Deja Shoe (A) and (B)
Discussion Questions

Your answers should be concise and limited to three single-spaced pages (including appendix if required). Please hold your detailed answers/thoughts for participation/discussion session.
1. Analyze Deja’s core competence and competitive advantage?

The main core competence of Deja Shoes was that it was the first company to create a green and ecological product in the footwear industry. Consequently it was able to make a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end of the product. They also launched a new concept with a box ready to send back – thus customers obviously see how responsible and sustainable the firm can be. It is not only the product which is environmentally friendly but also the way each customer can recycle it easily.

Moreover as Deja Shoes tried to use new natural resources to make their shoes, their products were supposed to be difficult to imitate – competitors do not know how to find and use such material.

Deja Shoes planned to have a wide target. As they know that the woman between 30 and 45 years old are especially concern about environment and teenagers of the Generation X are the main target for sport shoes, they decided to design fashionable shoes – in order to meet demand.

Deja Shoes developed several competitive advantages. First of all the firm obviously outperformed its competitors using new technologies and raw materials. They tried to think differently and find a new way to manufacture a basic product. Deja Shoes was the first shoes company to think about the whole production process: how to