© 2010 FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingRe

© 2010 FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Research & Source Review Rubric
(10 points)
COMPANY NAME:
_____________________________________________________
___
MEMBERS:
_____________________________________________________
_________
_____________________________________________________
__________________
FORMATS (3 Points)
• Each Source follows MLA standards for Works Cited Entries
• All Information for each source is complete
_______________
POINTS
RELEVANCE, VARIETY & VALUE OF SOURCES (3 Points)
• Sources contain quotes and material that directly support the
thesis and goal of
the project.
• Sources are provided by established, expert, reliable
individuals or publications
and contain valuable, verified evidence or opinions
• Sources are culled from and represent a range in types of

material, including
factual, interpretive, comparative, responsive, quantitative,
analytical,
qualitative and/or expert opinion
_______________
POINTS
ANALYSIS (4 Points)
• Each entry offers 5-10 sentences explaining why the source is
valuable for the
section of the report.
• Identifies what information will be used and how the source is
qualitative,
quantitative or responsive.
• Confirms the source is reputable, reliable and current.
• Explains how content will be used in connection to the thesis
and purpose of the
report.
_______________
POINTS
_______________
TOTAL POINTS
Research & Source Review RubricFORMATS (3
Points)RELEVANCE, VARIETY & VALUE OF SOURCES (3
Points)ANALYSIS (4 Points)
©2017 FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Company Report Guidelines
Writing Assignment
Objectives:
1.
Conduct research by using annual reports, periodicals and onlin
e sources to analyze and synthesize
information
2. Evaluate a company as an investment prospect
3.
Create and submit a Source Review of Research Prospects (Mod
ule #4 Assignment, 10 points)
4.
Formulate an Outline with Salient Sub‐ Points and Quotes (Mod
ule #5 Assignment, 10 points)
5.
Submit a preliminary Works Cited in MLA Formats (Module #6
Assignment, 10 points)
6.
Write and submit all Body Paragraphs of Written Report with R
evised Works Cited and In‐ Text
Documented Quotes in MLA Formats –
Rough Draft (Module #7 Assignment, (10 points)
7.
Integrate Introduction, Conclusion, Abstract and Executive Sum
mary for Written Report – Final Draft
(Module #9 Assignment, 10 points)
Students will then select a company in researching, writing an a
nalysis, and formal report about
the company.

•
The Company Report consists in creating a company report by u
sing a Wiki
then compiling the information into a formal report.
• Select their specific company to analyze
Report Guidelines
Each student must choose one well‐ known U.S. company (if yo
u prefer a foreign company, ask for
permission first) and prepare a written report
giving a general introduction to the company and specifics
about the company’s prospects for investors.
2
The report must include:
1.
A brief overview of the company size, location, products and se
rvices and its current stage in growth
lifecycle.
2.
Financial specifics, including market capitalization, debts, profi
ts (and other pertinent financial data),
and future projections, i.e. microeconomics.
3.
Industry landscape, trends and competitors, i.e. macroeconomics
.
4.
Recent news, expert analyst opinions and consensus about the c
ompany and why this is good or bad.
5. Summary and comments on whether you

would recommend investing in the company and why or why
not. BUY / HOLD / SELL
Sources must include:
1 (one) Annual Report and 11 (eleven) Periodicals or Online So
urces:
1. The company’s website –
a great source for investor relations, annual reports, its latest pr
ess releases,
forecasts and news about a company. However, the company ma
y promote only that news and
information which is favorable.
2. The company’s annual report –
public documents which give a general introduction to a compa
ny, its
detailed financial information, such as profits, operating expens
es, and debts, for a particular year.
Annual reports are required for all companies that sell stock in t
he stock market. These companies are
called “public” because the public can buy stocks, shares of ow
nership, in the company. Private
companies, those which don’t sell stock to the public, may not h
ave annual reports and should not be
used for this project. Annual reports for most public companies
are available online at company
websites.
3. Periodicals and online sources –
magazines, newspapers, databases and news services. Use the F
IDM
Library for reference to the many online and periodical sources
you can access and use for free, e.g.
Hoovers, LexisNexis. Enter the company’s name and a date rang

e and you can search for headlines for
every article published during that time period. WSJ, Fortune an
d Barron’s are excellent business
periodicals and www.moneycentral.com and Yahoo Finance offe
r summaries of financial data and news
links for most publically‐ traded companies. Enter the stock sy
mbol for the company at these websites to
access specific information.
IMPORTANT:
The process of this assignment must be followed in the followin
g sequential order. DO NOT BEGIN WRITING THE
ABSTRACT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST!
The Writing Process includes:
• Source Review – Module #4
• Outline with Sources Integration – Module #5
• Works Cited in MLA Formats – Module #6
• Rough Draft of Written Report – Module #7
• Integration of Introduction and Conclusion – Module #8
• Creating an Abstract and Executive Summary – Module #9
• Final Draft of Written Report – Module #9
3
Preliminary Organization and Outline of the Report:
The preliminary organization of your report will cover:
I. Introduction.
Begin with an effective opening. Include a thesis (posed as a qu
estion) and a plan of development
that succinctly previews the sources and structure of your analy

sis.
II. Company Background & Current Stage in Growth Lifecycle
Briefly introduce the company and its basic information, such a
s size, market capitalization, divisions,
products and location of its headquarters. Identify and assess cu
rrent stage of company’s growth
lifecycle, milestones the company has reached and its sustainabi
lity for growth and profit.
III. Detailed Financial Information ‐ ‐ Microeconomics
Provide financial information based on the annual report which
identifies whether the company is
profitable or not, e.g. has debts, pays dividends, its forecast, rev
enues and earnings.
IV.
Industry Landscape, Trends and Competitors ‐ ‐ Macroeconomi
cs
Analyze current industry trends, main competitors and company
’s position in the market, locally,
nationally and globally, and sustainability status.
V.
Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions and Wall Street Consen
sus
Discuss recent news and developments, positive and negative. S
upply expert evaluations about the
company, analysts’ ratings, and consensus opinions.
VI. Recommendations
Synthesize the research and comment on whether you
would recommend investing in this company.
Give specific reasons for your opinions. BUY / SELL / HOLD
VII. Conclusion

Offer a brief summary (re‐ cap) of your report and re‐ state you
r recommendation.
© FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising 1
Sample Format for Source Review Assignment:
Company Background & Current Stage in Growth Lifecycle
Briefly introduce the company and its basic information, such
as size, market capitalization, divisions, products and
location of its headquarters. Identify and assess current stage of
company’s growth lifecycle, milestones the company
has reached and its sustainability for growth and profit.
SOURCE #1:
Works Cited entry in correct MLA Format
ANALYSIS/REASON FOR INCLUSION/CONNECTION TO
THESIS:
Offer 5-10 sentences of insights: Why is this source valuable
for this section of the report? What information does it
include that will be used? Is the source qualitative, quantitative
or responsive? Is the source reputable, reliable and
current? What content will be used in connection to the thesis
and purpose of the report?
SOURCE #2:
Analysis/Reason for Inclusion/Connection to Thesis:

SOURCE #3:
SOURCE #4:
SOURCE #5:

SOURCE #6:
Detailed Financial Information -- Microeconomics
Provide financial information based on the annual report which
identifies whether the company is profitable or not, e.g.
has debts, pays dividends, its forecast, revenues and earnings.
SOURCE #1:
THESIS:

SOURCE #2:
SOURCE #3:
SOURCE #4:
SOURCE #5:

SOURCE #6:
Industry Landscape, Trends and Competitors -- Macroeconomics
Analyze current industry trends, main competitors and
company’s position in the market, locally, nationally and
globally,
and sustainability status.
SOURCE #1:
THESIS:

SOURCE #2:
for this section of the report? What informatio n does it
SOURCE #3:
SOURCE #4:
Analysis/Reason for Inclusion/Connectio n to Thesis:

SOURCE #5:
SOURCE #6:
for this section of the report? What information does i t
Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions & Consensus
Discuss recent news and developments, positive and negative.
Supply expert evaluations about the company, analysts’
ratings, and consensus opinions.

SOURCE #1:
THESIS:
SOURCE #2:
SOURCE #3:
SOURCE #4:

SOURCE #5:
SOURCE #6:
Sample Format for Source Review Assignment:SOURCE
#1:SOURCE #2:SOURCE #3:SOURCE #4:SOURCE

#3:SOURCE #4:SOURCE #5:SOURCE #6:
GNST 3050
7 August 2020
Company Outline
Sephora Company Outline
Company Background and Current Stage in Growth Lifecycle
Sub-Point A: Sephora is the number one omni channel, beauty
retailer in the world.
Sephora is the largest beauty retailer in the world, beating out
other retailers such as Ulta and Nordstrom. They have
strategically turned themselves into an omni channel retailer,
which provides them leverage amongst their competitors. Their
state of the art technology and product assortment keep them
one step ahead.
Source 1: https://www.sephora.com/beauty/about-us
The About Us page on the Sephora website provides a
background story on who the company is and how they got to
where they are. It discusses how and why Sephora is an omni
channel retailer and what platforms they use to their advantage.
Source 2: https://makeup.lovetoknow.com/cosmetics-
brands/what-is-history-sephora
This article provides a timeline of Sephora’s history, beginning
before the company even started. It dives deeper into what
makes Sephora so successful and what steps they took in order
to become the beauty giant that they are today and highlights
their milestones.
Sub-Point B: Sephora has many retail locations throughout the
world.

Sephora can be found all around the world in countries such as
Thailand, China and the United States. Not only do they have
retail locations in those countries, but their e-commerce website
ships out to other countries as well. They can be found at their
stand alone stores or inside of JC Penney.
Source 1:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200204005185/en/
Sephora-Announces-Largest-Store-Expansion-History-Opening
The article discusses how Sephora is planning on opening 100
more stores in North America and describes the retail layout of
the stores.
Source 2: https://www.sephora.com/happening/storelist
This is the Sephora US’ website store locator. On this page,
every Sephora store in North America can be found.
Sub-Point C: Sephora’s growth and profitability continue to
increase year by year.
Even though Sephora does have many competitors, they stay on
top of them. Each year, Sephora’s growth rate continues to
increase. The company has become more and more profitable as
time goes by.
Source 1: https://www.statista.com/study/65904/sephoracom-
store-analysis/
This article shows how much Sephora grew in the year 2018
alone. It also discusses how much their sales went up.
Source 2:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2018/08/06/sephora-
and-ulta-are-on-a-collision-course-then-there-is-amazon-where-
is-us-beauty-retail-headed/#29d7f74855dd
This article compares Sephora and Ulta’s growth rates and
profitability.
Detailed Financial Information- Microeconomics

Sub-Point A: Sephora has generated a lot of revenue and
continues to see growth.
Even with the pandemic, Sephora has managed to stay on top.
They continue to generate large amounts of revenue, which in
turn causes the company to grow. They are also growing by
expanding into new locations and opening new retail stores.
Source #1: https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/sephora-open-
100-stores-2020
This article discusses how and when Sephora will be expanding
into new locations.
Source #2: https://ecommercedb.com/en/store/sephora.com
This article shows Sephora’s revenue and net sales from their e -
commerce website.
Sub-Point B: Sephora does not owe any debts.
Sephora has managed to stay debt free and has had to make
difficult decisions to do so. Sephora has been sold in JC Penney
for awhile but has decided to pull back after realizing that JC
Penney was in debt. Even though they may potentially be losing
out on more exposure, they have pulled back to avoid owing any
debt.
Source #1:
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/08/jcpenney-and-
sephora-mend-fences-but-jcpenney-migh.aspx
This article discusses the debts that JC Penney owes.
Source #2:
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2020/05/04/sephora
-is-threatening-to-pull-out-of-jc-penney-stores/
This article discusses the reasoning behind Sephora backing
away from JC Penney.
Sub-Point C: Sephora’s forecasts seem to be looking positive.

Sephora’s various strategies have set them up for long time
success. They are forecasted to grow and expand, even reaching
higher numbers by 2024. Sephora is not slowing down.
Source #1: https://us.kantar.com/business/retail/2019/sephora -
behind-the-forecast/
This article discusses why Sephora’s forecasts are looking good.
Source #2: https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/sephora-
statistics-facts/
This article lists different facts that contribute to Sephora’s
success.
Industry Landscape, Trends and Competition- Macroeconomics
Sub-Point A: Sephora is an extremely sustainable brand.
Sephora has really differentiated themselves from their
competition through their sustainability initiatives. Sephora has
their own line of “clean beauty” products that add to their
sustainability initiative. They are very transparent with their
customers and list out their initiatives and accomplishments in
terms of sustainability.
Source #1: https://www.sephorastands.com/sustainability/
Sephora’s website provides customers with information on what
they are doing in order to stay sustainable.
Source #2: https://www.glossy.co/beauty/sustainability-is-front-
and-center-what-sephoras-accelerate-program-says-about-the-
future-of-beauty
This article highlights some of Sephora’s sustainability efforts.
Sub-Point B: Sephora has several competitors, although they are
the most successful.
Sephora has managed to become and stay the number one beauty
retailer in the world because of the various strategies that they
implement. Sephora’s sales have consistently stayed above their
competition’s. Companies such as MAC, Ulta and Nordstrom

are some of Sephora’s top competitors.
Source #1: https://www.owler.com/company/sephora
This article features a chart that compares Sephora with their
top competitors including Ulta, Mac and Nordstrom.
Source #2: https://digitalbeauty.com/sephora-vs-ulta-
competitor-analysis/
This article compares Ulta and Sephora.
Sub-Point C: Sephora has positioned themselves in a unique, yet
recognizable way.
In order to stay unique, Sephora has given themselves a
recognizable and familiar brand positioning. They are very
approachable, yet respectable. Sephora has used technology and
their expert status as a way to differentiate themselves from
their competitors.
Source #1: https://sephorabrand.weebly.com/positioning.html
This article pinpoints what Sephora’s brand positioning is.
Source #2:
https://www.slideshare.net/ChongChristinaGuo/strategic-
planning-for-sephora
This article provides a slideshow presentation going into further
detail of Sephora’s brand positioning.
Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions and Consensus
Sub-Point A: Sephora is a successful company.
Sephora has continued to stay on top of their competition. They
have made lots of sales and generated lots of revenue. The use
of their various strategies has allowed them to remain
successful.
Source #1: https://craft.co/sephora
This article shows how successful Sephora is.

Source #2:https://salesfloor.net/blog/6-lessons-we-can-learn-
from-sephora/
This article provides details as to what techniques Sephora is
using in order to gain the leverage the have.
Sub-Point B: Sephora is very technologically advanced.
Sephora has paved the way for their competition and has set a
new standard. They are extremely technologically advanced and
have implemented different types of technologies into their
retail experience. This has given them a major edge to their
competition.
Source #1: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how -sephora-
is-leveraging-ar-and-ai-to-transform-retail-and-help-customers-
buy-cosmetics/
This article shows the different ways Sephora uses different
technologies in both their retail stores and online.
Source #2: https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-
rctom/submission/sephora-and-artificial-intelligence-what-does-
the-future-of-beauty-look-like/
This article discusses how Sephora has changed the world of
beauty and has set a new standard.
Sub-Point C: Sephora has recently made improvements to make
themselves better.
In order to stay on top, Sephora has taken the time to listen to
the voices of their customers. They have implemented changes
that will make them more consistent with the message they are
trying to give out. Sephora continues to update themselves in
order to be the best that they can be.
Source #1: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-
style/fashion/sephora-mink-false-eyelashes-ban-fur-farm-peta-
animal-cruelty-a9595041.html
Sephora has banned the sale of mink lashes in order to remain

consistent with their mission of sustainability.
Source #2: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sephora-
makeup-classes-transgender-bold-beauty-pride-month-us-
sephora-stands-a8364386.html
Sephora has started new makeup classes for transgender
customers in order to promote the message of inclusively.
Assignment: Integrating Research & Creating an Outline
Instructions
You will be working individually on your Company Report. It
is your sole responsibility for completing this assignment.
1. Objective: Develop an outline that defines and focuses the
points your report offers in direct connection and support of
your thesis – Is the company’s stock a good investment for
investors?
2. Submit a rough outline for the 4 internal sections of your
report, excluding the Introduction, Recommendation and
Conclusion. Each section must include 3 sub-points that are
supported by 3-5 descriptive sentences. You will also identify 2
sources, quotes, charts, details, or graphics you propose to
integrate for each sub-point and provide 1-3 sentences which
introduce and qualify the source and its value, reliability and
currency.
I. SECTION 1: Company Background & Current Stage in
Growth Life cycle
A. Sub-point A: 3-5 descriptive sentences that explain the sub-
point
· Source 1: 1-3 sentences that qualify the source
B. Sub-point B: 3-5 descriptive sentences that explain the sub-
point

C. Sub-point C: 3-5 descriptive sentences that explain the sub-
point
II. SECTION 2: Detailed Financial Information -
Microeconomics
point
point
point
III. SECTION 3: Industry Landscape, Trends and Competitors -
Macroeconomics
point
point
point
IV. SECTION 4: Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions &

Consensus
point
point
point
3. Also review the Outline Sample in this module and additional
samples in your textbook beginning on page 22ff.
4. Please refer to the Library Resources Section:
· Hoovers Online
· Mintel Global Market
· Mintel Trends
· Plunkett Research
Company Report Wiki
You are encouraged to utilize the Company Report Wiki writing
tool for this assignment.
Submit
· Use the Assignment Rubric in this module to assess your
work.
· See the Outline Sample for an example of how this assignment
should be presented.
· Submit 1 Outline & Research Integration assignment using
the Assignments tool.
· Please submit and format your paper in 12 point Times New
Roman font in a Word document.
Research Links
Use the following links to conduct research for this week's

assignment:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money
https://finance.yahoo.com/?guccounter=1

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