Alessi: Evolution of an Italian Design Factory

Alessi is an Italian manufacturer of metal kitchen objects. They must change it's distribution strategy, because of no control over the retailers.

The questions we need to answer are:

1. Ignoring plastic and distribution issues,

What is the "traditional" product strategy?

Who is the traditional target consumer & what are key buying motives?

Who was the product aimed at?

The following questions and answers answer the first part of the question about the traditional product strategy.

What benefit did the customers expect?

How did the company plan to position the product within the market?

What differential advantage had the product offer over their competitors?

2. What problems occurred with the "old" independent distribution system?

3. How was the distribution streamlined? What are benefits of "new" distribution system?

4. What problems and opportunities exist for plastic items?

5. For the current 3 distribution problems, what is the specific problem & evaluate the "Pro & Con" of potential solutions?

Creating a Consistent Retail Experience

Increasing Retail Penetration in Key Markets

Licensing the Brand

The problems with creating a consistent retail experience were the following:

the products were often displayed