Scottish Surnames Meanings and Origins

Scottish surnames as we know them today — family names passed down intact from father to son to grandson — were first introduced into Scotland by the Normans about the year 1100. Such hereditary names were not universally prevalent and settled, however. The use of fixed Scottish surnames (last names that didnt change with each generation) wasnt really in prevalent use until the 16th century, and it was well into the late 18th century before surnames were common in the Highlands and northern isles. Origins of Scottish Surnames Surnames in Scotland generally developed from four major sources: Geographical or Local Surnames —These are names derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived, and are generally the most common origin of Scottish surnames. Most of the earliest people in Scotland to adopt fixed surnames were the nobles and great landowners, who were often called by the land they possessed (e.g. William de Buchan from Buchan, Scotland). Eventually, even those who did not own significant land started to use place names to identify themselves from others of the same name, adopting the name of the village or even the street where the family originated. Tenants often took their name from the estate where they lived. Thus, most of the earliest surnames in Scotland were derived from place names. Topographic surnames derived from vague geographical locations rather than specific places, also fall into this category. These names may refer to physical features such as streams (Burns), moors (Muir) or forests (Wood) or to m an-made structures, such as a castle or a mill (Milne).Occupational Surnames —  Many Scottish surnames developed from a persons job or trade. Three common Scottish surnames —  Smith (blacksmith), Stewart (steward) and Taylor (tailor) — are excellent examples of this. Offices associated with the kings lands and/or hunting are another common source of Scottish occupational names — names such as Woodward, Hunter,  and Forest.Descriptive Surnames —  Based on a unique quality or physical feature of the individual, these surnames often developed from nicknames or pet names. Most refer to an individuals appearance - color, complexion, or physical shape  Ã¢â‚¬â€ such as Campbell (from  caimbeul, meaning crooked mouth), Duff (Gaelic for dark) and Fairbain (beautiful child). A descriptive surname may also refer to an individuals personality or moral characteristics, such as Godard (good natured) and Hardie (bold or daring).Patronymic and Matrony mic Surnames —  These are surnames derived from baptismal or Christian names to indicate family relationship or descent. Some baptismal or given names have become surnames without any change in form. Others added a prefix or an ending. The use of Mac and Mc was prevalent throughout Scotland, but especially in the Highlands, to indicate son of (e.g. Mackenzie, son of Coinneach/Kenneth). In lowland Scotland, the suffix ​—  son was more commonly added to the fathers given name to form a patronymic surname. These true patronymic surnames changed with each successive generation. Thus, Roberts son, John, might become known as John Robertson. Johns son, Mangus, would then be called Mangus Johnson, and so on. This true patronymic naming practice continued in most families until at least the fifteenth or sixteenth century before a family name was eventually adopted that passed down unchanged from father to son. Scottish Clan Names Scottish clans, from the Gaelic clann, meaning family, provided a formal structure for extended families of shared descent. Clans each identified with a geographical area, usually an ancestral castle, and were originally controlled by a Clan Chief, officially registered with the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which controls heraldry and Coat of Arms registration in Scotland. Historically, a clan was made up of everyone who lived on the chiefs territory, people for which he was responsible and who, in turn, owed allegiance to the chief. Thus, not everyone in a clan was genetically related to one another, nor did all members of a clan bear a single surname. Scottish Surnames - Meanings Origins Anderson, Campbell, MacDonald, Scott, Smith, Stewart... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Scottish last names? If so, then youll want to check out our list of the most commonly occurring surnames in Scotland, including details on each names origin, meaning, and alternate spellings.   TOP 100 COMMON SCOTTISH SURNAMES THEIR MEANINGS 1. SMITH 51. RUSSELL 2. BROWN 52. MURPHY 3. WILSON 53. HUGHES 4. CAMPBELL 54. WRIGHT 5. STEWART 55. SUTHERLAND 6. ROBERTSON 56. GIBSON 7. THOMPSON 57. GORDON 8. ANDERSON 58. WOOD 9. REID 59. BURNS 10. MACDONALD 60. CRAIG 11. SCOTT 61. CUNNINGHAM 12. MURRAY 62. WILLIAMS 13. TAYLOR 63. MILNE 14. CLARK 64. JOHNSTONE 15. WALKER 65. STEVENSON 16. MITCHELL 66. MUIR 17. YOUNG 67. WILLIAMSON 18. ROSS 68. MUNRO 19. WATSON 69. MCKAY 20. GRAHAM 70. BRUCE 21. MCDONALD 71. MCKENZIE 22. HENDERSON 72. WHITE 23. PATERSON 73. MILLAR 24. MORRISON 74. DOUGLAS 25. MILLER 75. SINCLAIR 26. DAVIDSON 76. RITCHIE 27. GRAY 77. DOCHERTY 28. FRASER 78. FLEMING 29. MARTIN 79. MCMILLAN 30. KERR 80. WATT 31. HAMILTON 81. BOYLE 32. CAMERON 82. CRAWFORD 33. KELLY 83. MCGREGOR 34. JOHNSTON 84. JACKSON 35. DUNCAN 85. HILL 36. FERGUSON 86. SHAW 37. HUNTER 87. CHRISTIE 38. SIMPSON 88. KING 39. ALLAN 89. MOORE 40. BELL 90. MACLEAN 41. GRANT 91. AITKEN 42. MACKENZIE 92. LINDSAY 43. MCLEAN 93. CURRIE 44. MACLEOD 94. DICKSON 45. MACKAY 95. GREEN 46. JONES 96. MCLAUGHLIN 47. WALLACE 97. JAMIESON 48. BLACK 98. WHYTE 49. MARSHALL 99. MCINTOSH 50. KENNEDY 100. WARD Source: National Records of Scotland - Most Common Surnames, 2014

Essay on The Vital Importance of Vaccinations - 856 Words

Disease kills millions of children every year. Some of these diseases are bacterias, which multiply rapidly and attack the body for resources. Others are viruses which hijack the immune system in a quest to multiply. Children are far more vulnerable to disease because of their developing immune systems. How can children be protected by the horrors of disease? The answer is vaccinations. For many years, immunizations have kept the spread of disease low. Vaccinations have prevented deaths and saved lives. However in recent years, there has been a stronger movement against vaccinations. There have been arguments made by people who believe that vaccination is a violation of rights and against religion. Some say children were meant to face†¦show more content†¦One popular argument against mandatory vaccines is that of religion. Advocates claim that vaccines are â€Å"unnatural† and do not follow their personal religious tenants. Such arguments create conflict between our r ights granted under the first amendment and the obligation of the government to work towards public health and safety. Families can request exemptions for their children from the vaccinations. Legally, there is little choice but to give the exemption. While exemptions satisfy most anti-vaccine parents, they also create a health hazard. As exemptions increase, so does the possibility of disease outbreaks. If a school full mandatory student vaccination, there would be no chance of disease. If a school had only 80 percent of its students vaccinated thanks to exemptions, it would leave 20 percent of the students open to infection. If the number of unvaccinated children rises, the likelihood of transmission will rise. Studies have shown the number of children who received exemptions on religious grounds doubled from 1991 to 2012. That percentage is still growing. It seems selfish to request an exemption that could possibly harm the exempted child but other children around him or her. If immunizations were not so frequent, infection could take over and spread at a substantial rate. According to the article Vaccination Coverage Among Children in Kindergarten in 2013, about 95 percent of allShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Immunizations1600 Words   |  7 Pagesdiseases, outbreaks still are occurring due to incompliance with the current child vaccination schedule. This poses the question that if vaccinations can protect a child from a major illness why are parents choosing not to vaccinate their children? In the past couple of years controversy over immunizations has become a large debate in society. Many parents have come to the belief that if their child is given vaccinations their chance of getting autism spectrum disorder increases; therefore they chooseRead MoreVaccinations And How Vaccines Protect Us All By Harrison Wein And Beliefs About Childhood Vaccinations1428 Words   |  6 Pagesaspects in their life. When thinking about what can help one to remain healthy, vaccinations come to mind. Vaccinations, to many people, are a necessity to remain healthy. I know when I was younger I hated to get a shot, but when I think about it today I am glad my parents made me get them. My mother was a nurse, so she knew the importance of vaccinations. 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With nearly 90 percentage parents in the U.S. understand the risk vs. benefit factor to be in favor too vaccinate, when handed the choice, about a 10 percent of parents delay or cut some shots with 1 percent that don’t vaccinate at all. (Pemberton, 2015) We see viruses from our past, which were heavily infected among our grandparents or parents time, such as poliomyelitis and measlesRead MoreThe Effects Of Vaccination On Children s Children1725 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION Vaccination is widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization (Harvard Law School, 2007). Childhood deaths from infectious diseases were commonplace less than a generation ago; however they’re now increasingly rare due to vaccines. In order to be effective at eliminating communicable diseases, vaccines must be administrated to a sufficient level of people in the community. However, there has been plenty of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectivenessRead MoreShould The Intervention Be Effective?1498 Words   |  6 PagesAnother evaluation tool to see if the intervention has been effective will be the HPV vaccination rate that is release by the Florida. If the rate goes up at the sites and the providers that have participated in the research then it could be considered reliable due to specificity. The educational interventions that are completed at the Lake county health department locations will be easier to monitor due to vaccination rates being distributed quarterly and with a breakdown at each site. The sites areRead MoreHr And Mandatory Flu Vaccination1199 Words   |  5 Pagesrisk getting terminated. This paper will, therefore, examine the rights of employers to require employee vaccination for job considerations. It will also outline various exceptions to vaccinations that may include religious objection and medical considerations. Lastly, the paper will give various concerns that companies and employees must put in mind when formulating policies for vaccine vaccinations. â€Æ' HR and Mandatory Flu Vaccines in the Workplace Seasonal flu does not only adversely affect theRead MoreVaccinations Are Safe And They Work1686 Words   |  7 PagesVaccinate Vaccinations are safe and they work. There are many parents who choose for their own reasons to ignore Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to vaccinate and exercise their right to not do so. They run the risk of having their child suffer or even possibly die when they opt-out to having their child vaccinated. Today in the United States, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease are often traced to susceptible children whose parents have claimed an exemption fromRead MoreReducing Pertussis Children Under The Age Of One Years1211 Words   |  5 Pagestreatment of pertussis in a timely manner is most significant in reducing transmission and to protect vulnerable patient groups. Each state and territory obtain laws and regulations which govern the reports of diseases and conditions of public health importance. These laws and regulation have a list of diseases to report to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as well as individuals or institutions responsible for reporting these conditions. According to CDC, state health departments should report allRead MoreVaccination Is The Human Body Protect An Individual From Infection Or Disease?1407 Words   |  6 PagesVaccination is as one of the greatest medical invention ever created, reducing death and illness by enourmous factor due to a broad range of prevantable diseases. World wide, millions if not billions of people are reprieved from ever being infected by certain diseases and viruses that could kill or leave them scarred even should they survive the virus. The low death toll and spread of diseases are directly connected to the use of vaccination. The main purpose of vaccination is to increase disease

Business Research Report Attitudes - Values and Beliefs

Question: Discuss about the Business Research Report Attitudes, Values and Beliefs. Answer: Background to the study, the research question/objectives/hypothesis and/or topic, the researchers and the target audience This report comprises of a review of a social research survey carried out in 2008 by the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation and published in 2010, authored by Fleur McLaren on the attitude, values and beliefs on violence within New Zealand families. The survey was based on a background that a lot of violent cases within families where intimate relationships exist, are as a result of attitudes, beliefs and values that excuse violence within the society, at different times (McLaren 2010). Further, the background to the study indicates that a lot of violent partners and/or individuals in families hold different views towards violence and could excuse it as the best option at some points. The effects of violence are many but some individuals only believe that violence is not harmful as long as there are no physical injuries (McLaren 2010). Even so, this is not the case and therefore, the research would later indicate the need to still fight family violence due to other effects suc h as mental problems among others. The survey was carried out in order to come up with actions that the New Zealand communities could fight the war against violence in homes and in relationships. The research targeted men, women, children and the elderly in New Zealand (McLaren 2010). However, the information is intended to reach all concerned parties including human rights institutions, policy advocacy groups, the communities in general and the New Zealand government, more so the law making arm, and the judiciary. The objectives of the study included to; determine the different definitions of family violence by New Zealanders; gauge their levels of awareness on family violence, determine different attitudes held by New Zealanders regarding family violence and measuring the extent at which New Zealanders are ready to take appropriate action against cases of family violence. Research Methods Used Outlining Their Strengths, Limitations and Appropriateness for the Research Question/Objectives/Hypothesis and/or Topic The survey involved the use of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews that were served to respondents in households in areas including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin, Hastings/Napier, Invercargill, Whangarei, Palmerston North, Rotorua, New Plymouth, and Tauranga among others (McLaren 2010). The two methods were the main techniques of collecting information, which was later analysed and presented in tables, graphs and percentages. The Strengths of Using Questionnaires The use of questionnaires ensures that the researcher does not leave out any concern outlined in the objectives with an aim of achieving the results from the field. They are also convenient in areas where community members are literate. One may need to be able to read and understand before filling in the answers. In this regard, a research assistant can help a respondent in reading and interpreting the questions to the respondent, in order to obtain answers to fill in the questionnaire (Frick 2009). Further, questionnaires could be translated into a different language by the researcher and still maintain the same thoroughness in its approach to answering each question, related to the objectives of the research (Frick 2009). Another advantage of using questionnaires is that the data obtained can be easily fed into analytical systems such as SPSS, to provide presentable information, which can provide the trends and the situation on the ground. This was the case for this particular rese arch. In regard to weaknesses first, it is clear that questionnaires are quite time consuming and may need a lot of time to fill in (Frick 2009). In this case, the researcher approximate that the questionnaire or the interview would take 40 minutes with little disruptions. However, this means that those who cannot be first enough in answering the questions would take more than an hour. The long time taken to interview an individual would need the researcher to only interview or serve the respondents with questionnaires when they have little commitments such as work. For interviews, it is clear that they also must have taken a long time for respondents in households. Sometimes interviews are affected by a language barrier (Toot et al 2015). In the areas identified for this social research on attitudes, values and beliefs on violence, it is clear that some respondents may not be good in expressing themselves in English. Therefore, a need to translate into ones convenient language could make an individual to be skipped by research assistants, or find a research assistant, familiar with an individuals own preferred language. Even so, interviews are crucial, as they help in substituting questionnaires, where they may not be necessary and/or effective (Toot et al 2015). Interviews help in collecting first hand information for the respondents and if an audio is used in this case, a researcher can be able to read it and transcribe it later, into actual responses in the preferred language, in line with the questionnaires. The use of interviews was crucial in this case, as some of the community members would want to share more crucial information regarding violence in families (Toot et al 2015). Being a sensitive aspect in society, talking to individuals who might have at one point, been involved in family feuds leading to violence could b viewed by the individual as an opportunity to share their problems and feel relieved. The interviews and questionnaires could still work as awareness creation tools through using a whole set of inquiries on the less talked about topic in society; violence in families. Theref ore, the choice of questionnaires and face-to-face interview by the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation was quite appropriate for this research. Evaluation of Ethical considerations This research considered five main principles of research ethics. One of the principles indicates that there is need to minimize the risk of harm. In this regard, the research questionnaires and the interviews included questions that could not directly bring any emotional harm to the respondents, who were the sample population of the New Zealanders according to Jacobsen (2011). Thus, direct confrontational questions were adjusted into properly crafted quizzes, where an individual could just respond to them without being angered and/or feeling targeted. The second principle of research ethics states that there is need to obtain an informed consent (Jacobsen2011). The Centre for Social Research and Evaluation sought the permission of authorities in the areas mentioned above, to allow the researchers to collect information legally. Further, the household respondents were asked to volunteer in their response, without coercion. It was ones own choice to accept to be respondents, on the request of the researcher on family violence attitudes, beliefs and values in New Zealand. Thirdly, the need to protect anonymity was taken care of as indicated by the researchers. It is important to assure respondents of their privacy, and their information must not be shared with anyone, except for research analysis purposes (Lewis 2010). The researcher asked the respondents to give their names at will (Sachs 2010). However, those who did not want to indicate their names were asked to at least, indicate the area they came from for analytical reasons. Further, the researchers avoided any deceptive practices in seeking for information from the public (Sachs 2010). Similarly, the respondents were asked not to include any false information, as it would render the study inaccurate. The last principle in regard to the need to provide an individual respondent or group the right to withdraw from taking part in the research (Sachs 2010). As stated above, the researcher allowed the respondents to give responses at will. Those who accepted to be interviewed or served with the questionnaires did so at their own will. Thus, those who would wish to withdraw were left out in order to concentrate on willing respondents. Summary of the Findings The survey brought out different results in regard to the attitudes, the values n the believes of New Zealand citizens on violence that occurs within families. The first finding was that majority of the respondents strongly believed that violence in families, was not as a solution to particular misunderstandings. In this regard, they indicated that there are many options, which one could use to solve misunderstandings, since it is normal for family members to at one point or the other misunderstand each other (McLaren 2010). Among the options, include seeking advice from friends and family, reporting some cases to authorities that could be extreme and/or solving one on one through talking out the issue, especially in intimate relationships. Secondly, the study established that majority of the respondents had attitudes which were in support of the equality of men and women in a given relationship (McLaren 2010). Therefore, there is need for mutual agreements in regard to different crucial decisions in relationships. When there are issues to be addressed therefore, each party must be considered equal, and not inferior. This is because the later breeds violence due to misunderstandings that crop up in families and in other intimate relationships between men and women. Thirdly, the study established that all respondents strongly indicated that they believed that all members of society suffer negative outcomes from violence. These include women, men, elderly in society, and children. Injuries could be sustained; emotional suffering including mental complications among other effects develop as a result of violence. In extreme cases, violence leads to deaths of partners, children or generally family members (McLaren 2010). Another finding related to this was that most of the respondents indicated that they were not in agreement that violence is only harmful when there is physical injury. This myth was refuted by majority of these respondents indicating that they were aware of other effects of violence mentioned above. Another finding was that majority of the respondents indicated that it remains the responsibility of the community to support the members to be violence-free and develop relationships with their intimate partners, the elderly parents and the children. Even so, competing beliefs were noted, indicating that what happened in ones home is a private issue. However, there were competing beliefs held by the same respondents that what happens in any given home is a private issue (McLaren 2010). The study established that most community members were willing to take action in times of family violence, except where they thought it was none off their business to take a particular action, to subvert any family violence, away from their own homes. Extent to Which the Conclusions and/or Recommendations Are Well-Founded and Justified The research concludes and recommends first that there is need for education in order to change different beliefs regarding violence and at the same time, emphasize that there should be no excuses to be given for a lack of control and a choice for violence in resolving issues. This statement is well founded according to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2008), since majority of advocacy groups on violence indicate that educating individuals in intimate relationships and communities on violence is a huge step towards changing their attitudes towards the issue. In regard to the effects of violence, the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation recommends that New Zealanders need to be educated on how to support victims to leave violent relationships and ensure that each of the victims is safe. This recommendation is justified, since people need to be aware of the reasons that influence women for instance, to remain in violent relationships (Adams 2007). This could help the community to understand how to support these individuals, even at the time they need to leave the relationship, if the partner or assailant continues with the misbehavior. The researcher further recommends the use of mass media campaigns to end violence in homes. This is a justified approach as mass media is far reaching, than any other campaigns aimed at educating individuals against the continuously reported cases of violence (Adams 2007). The media will help also to notify the assaulters the penalties they could face if handed to the authorities and charged in New Zealand courts of law. Research Context Implications for the Research Process Outcomes Since the research takes a social context, the research processes including the methodologies used in gathering information have been tailor-made to suit the respondents an obtain the outcomes that reflect the actual situation on the ground. The context of the study considers that the researchers use the appropriate language, structure the questions that are in line with research ethics, and indulge the respondents professionally in the interviews. Further, the context of the research calls for the need to involve authorities for permission, and high-level professionalism. Violence in families is regarded as a sensitive issue and a researcher may not be sure whether the respondent has been exposed to it at one point in their homes. Thus, the context influences generally, the choice of methods of data collection, and the presentation of the outcomes to the public. References Fleur McLaren (2010) Attitudes, Values and Beliefs about Violence within Families 2008 Survey Findings. Centre for Social Research and Evaluation. ISBN 978-0-478-32359-7 Adams, D (2007). Why Do They Kill? Men who murder their intimate partners. Violence Against Women; 14, 727. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2008). Strategic Direction for Intimate Partner Violence Prevention: Promoting Respectful, Nonviolent Intimate Partner Relationships through Individual, Community and Societal Change. https://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/IPV_Strategic_Direction_One-Pager-a.pdf Cercone, J J,Beach, S R H, Arias, I (2005). Gender symmetry in dating intimate partner violence: Does similar behavior imply similar constructs? Violence and Victims, 20(2), 207-218. Chamberland, C, Fortin, A, Laporte, J (2007). Men's recognition of violence against women and spousal abuse: comparison of three groups of men. Violence and Victims, 22(4), 419-436. Fanslow, J (2005). Beyond Zero Tolerance: Key issues and future directions for family violence work in New Zealand. The report for the Families Commission, Wellington, New Zealand. Fanslow, J L Robinson, E M (in press). Help-seeking behaviors and reasons for help seeking reported by a representative sample of women victims of intimate partner violence in New Zealand. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Flood, M Pease, B (2006). The Factors Influencing Community Attitudes in Relation to Violence against Women: A Critical Review of the Literature Paper Three of the Violence against Women Community Attitudes Project. Mental Health and Wellbeing Unit, Victoria Health Promotion Foundation, Melbourne. Jacobsen, K. (2011). Research Ethics: Principles, Practices, and Reporting. World Medical Health Policy, 3(2), 40-46. https://dx.doi.org/10.2202/1948-4682.1161 Lewis, J. (2010). Ethics Principles for Social Science Research: Report of a Meeting on 22 March 2010 Jointly Sponsored by AREC, the Social Research Association and the Academy of Social Sciences. Research Ethics, 6(2), 56-57. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/174701611000600206 SACHS, B. (2010). Going from principles to rules in research ethics. Bioethics, 25(1), 9-20. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2009.01744.x Frick, K. (2009). Microcosting Quantity Data Collection Methods. Medical Care, 47(Supplement), S76-S81. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/mlr.0b013e31819bc064 Toot, J., Pringle, T., Berkley, K., Simons, M., Atterson, P. (2015). Manual versus automated data collection: Evaluation of a modified testing paradigm and learning/memory endpoints using a complex water T-maze in juvenile rats. Journal Of Pharmacological And Toxicological Methods, 75, 163-164. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vascn.2015.08.021

Wild Oats Swot free essay sample

It offers a selection of perishable foods designed to appeal to both natural foods and gourmet shoppers. The company’s private label offerings feature over 2000 SKUs. Whole Foods Market markets its private label products under different brand names 365 Everyday Value, 365 Organic Everyday Value, and the Whole Brands family. The products sold under the 365 brand (365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic Everyday Value) are less expensive than other products offered at Whole Foods Markets stores. The 365 Organic Everyday Value brand provides all of the benefits of organic food at lower prices. Whole Kids Organic is an organic food product line developed for children under the Whole Kids label. Whole brands family includes Whole Kitchen (pre-packaged fresh and frozen grocery), Whole Treat (frozen desserts and candies), Whole Catch (frozen seafood items), Whole Fields (produce and produce support items), Whole Pantry (pantry items such as flavored olive oils and vinegars), Whole Creamery (cheeses), Whole Ranch (frozen burgers and franks) and Whole Paws (pet food). We will write a custom essay sample on Wild Oats Swot or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition to these, the company has number of store-made and regionally-made fresh items sold under the Whole Foods Market label. It also offers specialty and organic coffees and teas through its Allegro Coffee Company subsidiary. This wide product range allows the company to address multiple customer segments and price points which help to limit it from fall in demand for any specific product or segment. Weaknesses: Relatively small scale of operations The company has small scale of operations as compared to its competitors. It has 263 stores in 37 states in the US, 7 stores in Canada, and 6 in the UK. The company’s competitor, Supervalu, has 2,478 stores and its operations span across 48 states in the US. Safeway, another competitor of the company, has 1,775 stores across the US and Canada. Beside these companies, Whole Foods Market has to compete with big players, like Wal-Mart, which operates in 15 countries. All of these retailers are expanding its natural and organic food offering. Whole Foods Matket’s relatively small scale of operations is likely to prove a drain on the resources of the company. Conservative advertising policy The company relies heavily on word-of-mouth publicity, a disadvantage in comparison to those rivals who aggressively use print, television and online media. It spends meager amounts on advertising and marketing. In 2007, Whole Foods Market spent 0. 5% of total revenues on advertising. Although demand for organic foods is increasing, there is scope to step up the growth rate through aggressive advertising given that consumer awareness of organic products is still relatively low. Competition in the segment is also increasing as more retailers begin to offer organic products. With Whole Foods Market still relying heavily on word-of-mouth publicity, as a result, its new stores may take longer than usual to break even. Opportunities: Increasing demand for organic products Natural and organic food products segment is one of the fastest growing categories in food retailing. In 2006, organic food market grew by 12. 3% to reach a value of $15. 9 billion. The US is the most lucrative market for organic food in the world, accounting for 43. 3% of global market’s value. In 2011, the US organic food market is forecast to have a value of $26. 3 billion, an increase of 65. 6% since 2006. Consumers across the US are showing increased preference for natural, fat-free and healthy food products. Increasing customer preference for organic foods is likely to favorably impact the company’s sales. Expansion in UK – and other geo-markets The UK organic food market grew by 30% in 2006 to reach a value of $2. 9 billion. The UK market for organic food is expected to increase by 86. 5% since 2006 to reach a value of $5. 4 billion by 2011. Also, UK accounts for 19. 9% of the European organic food markets value. Whole Foods Market has six stores in the UK; it operates five stores acquired from Fresh Wild. The sixth store company opened in June 2007 is 80,000 square foot store in London, and is its first major store in Europe. The company could exploit the growth of the UK organic food and drinks market to expand its existing operations, which would result in earning incremental revenues. Whole Foods does not currently participate in markets outside North America and the UK. Acquisition of Wild Oats The company acquired Wild Oats, a natural and organic foods retailer in North America in August 2007. Wild Oat’s acquisition has added 74 stores (70 in US and 4 in Canada) in Whole Foods Market’s chain of stores. This acquisition will boost the competitive position and provide wider presence in the natural and organic food market in the US and Canada. This would also increase company’s customer base and leverage growing demand for natural and organic food products to increase its revenues. Threats: Competition The company faces intense competition in the single market it operates in. Its competitors currently include other natural foods supermarkets, conventional and specialty supermarkets, other natural foods stores, warehouse membership stores, small specialty stores and restaurants. It faces competition from Kroger’s, a US retailer operating 2,507 stores under numerous banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers and Smith’s. Kroger’s also operates 791 convenience stores. Big players like Wal-Mart and supermarkets like Safeway are expanding product ranges and introducing natural and organic personal care products. Increased competition may have an adverse effect on profitability as the result of lower sales, lower gross profits and/or greater operating costs such as marketing. Labeling and other regulations As the company operates in the natural and organic foods market, its stores and products are subject to several laws and regulations relating to health, sanitation and food labeling. Several federal agencies and departments including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set critical standards for the manufacture, processing, formulation, packaging, labeling and advertising of products. Failure to comply with these standards could result in penalties and seizure of marketing and sales licenses. These regulations also result in additional compliance costs, which reduce company’s margins. Economic slowdown in US The US is the key market of the company. According to the IMF world economy outlook, the real GDP growth of the US is expected to slowdown in 2008. The GDP growth of the US economy is forecasted to slow down from 3. 3% in 2006 to 2. 8% in 2008. A weak economic outlook for the US would put pressure on the revenues of the company. Summary: Whole Foods Market is a retailer of natural and organic food products. The company offers a broad product selection in all its stores, including seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods, specialty, nutritional supplements and vitamins, body care, books, floral products, pet products and household products. The company has recorded strong financial performance in the recent years, which has helped the company to pursue its expansion plans. However, competition in the organic and natural foods market threatens to erode the market share of the company that could reduce its margins.