A differentiation strategy is based on creating a product that customers perceive as being: a. cheaper, but inferior to the available products. b. the least costly product in the industry. c. superior to other available products. d. the same as other available products. e. the most costly product in the industry.

Starting at age 30, you deposit $2000 a year into an ira account for retirement. treat the yearly deposits into the account as a continuous income stream. if money in the account earns 7%, compounded continuously, how much will be in the account 35 years later, when you retire at age 65? how much of the final amount is interest?

Costco wholesale corporation operates membership warehouses selling food, appliances, consumer electronics, apparel and other household goods at 471 locations across the u.s. as well as in canada, mexico and puerto rico. as of its fiscal year-end 2005, costco had approximately 21.2 million members. selected fiscal-year information from the company's balance sheets follows. ($ millions). selected balance sheet data 2005 2004 merchandise inventories $4,015 $3,644 deferred membership income (liability) 501 454 (a) during fiscal 2005, costco collected $1,120 cash for membership fees. use the financial statement effectstemplate to record the cash collected for membership fees. (b) in 2005, costco recorded $46,347 million in merchandise costs (that is, cost of goods sold). record thistransaction in the financial statement effects template. (c) determine the value of merchandise that costco purchased during fiscal-year 2005. use the financial statementeffects template to record these merchandise purchases. assume all of costco's purchases are on credit.

If the ceo of a large, diversified, firm were filling out a fitness report on a division manager (i.e., "grading" the manager), which of the following situations would be likely to cause the manager to receive a better grade? in all cases, assume that other things are held constant.a. the division's basic earning power ratio is above the average of other firms in its industry.b. the division's total assets turnover ratio is below the average for other firms in its industry.c. the division's debt ratio is above the average for other firms in the industry.d. the division's inventory turnover is 6, whereas the average for its competitors is 8.e. the division's dso (days' sales outstanding) is 40, whereas the average for its competitors is 30.