(About FedEx, FedEx Historical Timeline; About UPS, Company History).
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Chapter II: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS.
A. Industry Life Cycle.
FedEx offers a wide range of transportation services and they accommodate to the widest range of shipments. FedEx is in the shipping services industry, which is an oligopolistic industry with few established competitors. The shipping services industry can be classified as being in the mature stage of the industry life cycle. The few competitors in this industry, such as UPS, DHL and USPS, in addition to FedEx, each have their own brand loyal customers and low cost operations that create significant barriers to entry into this industry.
As for the intensity of competition, in mature industries "companies tend to recognize their interdependence and try to avoid price wars." (Hill Jones, p.57) For mature industries a stable demand reduces the threat of intense rivalry between the established companies. However, unpredictable economic activity can cause a "trickle down" effect, such as a slump in an economy causing a decrease through-out industry demand, and as companies fight to make money a price war begins among companies in an industry, therefore, price leadership can be broken down by unpredictable future events.
B. Industry Dynamics.
The shipping service industry is very dynamic. The variety of consumers needs explains the energetic nature of this industry. Global Corporations, E-Commerce Companies, small businesses, as well as individual consumers all have a need to ship packages or documents to other businesses or individuals; however, the nature of these services will vary. IBM Corporation, for example, is a large company that depends on shipping their products to a large extent. Due to the IBM's large shipping volume, their shipping needs call for specific conditions provided by their shipping service provider, FedEx Corporation. IBM uses discounts on large quantity of shipments.
