In the wake of globalization, an increasing amount of firms must consider internationalization strategies to remain competitive. The strategic decision of where to expand is complex by nature. This is particularly true for retailers, and despite this being generally accepted, relatively little is in fact known about retailers ́ choice of foreign markets. Hence, this study investigates international market selection (IMS) strategies of Swedish retailers with global operations. The purpose of this study is twofold; first, to explore which criteria Swedish retailers use upon making international market selection decisions and investigate the relative importance among these criteria. Second, to assess the possibilities of creating a weighted IMS model for retailers, which can be use as guidance for marketing practitioners. The research questions which will be answered are: How do Swedish international retailers select foreign markets? What are the possibilities of creating a weighted IMS model for retailers? The study embraces a qualitative strategy with an exploratory research approach and a multiple case study design. Through extensive literature review, a conceptual framework is constructed, and subsequently developed, post gaining insight in practitioners’ reasoning. The empirical data was gathered through interviews with managers of Swedish retailers with international presence, as well as strategy consultants who routinely work with strategy conformation for Swedish retailers. Our findings show that criteria which influence IMS decisions among Swedish retailers are quite similar among firms and can be arranged under three main categories; market attractiveness, psychic distance and internal factors. Moreover, as a result of the empirical findings, we suggest previous IMS research lack one important factor which influences the IMS decisions, namely “gut-feeling”/coincidence. The relative importance among factors proved to vary among firms. Consequently, four concepts aiming at explaining the variations were developed. The four concepts include firm size, firm objective, industry of the firm, and ownership structure. Finally, with support from respondents, we arrived at a conclusion suggesting that construction of a weighted IMS model for all types of retailers is unfeasible. However, if the scope is limited to only include firms of similar characteristics as proposed by the four concepts, such model could potentially yield solid validity.

Hlavním cílem této diplomové práce je navrhnout úspěšnou, uskutečnitelnou a efektivní marketingovou strategii pro globální společnost OASE na slovenském trhu. V práci jsou přepojeny teoretické poznatky s praktickými a použitím různých analys interního a externího prostředí jsou navrhnuty vhodná řešení pro danou společnost. Práce obsahuje návrhy jak zlepšit pozici firmy na trhu aplikováním vylepšené marketingové strategie.

在國際時尚舞台中，台灣在過去一直扮演代工的角色：儘管手中握有無與倫比的研發與生產技術，然而報酬率卻遠不及握有「國際品牌」的廠商。 1990年起，台灣以往勞力、技術密集的紡織產業開始走下坡。台灣紡織產業開始面臨勞工短缺、工資上漲，許多低價紡織品在國內生產已無獲利空間；從2000年左右開始，隨著全球化市場發展，中國大陸與東南亞等新興國家陸續崛起，我國紡織產業開始產生外移。2005年，WTO協定生效，取消「紡織貿易配額」，以及全球各地逐漸形成的「區域經濟體」，使得全球紡織產業發生結構性的變化。 近來「美學經濟」指標性產業：「時尚產業」，已經成為亞洲國家積極發展的目標，而政府也大力鼓吹由過去專業代工的「製造經濟」，轉型為以品牌、設計為主的「創意、知識經濟」。2008年國家重點發展計畫中提出「產業高值化」政策，除了研發，強化行銷能力以提升品牌知名度亦是創造高附加價值的重要關鍵。 台灣在本土時裝設計師品牌不少。然而，礙於台灣市場規模，始終無法有大幅的成長。因此，台灣設計師如何進軍國際市場，便成了一個值得深入探討的議題。 本研究結合Csikezentmihalyi創造力系統模式、與設計師日常事業經營，探討本土設計師時裝品牌國際化的動態過程：設計師如何以服裝設計專業、結合創業營運相關知識，不斷與國際時尚界專業人士與買家們溝通互動，進而使其品牌在國際間佔有一席之地。 本研究同時歸納設計師在進軍國際市場時需要哪些能力，以及在進入國際市場不同階段所應注意的管理議題，期望能供業界、後續學術研究參考、指教。 / This research is about how Taiwanese fashion designers market their products internationally. Taiwanese textile companies didn’t have their own brands before. They mainly manufactured and sold products overseas under foreign brand names. However, the textile manufacturing industry in Taiwan has already moved abroad to low-labor-cost area during the past two decades. Taiwanese designer brands have been struggleing between the small domestic market and the competition of foreign brands. I explored three cases of Taiwanese fashion designers who market their brands and products internationally. They are respectively Hong, Li Fen’s designer brand ‘Sophie Hong’, Chien, Yu Feng and Pan, Po Shun’s ‘Shawnyï’, and Chia, Wen Lan’s ‘Twinkle by Wenlan’. I analyzed these cases based on the Creativity Dynamic System Model (Csikezentmihalyi, 1990). First, I discovered how they combine their expertises of fashion design and business management to organize their international network. Second, the abilities a fashion designer has to possess during his way to international fashion market have already been clearly listed and categorized. In the end, I casted several managerial issues the fellow designers should pay attention to in different stages when they try to internationalize their brands and products.