Standardized Marketing Strategies in Retailing? IKEA's marketing strategies in Sweden, the UK and China

IKEA is often cited as an example of a “global” retailer which pursues a similar “standardized” approach in every market. This paper systematically assesses the degree of standardization (and adaptation) of four commonly identified retail marketing mix activities – merchandise, location and store format, the selling and service environment, and market communication – within three countries. These countries – Sweden, the UK and China – represent different cultural settings and are markets in which IKEA has been operating for different lengths of time. The data upon which the comparison is based was generated from personal interviews, in-country consumer research, company documentation and third party commentaries. The conclusions drawn suggest that whilst IKEA operates a standardized concept, degrees of adaptation can be observed in customer facing elements, and in the supporting “back office” processes which support these elements. These adaptations arise from differences in consumer cultures and the length of time, and subsequent exposure to and experience of, the market. This suggests that standardization in international retailing should be considered from the perspective of replicating the concept, rather than replicating the activities

Patient Characteristics and Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) With Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

BACKGROUND: Little is known about outcomes of AML in adolescents and young adults (AYA). The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics and outcomes of AYA AML patients in comparison to older adult patients with AML. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all AML patients treated at our institution from 1965 to 2009 aged 16 to 29 years. RESULTS: Among 3,922 adult AML patients treated during this period, 432 (11%) were identified as AYA. Median age was 23 years (range 16-29 years); 73 (17%) patients had Core Binding Factor (CBF)-AML [inv (16), t(8:21)] and 51 (12%) acute promyelocytic leukemia. Complete remission (CR) rates were 93% for CBF AML, 78% for APL, 77% with diploid karyotype and 68% for other AML. Univariate analysis demonstrated higher rates of complete remission (CR), CR duration, and overall survival (OS) in the AYA group compared to older patients. On multivariate analysis, AYA age group was independently associated with improved CR rate and CR duration, with a trend for longer OS (p-value=0.085). CONCLUSION: Outcome of AYA AML patients is overall better than for older adults with AML. Despite improvements in treatments and outcomes over time, there is still need for improvement in AYA with AML particularly for those with AML other than CBF and APL