many still feel that the destination is not safe enough to visit. The Sichuans tourism agency has to spend a considerable budget to convince the potential tourists that the place is safe to travel and that the attractions are still as appealing as they were before the quake. Objectives of the Research Study The main objective of this study is to investigate the potential tourists perceptions towards the Sichuan tourism after the earthquake. This study has not been carried out there giving rise to the knowledge gap that needs to be filled. The findings from this research will fill this knowledge gap and add to the current literature. Findings from this study will also be very significant in identifying the determinants that can be changed to design the best strategies in order to attract more tourists and satisfy their needs. The Sichuan tourism industry is expected to improve services and develop strategies to attract potential tourists and make them feel comfortable in Sichuan. Specifically the objective of this study is to help understand the potential tourists perception towards the post-earthquake Sichuan tourism, and determine what factors are considered significant by the potential tourists wanting to travel to Sichuan. Conceptual framework Scott, N. Laws, E. (2005). Tourism crises and disasters: Enhancing understanding of system effects. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, vol. 19, (3), pp. 151-160. The conceptual framework above articulates a set of complete values for disaster management strategies, to the benefit of tourism businesses and destination bureaus. This model follows a linear crisis procedure that is pre-event, emergency, intermediate, recovery and resolution. It goes further to provide insights for successfully assisting the tourism industry and the government in putting up disaster management strategies. Strategic implementation comprise of disaster communication and control, stakeholder collaboration and resource management. The tourism industry should learn from experiences such as the Sichuan earthquake. The work of emergency organizations as well as tourism organizations become very crucial, while that of tourism enterprises is usually less critical during pre- or post crisis periods. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Historical background of problem area Tourism in the area accounted for 8% of county gross domestic product prior to the earthquake (Lim, 2009). The earthquake cost Sichuan province US$7 billion in lost tourism revenue (Zhiling Xianyu 2009). In contrast to the consequences of the Chi-Chi earthquake, tourism to the area rebounded in less than a year as domestic visitors flocked to see areas devastated by the quake (Lim, 2009). Government investment in the tourism industry in the region hopes to cash-in on the earthquake tourism phenomenon, with work currently taking place on the construction of a number of earthquake museums in the province, and a quake-relief training centre in Beichuan (Zhiling Xianyu 2008; Lim 2009). Local officials hope to increase tourism earnings to as much as 20% of regional GDP. One local Beichuan man describes his feelings about the earthquake; the earthquake was a catastrophe, but it will be good for the tourist industry (Lim 2009). The travel motivations of domestic Chinese tourists include o bserving the power of nature, to pay their respects to the dead, and to be reminded of the frailty of life (Liu 2009). According to various online news reports, as many as 19 million tourists visited Sichuan province during the National Day celebrations this year (Global Times 2009). The business of earthquake tourism, it seems, is booming in devastated parts of the epicentral region. Tourism disaster management Tourism is a deliberate and peacetime activity, is very susceptible to disparities caused by external environments that may compromise the tourist experience (Santana, 2003). Given that perception is reality in the tourism industry, a negative image results from a catastrophe of any kind, even if inexcusable, and will hinder potential tourists and lead to negative buying behavior. Globalization exposes the tourism industry to greater political, economic, social, and technological changes (Ritchie, 2004). Meanwhile, the butterfly effect further magnifies small-scale crises in one part of the world to other parts. Examples can be found among previous events, regardless of type, such as the Wenchuan Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, hit western Sichuan, China in 2008, and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (Santana, 2003). The negative impact of crises on the tourism industry is more significant among destinations that are highly reliant on tourism as their major sourc e of revenue. The world has become increasingly catastrophe prone (Coombs, 1999: Richardson, 1994) and all the economic sectors are on the edge of chaos, Fink argues (1986), Researchers have provided many definitions for crisis. Faulkner (2001) contended that crises are induced by internal factors, or actions or inactions of the organizations, whereas disasters are by external forces, comprising of natural phenomena. Stafford, Yu, and Armoo (2002) further classified external factors into physical, social, and human environment. According to them natural disasters like those that earthquakes and technological failures are affiliated with crises in the former situation, and confrontations, epidemics and war are allied with crises in the latter situation. Foreign visitors satisfaction Hartman developed a customer satisfaction concept in 1993 that consists of three constructs: the cognitive, affective, and systemic (Hartman, 1993). Customer satisfaction is defined by customers post-purchase assessment of service delivered and comparison of customers expectations and the actual service experience (Hunt 2007).This concept was further refined as the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm by Oliver (2000), with four elements: pre-purchase expectations, perceived performance, disconfirmation and satisfaction. Several approaches to performance analysis in tourism satisfaction such as expectation-performance, importance-performance, disconfirmation approach, and performance-only approach have been used. In terms of travel, Moutinho (1997) notes that this post-purchase construct is primarily a function of pre-travel expectations and travel experiences. Similarly, Pizam, Neumann, and Reichel (1998) define tourist satisfaction as the results of the comparison between a tourists experience at the destination visited and the expectations about the destination. Tourism researches have been interested in measuring the overall levels of tourism satisfaction with their experiences in particular destinations as well as satisfaction with specific attributes at service encounter level such as in a hotel or at an attraction. Foster (2000) while another focus in studying tourism satisfaction is to determine satisfaction with a series of service encounters as experienced in a hotel, in a travel agency or in a tourist attraction (Macintos, 2002). Research interests in methodologies for studying tourism satisfaction have been comprehensive summarized by Kozak (2001).Tourism satisfaction with a destination has been examined as a gap analysis between pre-travel expectations and post travel experiences (Schofield, 1999). Based on the cumulative nature of tourists experiences, Scott, Tian, Wang, and Munson (2005) developed a tourism satisfaction model. Bowen and Clarke (2002) articulated a context Tourism satisfaction level can be attributed to different destination attributes including tangible produces and prices to intangible service quality and the friendliness of the local people (Ryan,1999). The deliveries of good core services alone cannot guarantee customer satisfaction, and overall satisfaction and repurchase intention are differentially influenced by the various service encounters experienced in a chain of service activities (John Tim 2000). Durocher (1994) argued that the speed of recovery depends on three factors: the extent of damage caused by the natural disaster, the efficiency with which tourism partners bring their facilities back online, and an effective marketing message that clearly states that the destination is available to the public (Durocher). Although the first two factors concern the short-term immediate response, the third involves a long-term continuous process that aims to restore consumer confidence. Conventional approaches to crisis management implicitly assume that the primary goal is to restore the precrisis equilibrium level. However, Faulkner and Vikulov (2001) argued that because of the lingering effect of a disaster, trying to achieve the precrisis equilibrium level could be a redundant (or suboptimal) approach with regard to long-term sustainability. The chaos created by a crisis can therefore lead to a creative process with potential for new configurations (Faulkner Vikulov 2001). In other words, the crisis can be an opportunity for innovation, with the launching of new marketing campaigns and development of new products through cooperation with industry partners. These new products and marketing plans should be tailor-made to attract identified key generating markets, because resources are always limited during hard times. Another important strategy is to nurture a healthy and positive relationship with the major media. From the long-term perspective, the restoration of customer confidence is the focus of post disaster recovery, and this can only be done by building a positive image of the destination (Santana, 2003). By inviting major media to visit the area affected, not only the availability of the destination is demonstrated but also the elimination of travel barriers for potential tourists.Although often associated with enjoyment, pleasure, relaxation, and safety, tourism is by nature an industry susceptible to variations in the external environment, including crises and disasters (Santana, 2003.). In times of unpredictable events, government plays an essential role in the response and recovery stages needed to minimize damage and bring life back to normal (Peterson, 1995). The reaction of government agencies and the tourism industry is a critical topic in tourism crisis management that has not ye t been fully addressed (Faulkner,2001). This study represents one of the first attempts to fill this research gap by examining the post earthquake tourists perceptions of Sichuan tourism. METHODOLOGY The study will be a qualitative research, as the qualitative methods will be more appropriate in understanding meanings and experiences relevant to the research. Quantitative methods might however be used if the need arises. Qualitative methods have however, been criticized for not having the scientific firmness. Some researchers have gone further in an attempt to provide systematic approaches to assess its quality. McInnins-Dittrich (1996), for example, identified several dimensions along with which the reliability of quality studies can be assessed: transferability, dependability, credibility, authenticity, and conformability. Guided by the above-mentioned principles, the research will recognize the importance of providing reliable, verifiable, and credible data. The research design will involve a mixed methods approach to help understand the potential tourists perception towards the post-earthquake Sichuan Tourism. To provide an in-depth interpretation of the aims, certain variables will be identified to ensure that all data is utilized successfully to reach the goals of this study, these variables include visitor characteristics, trip characteristics, satisfaction, factors that influence the visitors decision to visit a destination, and Sichuans tourism marketing image. These variables will be fundamentally developed from the examination of previous literature, and the needs for further research as expressed by Sichuan Tourism Administration. Data collection Secondary and primary data collection methods will be used in the research study. The secondary methods to be employed will include literature review, and policy and legislative analysis. Primary methods will include focus group discussions stakeholder consultations, and focused interviews with key informants, interviews with potential tourists in different regions and surveying the attitudes and beliefs across various regions. Survey Considering the questions to be answered by this research, a comprehensive social cultural instrument will be developed. Perceptions, attitudes, and opinion questionnaire (PAOQ) will be informed by literature review and the social cultural factors that are relevant to the target regions. They will also be scientifically validated before administering them across a representative sample in each target region. Using a likert scale, the PAOQ will be a self-reporting assessment of perceptions, attitudes and the opinions of the potential tourists that will be designed for both domestic and international tourists from different regions. The questionnaire will contain several sections: post earthquake perceptions, the attitudes to the Sichuan tourism, opinion on the required action to promote the tourist attractions. The researcher hopes to administer the questionnaires within group settings. Sampling method will be used for the PAOQ. The researcher aims to administer 500 questionnaires across the targeted regions. The questionnaires distribution will depend on the regions population with regions with the high population getting more questionnaires. The researcher also aims for 50-50 representation of the males and females. The key variable will include gender, education, socioeconomic status, age and rural/ urban. Data analysis The researcher will then analyze the PAOQ data using the statistics package for social sciences version 16. The given variables will be analyzed and their contribution to the topic measured. Frequencies will be used to provide the statistics and graphical displays that will be useful in describing the variables to be measured. Cross tabulation, method will also be employed to measure the association of variables. To investigate the possible gender effects, ANOVAs test will be used and conducted between the men and the women on all dependent variables. Differences between the childhood sexual abuse group and the non- childhood sexual abuse group in interpersonal, social, and dynamic personality will be examined using a one-way ANOVA test. The researcher however has the mandate to use any other data analysis technique depending on the kind of data that will be obtained from the field Summary This chapter has described the methodological approaches that will be used to investigate the main objectives of this study. Both objectives will predominantly use qualitative method but where need be the quantitative methods will be employed. It also explains how data will be collected that is through primary and secondary methods. Further describes the researchers survey. Finally, the methods and tolls of data analysis are fully explained research findings and interpretation will be discussed in the next chapter. SECTION 5: BUDGET In order to complete this research, certain amount of budget will be required and the estimate cost is as below: AMOUNT (AUD) ITEMS USD 400.00 Computer and Econometric Software 1. USD 300.00 Conference , accommodation and travel 2. USD 600.00 Data Collection , travelling cost , Stationeries and data analysis 3. USD 1300.00 TOTAL SECTION 6: TIMELINE MARC,2010-APRIL,2011 MARC,2011-APRIL,2012 MARC,2012-APRIL,2013 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 QTR1 QTR2 QTR3 QTR4 Candidature Proposal Literature Review Phase 1* Phase 2* Phase3* Thesis Write Up Final Touch UP Submission Phase1*: Data collection Phase 2*: Data Analysis Phase 3*: Thesis Starts to Write up

The Fmcg Industry Of Netherland Marketing Essay

The Fmcg Industry Of Netherland Marketing Essay This Global/ Country Study and Report is prepared as the partial fulfillment for Forth Semester of degree Program of Masters of Business Administration curriculum of GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY. The topic of the project is FMCG Industry in Netherland. Here, the project report on Netherland, we have tried our level best to Collect information from it and prepare this report as an error free report; We assured that all information is trusted: every effort has been made to offer the most authenticate position with accuracy. During the whole project period we got a lot of knowledge and came to know about the reality of the mining industry of the country. Acknowledgement The successful completion of a Global Country Project Report requires guidance help from a number of people. We were fortunate to have all the support from our faculty, therefore take this opportunity to express our profound sense of gratitude to the all those who extended their whole hearted help and support to us in completing the project study report work on FMCG Industry in Netherland. We also express our deep sense of gratitude to Prof. Ramzan Samaa (Guide Faculty), who has helped us to do our project. We also thank to other faculty of L J Institute of Management Studies respondents for his valuable help in each stage of the project. Because of his co-operation and continuous guidance successful completion of this project study report was made possible. No Acknowledge would suffice for the support of my family members, classmates friends. Lastly, we extend our thanks to all whose name have not been mentioned in successful way carrying out the project report. Index Sr No. Particulars Page No. 1. The FMCG industry of Netherland Introduction 7 2. Upgrades on major mines in North Korea 15 3. The North Korea Mining Business Projects Between Korean Mining Projects Foreign Company Mining Projects 26 4. The outlook for Inter Korean Mining Corporation 34 5. The Indian Mining Industry- Market Opportunities Entry 36 6. Future Prospects 38 7. Conclusion 39 Introduction of FMCG Industry Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or consumer packaged goods (CPG) are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost . Examples include non-durable goods such as soft drinks, and grocery items. Though the absolute profit made on FMCG products is relatively small, they are generally sold in large quantities, and so the cumulative profit on such products can be substantial. Fast-moving consumer electronics are a type of FMCG and are typically low priced generic or easily substitutable consumer electronics, including lower end mobile phones, MP3 players, game players, and digital cameras, which have a short usage life, typically a year or less, and as such are disposable. Cheap FMCG electronics are often retained even after immediate failure, as the purchaser rationalizes the decision to not return the goods on the basis that the goods were cheap to begin with, and that the cost of return relative to the low cost of purchase is high. Thus low-quality electronic FMCG goods can be highly profitable for the vendors. The term FMCGs refers to those retail goods that are generally replaced or fully used up over a short period of days, weeks, or months, and within one year. This contrasts with durable goods or major appliances such as kitchen appliances, which are generally replaced over a period of several years. FMCG have a short shelf life, either as a result of high consumer demand or because the product deteriorates rapidly. Some FMCGs-such as meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and baked goods-are highly perishable. Other goods such as alcohol, toiletries, pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, and cleaning products have high turnovers rates. An excellent example is a news papers-every days newspaper carries different content, making one useless just one day later, necessitating a new purchase every day. The following are the main characteristics of FMCGs: From the consumers perspective: Frequent purchase Low involvement (little or no effort to choose the item products with strong brand loyalty are exceptions to this rule) Low price From the marketers angle: High volumes Low contribution margins Extensive distribution networks High stock turnover Introduction of FMCG Industry in Netherland The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market in Europe is highly competitive. This market is quite saturated, with thight margins and difficult to predict consumer behavior. The battle to win consumers is forcing companies to give highest priority to cost reduction, risk management and logistics efficiency. Moreover, the recession has changed the behaviour of almost all consumers. Instead of impulsive shopping, price value trade-offs and extensive search for value are nowadays leading. In this respect, you can imagine that e-tailing and e-commerce are becoming more and more trending topics. Online presence of companies has improved enormously in recent years. Every company which delivers their products to end-consumers has its own webshop. MediaMarkt, the electronica retail chain with a franchise-formula, part of the German METRO Group, was one of the last large retail chains which hasnt a webshop untill now. Their invisibility on the web was due to regional price differences of their products. Up to now, because even the MediaMarkt now opened its webshop. Other examples are the British company, The Body Shop, which started last November with their webshop in the Netherlands. Its important to take care of reinforcement between online and offline shop, instead of the other way around. On the other hand, companies with a pure online focus, like bol.com and wehkamp.nl, are reaching the highest turnover levels. A recent research of JP Morgan reveals that the worldwide growth of e-commerce in 2011 will be 19%. In 2012 this growth will be more than 20%. The online sales in the US and Europe will grow at a stable level, but Asia will emerge as a growing e-commerce market. Regarding e-commerce in Europe, the main importance and presence in this segment is coming from West-Europe. In this are, the market is expected to grow with 11% per year in the coming four years. The turnover from online shopping in Western Europe in 2009 was equal to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 68bln. The most popular products to buy online are books, event-tickets and clothing. Recent transactions in the e-commerce market support the above statement. In 2007 Sanoma acquired mrticket.nl, an online ticketing agency. In 2010, the Italian company Arnoldo Mondadori Editore acquired Mondolibri, active in the book segment. Recently, Sanoma Digital acquired (a part of) No Search, an internet marketing company, active in the development of several fashion portals like Fashionchick.nl. As mentioned earlier, online fashion is a high growth segment in the e-commerce market. Based on recent transactions in the e-commerce market, the estimated EBITDA multiple for mid-market companies is on average around 6-8 times EBITDA. Despite the international character of the European e-commerce market, only 7% of all European consumers buy their products in webshops in other EU-countries. Probably, this number will rise in coming years. Looking at the Dutch e-commerce market, youll see that the Netherlands are rather active in this online segment, because 71% of all consumers buy products online. An important reason for the growth of the e-commerce market is the trust that consumers have in the security regarding payments. Just 7% of the Dutch population is worried about this financial security. In the Netherlands, since several years an online secure payment system exists, callled iDeal, which means that customers can easily connect with their bank to make safe online payments. This type of payment is an important succes factor in the e-commerce market. To further realise growth in the e-commerce market in the future, it will be important to develop a cross-channel strategy in the coming years. Consumers will buy offline as well as online and mobile commerce is a new channel, which will develop in the near future. In the Netherlands 69% of the consumers buy products via 2 or more different channels, in the US this percentage is even higher, 78%. In general, for the retail sector, branding and customer loyalty are important factors for success. Nowadays, social media is used to reinforce branding and to promote several in-store loyalty programs as well as customer loyalty programs. In the near future, social media could be used as well for sharing online purchasing activities. Recently, wehkamp.nl has invested in social shopping applications in their webshop, so that customers can shop online together with friends, or could start a private shopping session. Other key factors, which are important to realise the predicted growth in the future are the focus on expansion in other countries as well as a variety of segments in different webshops. Furthermore, the e-commerce segment is of interest to several private equity clubs. It is expected that this will lead to consolidation in the market, which will lead to larger e-commerce companies and a stronger competitiveness in the market. Figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that retail turnover was nearly 1 percent higher in August 2012 than in the same month last year. Prices rose by 1.9 percent, while the volume of sales fell by 1 percent. The favourable shopping-day pattern had a positive effect on turnover in August this year. After correction for this effect, turnover is nearly 2 percent lower, and the volume is around 4 percent lower. Compared with August 2011, turnover in non-food shops was nearly 5 percent lower. The decrease in turnover in the first eight months of 2012 is now just under 4 percent. The largest drop in turnover was reported by shops selling home furnishings; their turnover was 13 percent down on August last year. Textile supermarkets and clothes shops, too, experienced large decreases in turnover. Chemists were the only shops that saw turnover increase. For shops selling food, drink and tobacco turnover rose by 7 percent. After adjustment for the effects of shopping-days, however, this drops to only 2 percent. Prices in these shops rose by 1.5 percent, while the increase in volume was limited. Turnover for mail order companies and internet retailers rose by 9 percent, for petrol stations it grew by nearly 4 percent. FMCG companies/Retail stores in Netherland HEMA (originally an acronym for Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, Dutch Standard Prices Company Amsterdam) is a Dutch discount retail chain that started life as a dimestore. It was part of the Maxeda company until June 2007, when it was bought by Lion Capital LLP. The chain is characterized by relative low pricing of generic housewares, which are mostly made by and for the chain itself, often combined with original design. The first HEMA opened in Amsterdam on 4 November 1926, set up by the Jewish owners of the luxury department store De Bijenkorf. Originally, as a price-point retailer at prime locations in town centers, goods were sold using standard prices (hence its name), with everything having a Standard price of 10, 25 or 50 cents, and later also 75 and 100 cents. The relative economic boom in the Netherlands in the period 1900-1930 benefited HEMA. Branches http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/HEMA_interieur.JPG/220px-HEMA_interieur.JPG http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf12/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png Since the 1990s, HEMA has also expanded into neighboring countries. HEMA branches by country per 2011: Netherlands: 445 Belgium: 88 Germany: 10 (in 2013) Luxembourg: 4 (in 2013) France: 16 (in 2013) De Bijenkorf De Bijenkorf (literally, the beehive) is a chain of high-end department stores in the Netherlands with its flagship store on Dam Square, Amsterdam. It was founded by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845-1889). De Bijenkorf flagship store on Dam Square in Amsterdam De Bijenkorf was founded in 1870 by Simon Philip Goudsmit (1845-1889), starting as a small haberdashery shop at 132 Nieuwendijk, one of Amsterdams oldest streets. Initially limited to yarn and ribbons and employing a staff of four, the stock expanded gradually. After the death of Goudsmit in 1889, Goudsmits widow expanded the business with the help of a cousin, Arthur Isaac, and her son Alfred, eventually purchasing adjacent buildings. In 1909, these connecting shops were replaced by a new building. That same year, a temporary building was erected on the site of the demolished Beurs van Zocher, and construction of a new store commenced beside it. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Lahayebijenkorf19.JPG/120px-Lahayebijenkorf19.JPG http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf12/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png De Bijenkorf in The Hague Rotterdam store, 1930-1940 A third store opened in Rotterdam in 1930, designed by Willem Dudok. 700,000 people attended the ceremony. The store was heavily damaged in the Rotterdam Blitz of 1940. The intact part of the store remained open to business until 1957, but was cleared in 1960 to build the Rotterdam Metro. A new store was designed by Hungarian-American architect Marcel Breuer (1902-1981). As of 2012, de Bijenkorf has 12 stores nationwide. The oldest and largest branches, situated in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam have retail space ranging between 15,000 and 21,000 square meters. Smaller stores (7,500-10,000 m ² of retail space) can be found in Amstelveen, Arnhem, Eindhoven, Enschede, Utrecht and Maastricht. The branches in Breda, Den Bosch and Groningen specialize in fashion (3,000 m ² retail space). Metz Co Metz Co is a department store in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, founded in 1740 by Mozes Samuels who sold his company to his three sons in 1794. Metz Co. has the right to display the Dutch royal coat of arms with the legend By Royal Warrant Purveyor to the Royal Household since 1815. To celebrate its 150th anniversary in 1890 the store moved to a new location on the Leidsestraat, where the company is still located. One of the first designers was Paul Bromberg (1893-1949), he became famous as a author and promotor of Decorative Arts and Interior Design. The distinctive cupola on the stores roof was built in the 1930s and designed by Dutch artist Gerrit T. Rietveld. Metz Co celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1990 by launching its own fragrance. The roof of the store doubles as an exclusive location for wedding ceremonies. Introduction of FMCG industry in India India is one of the largest emerging markets, with a population of over one billion. India is one of the largest economies in the world in terms of purchasing power and has a strong middle class base of 300 million. FMCG companies operate in a highly competitive and fast-changing environment. In order to stay ahead, they need to regularly renew their product portfolio to suit the ever changing needs and preferences of their customers. ValueNotes has executed in-depth research in many segments of the FMCG industry and can help you keep your finger on the pulse of your existing consumers; identify new markets for your products; track the activities of your competitors; and monitor industry trends. India a large consumer goods spender An average Indian spends around 40 per cent of his income on grocery and 8 per cent on personal care products. The large share of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in total individual spending along with the large population base is another factor that makes India one of the largest FMCG markets. FMCG Category and products Household Care Fabric wash (laundry soaps and synthetic detergents); household cleaners (dish/utensil cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, insecticides and mosquito repellents, metal polish and furniture polish). Food and Health beverages; soft drinks; staples/cereals; Beverages bakery products (biscuits, bread, cakes); snack food; chocolates; ice cream; tea; coffee; soft drinks; processed fruits, vegetables; dairy products; bottled water; branded flour; branded rice; branded sugar; juices etc. Personal Care Oral care, hair care, skin care, personal wash (soaps); cosmetics and toiletries; deodorants; Perfumes; feminine hygiene; paper products. INDIA COMPETITIVENESS AND COMPARISON WITH THE WORLD MARKETS Materials availability India has a diverse agro-climatic condition due to which there exists a wide-ranging and large raw material base suitable for food processing industries. India is the largest producer of livestock, milk, sugarcane, coconut, spices and cashew and is the second largest producer of rice, wheat and fruits vegetables. India also has an ample supply of caustic soda and soda ash, the raw materials in the production of soaps and detergents India produced 1.6 million tonnes of caustic soda in 2003-04. Tata Chemicals, one of the largest producers of synthetic soda ash in the world is located in India. The availability of these raw materials gives India the locational advantage. Cost competitiveness Labour cost comparison Source: DIPP. Apart from the advantage in terms of ample raw material availability, existence of low-cost labour force also works in favour of India. Labour cost in India is amongst the lowest in Asian countries. Easy raw material availability and low labour costs have resulted in a lower cost of production. Many multi-nationals have set up large low cost production bases in India to outsource for domestic as well as export markets. Leveraging the cost advantage Global major, Unilever, sources a major portion of its product requirements from its Indian subsidiary, HLL. In 2003-04, Unilever outsourced around US$ 218 million of home and personal care along with food products to leverage on the cost arbitrage Opportunities with the West. To take another case, Procter Gamble (PG) outsourced the manufacture of Vicks Vaporub to contract manufacturers in Hyderabad, India. This enables PG to continue exporting Vicks Vaporub to Australia, Japan and other Asian countries, but at more competitive rates, whilst maintaining its high quality and cost efficiency. Presence across value chain Indian firms also have a presence across the entire value chain of the FMCG industry from supply of raw material to final processed and packaged goods, both in the personal care products and in the food processing sector. For instance, Indian firm Amuls product portfolio includes supply of milk as well as the supply of processed dairy products like cheese and butter. This makes the firms located in India more cost competitive. FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS POLICY India has enacted policies aimed at attaining international competitiveness through lifting of the quantitative restrictions, reduced excise duties, automatic foreign investment and food laws resulting in an environment that fosters growth. 100 per cent export oriented units can be set up by government approval and use of foreign brand names is now freely permitted. TRENDS AND PLAYERS The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy and creates employment for three million people in downstream activities. Within the FMCG sector, the Indian food processing industry represented 6.3 per cent of GDP and accounted for 13 per cent of the countrys exports in 2003-04. A distinct feature of the FMCG industry is the presence of most global players through their subsidiaries (HLL, PG, Nestle), which ensures new product launches in the Indian market from the parents portfolio. Critical operating rules in Indian FMCG sector à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Heavy launch costs on new products on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Majority of the product classes require very low investment in fixed assets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Existence of contract manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing assumes a significant place in the brand building process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extensive distribution networks and logistics are key to achieving a high level of penetration in both the urban and rural markets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Factors like low entry barriers in terms of low capital investment, fiscal incentives from government and low brand awareness in rural areas have led to the mushrooming of the unorganised sector à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Providing good price points is the key to success THE TOP 10 COMPANIES IN FMCG SECTOR S. NO. Companies 1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2. ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) 3. Nestlà © India 4. GCMMF (AMUL) 5. Dabur India 6. Asian Paints (India) 7. Cadbury India 8. Britannia Industries 9. Procter Gamble Hygiene and Health Care 10. Marico Industries Market Summary Approximately 80 percent of the Dutch food retail outlets are full service supermarkets, operating on floor space between 500 and 1,500 square meters located downtown and in residential areas. The remaining 20 percent includes superstores located in industrial parks, convenience stores near human traffic and department stores. In Belgium, full service supermarkets, like Colruyt and AD Delhaize, account for an estimated 75 percent of the market. The share of superstores and convenience stores in Belgium is higher than in the Netherlands, an estimated 25%. In Luxembourg, full service supermarkets like Cactus, Alvo and Match dominate the market as well. In all three markets, independent food retail stores are increasingly leaving the scene. On-going consolidation in the retail market, changing consumer demands and shrinking margins seem to drive this trend. The top 3 biggest retailers in the Netherlands, Albert Heijn, C1000, and Jumbo [1] , have a market share of 56 percent. The market for discounters like Aldi and Lidl has stabilized around 15%. Also discounters like Bas van der Heijden, Dirk van den Heijden and Digros were able to maintain their share of the market. In Belgium, the leading 3 retailers have 75 percent of the market. The market share of the discounters in Belgium is about 40% where Colruyt saw its market share growing at the expense of Aldi and Lidl. Recent market share figures for Luxembourg were not available when writing the report. Table 1: Market Shares of Leading Food Retailers in 2010 Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg Company Name Market Share Company Name Market share Company Name No. of Stores Albert Heijn 31.1% Carrefour 29.0% Delhaize 30 C1000 14.9% Delhaize 25.0% Cactus 18 Jumbo 9.9% Colruyt 23.5% Match 14 Aldi 8.5% Aldi 12.5% Alvo 11 Plus 6.1% Lidl 4.0% Smatch 8 Lidl 5.5% Louis Delhaize 3.0% Cora 2 Other 23.8% Other 3.0% Auchan 1 Total 100.0% Total 100.0% Higher Prices For Food Products The turnover of the Benelux food retail industry in 2009 was an estimated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬52.7 billion (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬31.1 billion in the Netherlands, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬21.1 billion in Belgium and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.5 billion in Luxembourg). For 2010 turnover is expected to increase by 1.5%. Reasons for this moderate growth: Expected moderate increase of the unemployment rate Limited economic growth Consumers plan to spend more food euros at retail than foodservice Due to the current economic situation the growth of value-added products has decreased at the expense of more basic products. Table 2: Turnover Benelux food retail, past 5 years 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 44.1 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 45.7 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 47.7 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50.5 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 52,7 billion The trend of higher prices for raw materials and therefore consumer products, as discussed in the previous Food Retail report, seems to have stopped. Benelux consumer prices rank among the cheapest within the EU-27. Changing Consumer Needs In addition to the fact that Benelux consumers are shedding retailer-loyalty, they shop at different times and locations. During lunch breaks, people buy their lunch and often the ingredients for that eveningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s meal. Small convenience stores, like AH To Go and Delhaize shop à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾n go are opened at locations near heavy traffic like train stations, schools, and shopping malls to satisfy these consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs. The traditional neighborhood grocery stores are either going out of business, are taken over or are changing their product portfolio. They are expanding the grocery line of fresh and convenient prepared-foods with tailor-made sandwiches, filled tortillas and drinks to satisfy the consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ need for food for now. The ready-to-cook segment is also expanding. Awareness of Health and Well-Being Consumers are becoming more aware of and are more concerned about the effects food has on their health and well-being. There is a trend to a healthier lifestyle in Western countries. The following US industries have all benefitted from this trend: nuts (like pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.), fruits (like cranberries, pomegranates, berries, etc.), seafood (like salmon, halibut, etc.). Consumers are more cautious about foodborne illnesses. Consumers are looking for and finding more information on this topic; the media, including the Internet, TV and magazines, respond to this desire and feed into it. Food processors and retailers play a crucial role as well, as they develop and market food products (like juices from POMwonderfull, Healthy People, etc.) to create, anticipate and meet consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs. Climate Change Carbon Footprint Labeling Last year the European Commission conducted a survey on mandatory Carbon Footprint Labeling (CFL). Popular support for CFLl by country, varied between 47% to 90% of all 27,000 Europeans that were interviewed. Seventy percent of the respondents in Belgium and Luxemburg were supportive of a mandatory label whereas this was only supported by half of the Dutch interviewees. The latter, on the other hand, were after the Finnish the most likely (28%) to prefer a voluntary labeling system. After the December 2009 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the discussion on CFL got a new boost. Belgian federal Minister of Climate and Energy, Mr. Paul Magnette, stated that in addition to the price, the CO2 emission should also be mentioned on each product. This way, consumers become aware and see to what extent the products they buy influence global warming. Carbon Footprint Labeling is not (yet) an issue in the Netherlands. The government hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t come out with a statement or position on CFL. It seems that all the individual stakeholders are waiting for the other to make the first move. Within the EU-27, the U.K. and Sweden are taking a leading role in CFL. For more information on Sweden, see GAIN Report SW9016. The overall labeling requirements for the Benelux can be found in the following GAIN Reports: NL9020 and GAIN BE9004. Advantages and Challenges of the Benelux Food Retail Market Advantages Challenges Sector Strengths Market Opportunities: Sector Weaknesses and Competitive Threats: Expected slight recovery of the economy in the EU import regulation and tariffs. EU Benelux is a promising prospect (expecially enlargement has given and will give compared to some other EU economies) for the preferential access to products from retail industry. new member countries. Affluent, open minded and curious consumers create Discounters are the fastest growing opportunities for new products. segment in the Benelux retail market; margins continue to be under pressure. The region has an excellent infrastructure which Competition is growing from non-food offers great opportunities. retail players like IKEA, HEMA, VD and Bijenkorf as they enter the food market. Greater demand for healthy food products not or not The industry is highly consolidated and suffiently available on the local EU market; e.g. therefore has a strong negotiating seafood, tree nuts, (exotic) fruit, vegetables, juices, position and good contacts. Road Map For Market Entry Entry Strategy Success in introducing your product in the Benelux market depends mainly on knowledge of the market and building personal contact with knowledgeable and established importers. Prior to any export, invest in research that analyzes the Benelux food culture (concepts, flavor, price, requirements). Once the product has been chosen, be aware of fierce competition. There are tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that can complicate exporting to the Benelux. An importer knows the market, the trade barriers and the required documentation. The Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA) offers guidelines on business practices and import regulations. For a complete overview of offered reports, see Section V of this report. Market Structure Supermarkets and Superstores The vast majority of supermarkets and superstores buy foreign (specialty) products via specialized importers. This is especially the case for retail-ready consumer-oriented products like sauces, beverages and snack products. Convenience stores operate, in general, on a much smaller scale and therefore buy smaller quantities through wholesalers. Department stores work either

Negative Aspects of The Iraq War Essay -- essays research papers

By attacking Iraq, the United States has shown that they are no better than the villain Saddam Hussein. The assaults on Iraq were criminal and wicked acts while they were also unjust and unnecessary. In an attempt to overthrow Hussein and end his cruel reign of terror, the US sent in an armed military force. Since the beginning of the war, there have been over 3334 military fatalities for the US alone. The US has caused as many, if not more, civilian deaths in Iraq than Hussein did, and in the process we have lost many of our soldiers, in addition to the twenty-six thousand wounded. As England and many other countries try to help us with our fruitless quest, they also lose their soldiers. Not only may soldiers be hurt physically, the images they see in Iraq haunt them forever mentally. Our country had a huge surplus of money before the war started, but now we are in a colossal deficit. This is due to the fact that there were immense funds involved, therefore depriving every one of our country?s inhabitants of the money that is rightfully theirs. It is true that Hussein ruled tyr...

Reality TV :: Television Media

Whether we watch a group of people live together in a house (big brother), or watch them build the house (the Block), reality television exposes that little peeping tom in all of us. Reality TV satisfies that instinct of prying into the personal affairs of others, and the reality of reality television is that as humans we enjoy this. Reality TV is not much different from normal programs, like any program, reality television has the essentials, it has a mix of characters, it puts those characters in situation, and the result is usually a failure or success. But the catch of reality television is that the characters are real people, the story is not scripted, and with any failure or successes comes emotion. But does this reality TV revolution present the viewers with real life? Or does it present what the TV producers want the viewers to see? Reality TV is built on the foundations of exposing and exciting human emotions. In this aspect reality TV has successfully portrayed human emotions. The cameras have captured all features of being humans. For example, Survivor consists mainly of emotions associated with survival, leadership, the failure and success as co-operating as a team. The cameras have successfully conveyed to the audience all these emotions, and the stories connected with these emotions. There is no doubt that reality TV presents the viewers with small aspects of real life. Reality TV provides the viewers with true conflicts and emotions that have been felt. However, in the attempt to portray all traits of real life, I believe reality TV often fails. There are many contributing factors to this failure. There is the reality that like any show, reality TV’s goal is to obtain and keep viewers. With only an approximate hour of television each week it is difficult to include all stories. Therefore storylines and parts are often cut out, edited or deleted. This not only helps by keeping the show to the hour, it also is used to obtain the most interesting show. By doing this TV stations secure viewers and can get more advertising money. The result is we don’t always hear the absolute truth to any story. Some aspects of reality TV are cut because they threaten our idea about a character. For example in Big Brother there may be a character that is disliked and is receiving many phone votes.

Clamence from The Fall by Albert Camus Essay -- Jean-Baptiste Clamence

Clamence from The Fall by Albert Camus The Fall, a 1957 novel written by Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus, is a story based on confession. The main character, Jean-Baptiste Clamence, portrays himself to be the epitome of good citizenship and acceptable behavior and now he has come to face the reality that his existence has been deeply seated in hypocrisy. Clamence also openly enjoys the wealth of cheap dreams that the prostitutes and bars his Amsterdam home has to offer. In a bar called Mexico City, Clamence begins to recall his life as a respected lawyer, supposedly immune to judgment. There are different theories on whether Clamence recalls his life to himself or to another person, but it is in fact a random acquaintance from the bar that Clamence shares stories of his life’s triumphs and failures. While Clamence is in the bar, he asks another person who is trying to order a drink if he "may offer his services without running the risk of intruding" because unless the man authorizes him to perform his services, the bartender will not guess that he wants gin. The service Clamence is referring to is his ability to speak Dutch, the only language the bartender speaks and understands. What suggests that Clamence is speaking to another person in the bar is the fact that if someone wants to do something, they do not need to be given permission by himself. If a person feels they are not allowed to do something, it is because one of two reasons. One, the person might feel the action is inappropriate and that would directly deal with that persons set of morals and discipline. Secondly, the person might not be allowed to perform the task by the person it would deal with and that would have to do with power of authori... ...nce states that he is "embarrassed to be in bed when you arrive." This quote clearly states that Clamence is in one location and another person enters this place unexpectedly and catches him by surprise, thus causing the embarrassment of possibly an unkempt house or a unattractive personal appearance due to the sickness. The reason why there are two people present is because Clamence says "you" which means he is addressing some one else. Although different theories on whether or not Clamence is alone when he recalls his life may exist, it is in fact an acquaintance that he shares his life with. In order for Camus' choice of wording that deal with ownership and possession and by definition of key words such as "secret" to be used in accordance with rules of proper grammar, another person must be present for the meaning of the words to be applied correctly.

Celia Behind Me Essay

Bulling has become a bigger and bigger problem and there is not much to do about it, especially when you know you are the next in line for being bullied. What would you do for not ending there? This short story, Celia Behind Me, deals with the problems of the youth. What it’s like trying to be accepted by your friends and classmates. How there is one to be teased. And how innocent-looking children sometimes act desperately towards a person standing in their way of being accepted into the best clique of the school. Also discussed in this story, is the parent’s role in the upbringing of child. How should parents react, when being told that their child has done something completely wrong? The short story is written in the 1st person seen from Elizabeth’s point of view with access to her thoughts and feelings. Elizabeth is the only one that we have access to. The story is written in the past tense as if Elizabeth has grown up and is telling a story from her childhood. The story is written in a chronological line with no flashbacks. We are starting with a small presentation of Celia and how Elizabeth and the other girls feel about her. We are getting strong feelings of dislike of her and that she is an annoying girl who always running behind the others. The themes in the short story are being the next in line and group pressure. In the text, it is Elizabeth that is the next in line to be bullied, and if she doesn’t harass Celia then she will be the victim. Elizabeth is afraid of being left behind What if they always ran ahead and left us to walk together? and she knows that she is the next obvious victim of the others harassment. Elizabeth is also a bit chubby and wears classes, so if Celia ever stops being the victim – they would go after her. So Elizabeth does everything to keep up with the others. Elizabeth is the one who teases Celia the most just to show the others that she doesn’t like her at all. Elizabeth behaves the way she does because she always has to remind the others that she is a part of their group. She is pressured by the group to do what they want her to do, or she will be the one who will be harassed. Some symbols are used in the title. In the story we are told that Celia is running behind the girls on the way home, always a step behind and not accepted. And when Elizabeth is telling the others to stop throwing snowballs at Celia she is misunderstanding for kindness and is trailing after her even more. But the title could also imply that Celia is behind Elizabeth as if she is â€Å"having her back†. Celia is the only reason that Elizabeth isn’t the one who is being harassed and if Celia was a â€Å"normal† girl Elizabeth would be the victim. This story is about many aspects of puberty, problems at school, problems with parents, problems with acceptance. It’s so important for a young kid to be accepted by the people surrounding you. When you see a child constantly being teased, it’s hard not to feel compassion with him/her. Some feel that they have to try to protect this person from being teased. It’s quite obvious in this story, where Elizabeth has an ambiguous mind. In one way she feels obliged to protect Celia, but she also feels this hatred towards her, because she’s always just behind her. She can’t get rid of her. Elizabeth feels split between her own thoughts and the thoughts her parents try to put into her head. In the end of the story Elizabeth is so mad and frustrated by Celia and about how the others are running ahead when she is brushing the snow off her schoolbag. And again Elizabeth is left back with Celia who starts crying and is getting scared. All the other girls are standing on the bridge calling her â€Å"Sucky† and shouting that she has to take care of Celia. Elizabeth gets so angry that she starts yelling all kinds of bad things at Celia and she even starts shaking Celia and banging her head against the cold metal in the tunnel. Elizabeth’s parents are clearly in favour of physical punishment and they both spank Elizabeth to punish her, but also to get out with their aggression about the terrible event that their daughter has made. The mother also says â€Å"I’ll never be able to lift my head on this street again!† (P.5, l.159) It is clear that the mother thinks a lot about what all the others on the street will now think and it is clear that she is very shocked. And it seems like they are more upset about what happened than they will find out why it happened. At the of the story end Celia dies. Elizabeth has never forgiven Celia for making her a victim of the classmates’ victimization. Elizabeth was seen together with Celia and because of that the classmates start bullying her again.

Human Trafficking Essay Essay

Human trafficking is the fastest increasing criminal industry in today’s world, coming in second after illegal drug-trade. This type of slavery has been traced back to the ancient Mesopotamian and Mediterranean civilization and has continued to grow. What is human trafficking? Commonly referred to as â€Å"modern-day slavery† is the illegal trade of human beings for forced labor or for exploitation. Exploitation referring to the using others for prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, or the removal of organs. Woman and young children living in poverty are the ones who usually fall in the trap of the traffickers. Due to poverty many women are not educated and are not employed leaving them with no choice but to sell their bodies to provide for their families. An approximate of 17,500 foreigners are trafficked each year in the United States alone, the number of United States citizens trafficked within the United States are even higher. Human trafficking is a near-guaranteed death due HIV and AIDS women are infected with. Governments around the world are just beginning to address this problem and have realized just how strong this type of slavery has become. Poverty is the leading cause in human trafficking. It has been documented that poverty leads to a lack of education leading to no employment and that leading to sex trafficking by fighting poverty many believe that there will be an end to sex trafficking too. Women living in poverty countries will not be looking into sex driven businesses for employment. â€Å"Trafficking is inextricably linked to poverty. Wherever privation and economic hardship prevail, there will be those destitute and desperate enough to enter into the fraudulent employment schemes that are the most common intake systems in the world of trafficking.† (The United States Agency for International Development) In Kenya, It has been reported that parents have sent their daughters into town for prostitution because they were desperate for money to feed their families. More then 1,500 girls under the age of 18 and as young as 12 in Kenya have been reported to be working prostitution in bars. It is acknowledged that woman and girls who are trafficked to commercial sex are the ones who will most likely be infected with HIV/AIDS. The threat of the disease among the prostituted woman has not made sex trafficking and  prostitution less likely to occur, but has increased the numbers of younger girls being traded. Clients sense that these younger girls are â€Å"virgins† and are uninfected by the virus, making them more popular. BBC News reported South America and India are leading with the highest numbers of infected people with HIV/AIDS in the world. South Africa being the first, having 5.1 million living with the disease and India being second by having a rapid increase in numbers of infected woman due to sex trafficking. BBC News reported: â€Å"In big red light districts, such as Sonagachi in Calcutta, where at least 10,000 prostitutes make a living, some men continue to insist on sex without condoms.†, â€Å"The trafficked girls are forced to oblige. Many come from rural villages and do not know what Aids is before they are sold to pimps.†, â€Å"And as they are moved around the country they can unwittingly spread the disease.† The United States government is committed to fight against human trafficking at home and abroad. The Trafficking victims Protection Act was signed in the year 2000. Stated on humantrafficking.org this Act: â€Å"enhances pre-existing criminal penalties, affords new protections to trafficking victims and makes available certain benefits and serves to victims of severe forms of trafficking. It also establishes a Cabinet-level federal interagency task force and establishes a federal program to provide services to trafficking victims.† The U.S is also helping countries abroad by providing many anti-trafficking and development programs. Millions of dollars were provided to organizations all over the world to provide programs so human trafficking can be fought. The programs contribute on informing people the dangers of trafficking and strengthening the numbers of non-government organizations. Also stated on www.humantrafficking.org that: â€Å"The U.S. has assisted countries to enact anti-trafficking legislation, trained law enforcement officials, prosecutors, border guards and judicial officers on detecting, investigating, and prosecuting traffickers, and protecting victims and provided start-up equipment for new anti-trafficking police units.† The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act came out in 2003, dedicated to provide aid to approximately 20,000 victims that are trafficked into the U.S each year. President Bush had signed into law in early January the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. The United  Stated had started monitoring people who were being trafficked in 1994, and is continuing to do so until human trafficking is prosecuted. All in all, human trafficking is a serious crime that not many people are informed about. Young woman and children are forced into this sickening business everyday. Woman and children living in poverty do not know the meaning of human trafficking due to the lack of education. The highest percentage with people carrying the HIV/AIDS virus is for woman on this planet, many believing part of the percentage is because of human trafficking. Not many woman and children know the risks they are taking when they have no choice but to sell their bodies. Government all over the world should be providing information on human trafficking because no nation is immune from this crime Maria, a 15 year old girl, wanted to get a job and sell bread everyday at the street to increase her family’s little income. One day, A 35-year-old woman, Sofia, stopped by to visit Maria had a chat with her. Sofia and Maria became friends, and in 2004 Sofia recommended an offer to Maria. The offer was a promise to pay her a high salary that would permit her and her family fight poverty. Maria decided to take the offer however she did not inform her family that she was travelling. On the same day of the trip, Sofia made Maria drink something that made her feel really dizzy and unconscious. When she woke up, she found that both of them were in a cab arriving at a strange house in the capital. Inside this strange house, the taxi driver raped Maria. Shocked and broken, but feeling extremely defenseless to prevent what was happening, Maria was taken to a restaurant, where she was obliged to work as a waiter for a month .Sofia decided to be Maria’s mother and collected her i ncome, then moved her to a different restaurant in the town. There, Maria was again forced to work as a waiter and soon after that the servitude extended to sex with customers in a backroom. The cycle kept going on. This is an outrageous example of child labor. Another example of human trafficking is sex trafficking. In the movie Svetlana’s Journey, a young girl was abandoned by her mother. So, a family decided to adopt her when she was thirteen years old. Svetlana was very happy, but did not know that her adoptive family’s only concern was to advertise and sell her into the sex  trade. Svetlana was bought for 10,000 euro, trafficked away from her state, and ended up in Amsterdam where she got beaten and raped every day. She was deprived of all her dreams and ambitions as well as she lost her self esteem. She tried her best to escape many times, but never succeeded. After a period of six months of torture and suffering, she decided that there was no other way to free herself other than to commit suicide. She decided to jump from a window of the building she had been locked in; however, she survived the fall and was taken to a hospital. After that experience, she kept on trying to overcome the harrowing experiences of compulsory prostitution with the help of a non-governmental organization. These examples show that human trafficking is a serious issue that deprives humans, especially women and children, of their basic rights. Those victims of human trafficking are forced to work beyond their capability where their protests are unheard. In accordance with the meaning stated by the United Nations, human trafficking â€Å"involves the movement of people through violence, deception or coercion for the purpose of forced labor, servitude or slavery-like practices.† (Johnson, 2009) .Human Trafficking is a crime against human race that is happening worldwide. This crime involves an act of employing, transmitting, porting or receiving someone throughout a use of power and force for the purpose of exploiting them for commercial sex, debt bondage, or forced labor. Human trafficking is also described as slavery since traffickers utilize cruelty, intimidation, and other types of compulsion to oblige their victims to work against their spirit/strength and will. Every year, human trafficking deprives thousands of kids, teenagers, men and women of their human rights, standard lives, and freedom because they fall into the hands of traffickers, not only in their own countries but abroad too. Human trafficking is a $32 billion business; it is the world’s second biggest illegal trade after the drug trade. Victims of trafficking are forced to work with false promises of high pay and a superior life. Those victims work for little amount of income or no income and they are threatened with deportation, injury to family members, or imprisonment if they try to escape or report and inform their lives of servitude to law enforcement or other organizations. Because human trafficking is a process that forces people to conduct certain actions against their will, it should be universally prohibited in all its varieties. This paper will focus on  those three points: 1- Sex Trafficking 2- Child Labor 3- Children and human trafficking