What factors have affected Laura Ashley's growth/contraction and its profitability since 1980?

The first 200 words of this essay...

What Factors Have Affected Laura Ashley's Growth/Contraction And Its Profitability Since 1980?

INTRODUCTION

Hypothesis: Laura Ashleys performance have been affected mostly by change in fashion.

To prove my hypothesis I will start to investigate this further through researching documentation and accounts from Laura Ashley starting from 1980.

To be able to prove that Laura Ashley's performance have mostly been affected through change in fashion, I will read and provide evidence from Laura Ashleys Annual Company Reports and other media sources. I will also look out for any other factors which could have affected Laura Ashleys performance. The sources for this investigation will have to be Laura Ashleys Profit and Loss accounts, balance sheets and other financial or economical information.

Laura Ashleys performance can be measured in many different ways. The method I will be using to measure their performance is through analysing figures including:

* Share price

* Growth in turnover

* Profit and losses

* Number of shops and employees

* Gearing ratio (%)

Share price - The price of each share, which is bought by shareholder. Shareholders basically contribute money to a business,