Sweet Leaf Tea,a Texas-based maker of bottled iced tea,is a small but fast-growing firm that has gained a loyal following for its use of fresh,organic ingredients in its beverages.Although beverage industry experts recommended that Sweet Leaf replace the organic cane sugar and honey it uses with less costly high-fructose corn syrup,Sweet Leaf refused because of the company's mission to provide a high-quality,organic beverage to consumers.The 11-year-old company has 50 employees,and its products are available in 30% of the U.S.market.Sweet Leaf Tea recently received multimillion dollar investments which will enable the business to expand its national presence. Which of the following,if true,would most likely undermine the argument that Sweet Leaf Tea should implement a corporate-level strategy of vertical integration?A) Sweet Leaf Tea lacks the facilities or knowledge to produce the raw ingredients for its beverages.B) Market research suggests that Sweet Leaf Tea customers primarily purchase only one flavor of tea.C) Most loyal customers of Sweet Leaf Tea purchase the beverage at neighborhood convenience stores.D) Sweet Leaf Tea has decided to lower its prices by replacing cane sugar with corn syrup in some of its beverages.

Respuesta :

Answer:

Correct Answer:

A) Sweet Leaf Tea lacks the facilities or knowledge to produce the raw ingredients for its beverages.

Explanation:

Vertical integration is a strategy whereby a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors or retail locations which helps to control its product value and supply chain associated with the product it is selling.

Also, vertical integration benefits companies by allowing them to control process, reduce costs and improve efficiencies of the product. Since Sweet Leaf Tea Company lacks the facilities or knowledge to produce the raw ingredients for its beverages, it would definitely undermine its ambition.