Page 11 - CIMA OCS August 2018 Day 1 Tasks

Chapter 3

THOMAS FINE TEAS – SUMMARY AND

KEY TOPICS

1 INTRODUCTION

It is absolutely crucial that you completely familiarise yourself with the pre-seen information prior
to attempting the Case Study exam. Merely reading through the materials is unlikely to be
sufficient and it is also important that you consider which aspects of the three technical subjects
may be useful and relevant for the Case Study.
The exercises in the following three chapters will help you to gain a thorough understanding of
the Case Study scenario and ensure you are fully prepared to attempt the Practice Tasks later in
this Workbook.
Solutions to these exercises are provided but are not exhaustive. It is important that you attempt
the exercises yourself and makes notes of your answers before reviewing the solutions.

2 OVERVIEW OF PRE-SEEN

The pre-seen information concerns a company called Thomas Fine Teas that produces tea bags in
the country of Deeland.

Business model
At present, Thomas Fine Teas imports premium quality tea leaves from around the world and
creates its own distinctive blends.
Expert tasters and blenders are employed to ensure that premium tasting leaves are sourced and
then blended in such a way as to ensure that each batch of a particular blend always tastes the
same.
The company has built up a strong reputation in Deeland and so can charge higher than average
prices.
Channel strategy

Thomas Fine Teas currently sells its products to all four large supermarket chains in Deeland, two
wholesalers and to four large corporate clients.

The main opportunity for growth in terms of channel strategy is within the corporate market
(unless Thomas Fine Teas decides to start selling to smaller independent retailers or into other
countries).

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