Analysis of Retail Market Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Retail Market Essay Larger businesses in retail are generally more profitable than smaller businesses with many of the largest businesses historically among the most profitable in the economy. The larger retailers in Australia would appear to have enjoyed better returns on capital than their overseas counterparts and have continued to do so since the global financial crisis. Growth in retail sales has been slow in recent years. While short term or cyclical factors have contributed to this slowdown, the growth of retail sales has experienced a long term slowdown due to changes in consumer buying habits. Consumers are choosing to spend a smaller share of their income on retail goods because over the recent past, they are saving more and they are spending greater shares of their expenditure on services such as finance, rent and education. Further, while there has been price deflation in some sub-categories of retail, overall, sales volumes have continued to grow. The level of productivity in the Australian retail industry is low compared to retail in other countries in Europe and North America. However, the growth rate of productivity in retail, over the past two decades, has been similar to the average rate for all industries in Australia. Retailers have achieved productivity growth by increasing the capital intensity of their operations, including through adopting information and communications technology. Furthermore, investments in big box retailing have also been a factor. These changes occurred earlier in the US, and since then, US retailers have continued to achieve productivity growth by improving management and operations to make more effective use of labour and capital. These opportunities appear yet to be fully realised by most Australian retailers. A snapshot of the retail industry Retailing makes a significant contribution to the economy The retail industry is one of Australia’s largest employers. Currently, there are almost 140 000 retail businesses employing about 1. 2 million people or 10. 7 per cent of the total working population. Together, retail workers earn about $32 billion in wages and salaries each year, or 6 per cent of the economy’s total. The retail industry also makes a significant contribution to economic output, contributing $55 billion or over 4 per cent of GDP each year. However, it is a relatively small contributor to investment (table 3. 1). Table 3. 1 The contribution of Australian retail trade 2009-10a Retail trade Gross value added ($m) Employment (‘000s) Wages and salaries ($m) Investment ($m) Capital stock ($m) Number of businesses (end 2008-09) a Includes motor vehicles parts and fuel retailing. Source: ABS (Australian System of National Accounts: gross fixed capital formation and capital stock, Cat. no. 5204. 0; Labour Force, Australia, Cat. no. 6291. 0, Counts of Australian Businesses, Cat. no. 8165. 0).

Government and Politics - The War in Iraq and the Bush Administration E

The War in Iraq and the Bush Administration My great, but imperialist nation is at war again. And it's the hottest reality TV program ever conceived! I find it interesting that protestors in Chicago marched on the home of the ad exec responsible for the new "Army of One" campaign. The people on the street, or in the streets as is the case here, know how false that message is and they're taking matters into their own hands. In "Masters of War," Bob Dylan attempted to put a face on the enemy next door. Today, in this time of instant and often wireless communication, we not only have the face, we have all the digits that go with that face and the ability to direct an activist movement at this "target" within hours, if not minutes. Welcome to the hyperlinked Internet Age, an age of honesty and sharing for the common good. I've got CNN on in the other room and from time to time I feel the need to see what they are entertaining the viewers with. Explosions! Explosions make for great TV, as Hollywood continues to prove. The other thing CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and CNBC are overwhelming...

Internet gambling Essay

Internet gambling represents one of the fastest growing segments of online activities with hundreds of websites providing users the opportunity to place bets on anything, ranging from casino games to sporting events. Billions of dollars in bets are placed each day in these online gambling rings. Thousands of these sites exist and many countries’ economies benefit from them. Sadly, America’s leaders fail to see the benefits in allowing online gambling to take place on American soil. Whether it be for recreation or as their only source of income, hundreds of thousands of Americans participate in the phenomenon known as online gambling. For the countries (Great Britain, France, and a number of islands in the Caribbean) that host these sites, it means millions of dollars being taxed each year for allowing the gambling sites to exist. President Bush signed into effect in mid-October a bill that outlaws sending credit card payments or other funds to websites involved with online gambling. Consequently, many of the stocks of these corporations are bound to decrease severely, potentially hurting the nations’ economy. A countless number of college students across America participate in online gambling, a small percentage of those depending solely on the money they make from gambling to pay for their tuition. This new law will leave these people scrambling to find jobs to stay in school. If the job search fails, these students will be forced to go deep into debt by taking out loans or drop out of college altogether, thereby making the United States lose valuable money that these students are paying for their education. Putting internet poker aside for now, online sports wagering has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Before the new bill passed, a person could sign onto a gambling site, enter their handle and password, and have unlimited access to hundreds of betting lines, point spreads, and over/under numbers. One more click and they can place their bets on the game or race of their choice. With the new law, the aforementioned is a part of the distant past. Place a bet over the phone and rest easy. Place the same bet online and face stiff penalties including steep fines and possibly jail time. This simply doesn’t make sense. America has tried prohibition before, in the 1920’s. Despite the government’s best efforts, Americans continued to consume alcohol. Seeing that they were missing out on a huge source of revenue, legislators reversed the law and began taxing the alcohol. This new internet gambling law works in much the same way, forbidding the participation in online gambling to everyone on American soil. However, the internet’s boundaries stretch further than any government on earth can ever begin to regulate fully. With many people being computer literate these days, it is undoubtedly impossible to stop these people from finding ways around the law. Much like the prohibition law of the 1920s, America’s government is missing out on a huge amount of taxable income. This definitely could help the government pull out of the extreme debt they are in. Prohibiting internet gambling also goes against one of the unalienable rights that America was founded upon: the pursuit of happiness. Gambling has the potential to make people happy, and prohibiting them from participating in it goes against the Declaration of Independence that our founding fathers laid down as rules for Americans to abide by. Although legislators have succeeded in passing a law against internet gambling, it will be found virtually impossible to enforce it. States will begin to grow tired of watching potential tax revenue float over to other countries. The move that makes the most sense for the American government is to legalize internet gambling, tax the income it generates, and increase the economy. After all, abiding by the immortal words spoken by Kenny Rogers in â€Å"The Gambler,† Americans should â€Å"know when to hold ? em, know when to fold ? em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. â€Å"

Symptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia - 1733 Words

Schizophrenia One may have heard of schizophrenia, but they might not understand what it is. Schizophrenia is â€Å"one of the most serious [psychological disorders that] involves severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and thought processes† (Hockenbury 564). People who suffer from schizophrenia do not have a good grip on reality. Unfortunately, â€Å"they become engulfed in an entirely different inner world, one that is often characterized by mental chaos, disorientation, and frustration† (Hockenbury 564). People who have schizophrenia can develop positive or negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are defined as: â€Å"extra feelings or behaviors that are usually not present†(cite). Examples of positive symptoms include: â€Å"believing that what other people are saying is not true (delusions), hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling, or smelling things that others do not experience (hallucinations), or disorganized speech and behavior.† (I moved this so that it flowed a little better instead of jumping between positive and negative). On the other hand, negative symptoms are defined as: â€Å"lack of behaviors or feelings that usually are present† (cite). Negative symptoms include â€Å"losing interest in everyday activities, feeling out of touch with other people, family, or friends, lack of feeling or emotion, having little emotion or inappropriate feelings in certain situations, and having less ability to experience pleasure† (What 1). There are four different types of schizophrenia. The firstShow MoreRelatedSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1176 Words   |  5 Pages Symptoms The symptoms of schizophrenia are wide and varied, typically falling into three main categories, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Each of these symptom types affect the patient in different ways, and in different degrees of severity. The symptoms may range from mildly irritating, to severe and debilitating. Positive symptoms are behaviors not normally seen in healthy people. Negative symptoms are behaviors that are usually exhibited in healthy people but areRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1671 Words   |  7 Pages Schizophrenia is defined many ways, but each definition of this disorder is correct. No two individuals will have the exact same symptoms of schizophrenia. The word schizophrenia comes from the Greek words that mean â€Å"split mind†. This disorder can lead to many other problems throughout a person’s lifetime. There are many different symptoms that can help with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, but each of the sym ptoms can also be contributed to other disorders. The symptoms of schizophrenia appearRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia904 Words   |  4 Pagessigns symptoms observed. Some of the disorders are caused by different factors and reveal divergent signs and symptoms which are depended on the field of the body infected. This paper purposes at critically evaluating and analyzing psychological disorder referred to as schizophrenia by demonstrating its symptoms and their occurrences. It will discuss the causes of this type of psychological disorder and possible diagnostic together treatments mechanisms of this kind of disease. Schizophrenia is aRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1077 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Schizophrenias is a serious mental illness characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, bizarre behavior and speech, and delusions or hallucinations, such as hearing voices (APA,2015). I choose to touch on the topic of schizophrenia because I always been interested the topic itself. The one thing I wondered is if there are different stages of schizophrenia and why it may be hard to diagnose. Schizophrenia is a mental disease that’s very hard to pinpoint in a person, whichRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1210 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Schizophrenia Symptoms. Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder which is characterized by an inability to distinguish what is real and subsequent abnormal behavior. Literally translating from the Greek skhizein and phrÄ“n meaning ‘split-mind’, schizophrenia is characterized by both positive symptoms, e.g. hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, and also negative symptoms, e.g. apathy, Anhedonia, and deficits in executive functioning. The Diagnostic and StatisticalRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1153 Words   |  5 Pages 1 / 3 Cindy Tien 3-18-15 Per.6 Schizophrenia What is Schizophrenia? Can you imagine living day by day having to hear and see things that nobody else could? You feel alone, lost and different amongst other normal people. Believe it or not, approximately twenty five million people in America have been impacted by this disease called schizophrenia. What is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is mental disorder distinguished by disturbances within thought patterns, attention, and emotions. UnfortunatelyRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesSchizophrenia Over 2 million Americans suffer with schizophrenia each day. A vast majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and disorganized speech. Hallucinations are sensory experiences in the absence of external stimulation; therefore, people with schizophrenia may see people or things that are not really there and may even hold conversions or have relationships with these â€Å"people†. Delusions are false beliefs about reality. Someone withRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1569 Words   |  7 Pagesmental health professionals, Jaime was confirmed to have paranoid schizophrenia. Jaime was immediately put on antipsychotic medication, and after about 3 months of taking that medication, he started attending psychological treatment. He has been continuing with both procedures for about a year. Today, his medication dose has lowered and he has shown much improvement compared to when he first was diagnosed. Introduction Positive symptoms are behaviors that aren t seen in healthy people, people whoRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1049 Words   |  5 Pages The Effects of Schizophrenia Madison M. Sulak Dr. Linstrum PSYCH 2301 East Texas Baptist University Fall 2015 Pg. 1 A brain disorder can be triggered by multiple different things such as a stroke, abnormal growths, any type of viral infection, or cancer. There are countless types of brain disorders that people are diagnosed with daily. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, â€Å"Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected peopleRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1430 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Schizophrenia is very complex and â€Å"startling disorder characterized by a broad range of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions† (Barlow Durand, 2015, p. 477). It can greatly impact a person’s life in a negative manner: affecting physical, emotional, relational, and occupational health. The National Institute of Mental Health defines schizophrenia as a â€Å"chronic and severe disorder that affects how a person, think, feels, and acts† (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d., para. 1).