Which of the following defines market research? a: the process of collecting, storing, and retrieving data in electronic files. b: the process of dividing a market into categories of of customer types. c: the process of fixing, adapting, and communicating the nature of the product itself. d: the study of consumer needs and wants, and the ways in which sellers can best meet them.

Fanning company is considering the addition of a new product to its cosmetics line. the company has three distinctly different options: a skin cream, a bath oil, or a hair coloring gel. relevant information and budgeted annual income statements for each of the products follow. skin cream bath oil color gel budgeted sales in units (a) 110,000 190,000 70,000 expected sales price (b) $8 $4 $11 variable costs per unit (c) $2 $2 $7 income statements sales revenue (a × b) $880,000 $760,000 $770,000 variable costs (a × c) (220,000) (380,000) (490,000) contribution margin 660,000 380,000 280,000 fixed costs (432,000) (240,000) (76,000) net income $228,000 $140,000 $204,000 required: (a) determine the margin of safety as a percentage for each product. (b) prepare revised income statements for each product, assuming a 20 percent increase in the budgeted sales volume. (c) for each product, determine the percentage change in net income that results from the 20 percent increase in sales. (d) assuming that management is pessimistic and risk averse, which product should the company add to its cosmetics line? (e) assuming that management is optimistic and risk aggressive, which product should the company add to its cosmetics line?

M. cotteleer electronics supplies microcomputer circuitry to a company that incorporates microprocessors into refrigerators and other home appliances. one of the components has an annual demand of 235 units, and this is constant throughout the year. carrying cost is estimated to be $1.25 per unit per year, and the ordering (setup) cost is $21 per order. a) to minimize cost, how many units should be ordered each time an order is placed? b) how many orders per year are needed with the optimal policy? c) what is the average inventory if costs are minimized? d) suppose that the ordering cost is not $21, and cotteleer has been ordering 125 units each time an order is placed. for this order policy (of q = 125) to be optimal, determine what the ordering cost would have to be.

The state in which the manufacturing company you work for is located regulates the presence of a particular substance in the environment to concentrations ≤ x. recently-released, reliable research endorsed by the responsible federal agency conclusively demonstrates that the substance poses no risks at concentrations up to 5x. your company has asked you to consider designing a new process with a waste discharge stream containing up to 2x of the substance. based on the stated conditions, describe this possible.