Krispy

Kreme
Case Study: Adapting
to the Changing
Needs of Consumers

By:
Andrea Slonecker, Jessica
Curtin, Mike Hurlbut, & Keith
Anderson
Table of Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Company History ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................... 4
External Environment Analysis ........................................................................................................... 6
General Environment ................................................................................................................................ 6
Industry Environment ............................................................................................................................. 10
Competitive Environment ....................................................................................................................... 12
Internal Environment Analysis .......................................................................................................... 17
Peformance ............................................................................................................................................. 20
Krispy Kreme’s Efficiency ........................................................................................................................ 21
Risks Facing Krispy Kreme ................................................................................................................ 23
Competition ............................................................................................................................................ 23
Costs ........................................................................................................................................................ 23
Expansion ................................................................................................................................................ 25
Economic Risk ......................................................................................................................................... 26
Changing Consumer Preferences ............................................................................................................ 27
Key Problem .................................................................................................................................... 27
Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 28
Implementation Plan............................................................................................................................... 30
Appendix ......................................................................................................................................... 32
Executive Summary

Krispy Kreme is a doughnut manufacturer and retailer that was founded over 70 years

ago and has since expanded into a global firm. After several structural changes, the company

began to expand rapidly in the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s. A few years later after realizing they

over expanded and several questionable accounting practices came to light, the company’s stock

prices plummeted. New management has slowly been trying to rebuild their reputation and

decrease costs which are severely hurting the company.

Competition is increasingly becoming an issue based on the changing needs of consumers

who are looking for healthier products, convenience of store locations, and low price. Krispy

Kreme competes in both the quick-service restaurant sector and the U.S. bread production

industry and as a result their competitors vary greatly. The top three competitors they currently

face are Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks Coffee Inc., and Hostess who each have their own strengths

and weaknesses. While internally the company’s new management is making smart decisions by

building smaller factory stores in more locations, rather than traditional large stores in fewer

areas which has allowed them to reach more customers and somewhat reduce costs, they are still

facing a lot of store closures. Despite these financial improvements, the company is drawing in

comparatively smaller revenues and still has higher costs than its competitors in the present

market.

Krispy Kreme needs to focus on cutting costs and expanding their customer base even

further to bring in higher revenues. This can be done by implementing new, healthy lunch

options to their menu. While it will change the company’s traditional menu of doughnuts and

sugary treats, it will help them adapt to the changing needs of consumers; without meeting the

needs of their consumers they may face eventual bankruptcy.

1|Page
Introduction
Krispy Kreme is a doughnut retailer in the quick-service restaurant sector. As of January

31, 2010 they operated 582 stores in 20 countries across the world including The United States,

Australia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.1 In addition to their famous Original Glazed®

doughnuts, they also offer other options such as doughnut holes and jell-filled doughnuts, and

coffee and espresso drinks that complement their featured product. They have also recently

started to offer a product called Kool Kreme® which is a homemade ice-cream that they make

doughnut sundaes and other dessert items with.

The quick-service restaurant sector of the economy is very competitive. Going against

giants like McDonalds and Burger King, Krispy Kreme is having a tough time matching what

these monster chains can offer customers. These competitors are encroaching into the breakfast

market and Krispy Kreme is in danger of losing its advantage and position in the market. Unlike

these other quick-service restaurants, Krispy Kreme is having trouble bringing in customers for

meals after breakfast because they offer only doughnuts, coffee, and sweet treats. Based on their

recent menu additions and the company’s vision statement, ―To be the worldwide leader in

sharing delicious tastes and creating joyful memories,‖2 Krispy Kreme obviously feels that they

need to be more than just an average doughnut shop that sells doughnuts in the morning.

Company History

Krispy Kreme was started July 13, 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founder

Vernon Rudolph purchased a secret doughnut recipe used to produce the treats that he then sold

to grocery stores in the area. However, as pedestrians walked by the factory in the morning they

were enticed by the smell of fresh doughnuts and inquired if they could purchase them straight

from the factory while they were still hot. Rudolph created an accessible section in the factory to

2|Page
sell doughnuts to customers walking by on the street and the first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop

was born.3

With the success of the store in North Carolina, Krispy Kreme decided that it should

expand its stores in the South; this created additional revenues for the company and gave them

better name recognition as everyone wanted to get their hands on a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Unfortunately, with expansion came problems as well, and consistency from store to store was

lackluster - some used too much flour and some made them too small. To solve this problem the

factory created a dry mix that would be distributed to all of the stores. This helped standardize

the taste of the doughnuts, but it didn’t solve the problem of shape/size. An answer to this

problem was created in uniform machines that would produce the doughnuts evenly and at a

faster pace than the previous style could produce. With this new technology stores could make

500 dozen doughnuts per hour!4

When Vernon Rudolph died in 1973 the company was sold to Beatrice Foods Company

and became a subsidiary of the company. Krispy Kreme’s business model was tinkered with and

changed from what its core competency was - creating fresh, superior doughnuts to sell to the

public and grocery stores to one based on gaining short-term profits and not caring about the

long-term health of the company as a whole. A group of franchise owners purchased the

company back from Beatrice Foods in 1982 with the intent of going back to the old ways of the

company; however, after the buyback, Krispy Kreme had debts that needed to be paid off and the

company was stalled for some time until the mid 1990’s when they went through a huge period

of expansion. Their main focus during the expansion was to sell their main product, the hot

Original Glazed®. To promote this they created the famous sign that lights up to alert passerby’s

that fresh doughnuts just rolled off the line. With this strategy in mind they expanded out of the

3|Page
South and moved north, moving first into Indiana and then to most places between North

Carolina and New York City. They targeted markets where they felt they could come in and take

a huge portion of the market share. By the end of the decade they had successfully expanded

west into Texas, Nevada and California and were a national chain.5

Current Situation

Krispy Kreme is going through a tough stretch right now. Their aggressive expansion in

the 1990’s and early 2000’s have come back to hit them hard. Net income has been negative

since 2003 and the company has been on the verge of bankruptcy several times throughout the

past seven years. However, 2010 is forecasted to have a positive net income based on quarterly

earnings for the year. Current leadership has done a great job recreating the company’s image

and getting back to the basics of the classic doughnut shop, but there is still a lot of work to do.

The current situation Krispy Kreme finds itself in is based on the actions of former CEO

Scott Livengood. The company was sued by shareholders after releasing its first profit-warning

in May of 2004 and was accused of fudging earnings to meet expectations and receive huge

bonuses. The Securities Exchange Commission formally filled an investigation into the company

and the stock price had fallen 50% in 2004.6 As the following graph shows, 2004 was the first

year that Krispy Kreme reported a loss. In 2005 the company failed to file audited financial

statements and Livengood resigned as CEO. It is impossible to know what the real numbers

would have been had Krispy Kreme been following the guidelines from 2000-2004, but it is safe

to assume that they were losing money during that time. The actions of past management have

put the current management under serious pressure to save the company.

4|Page
 Compared with its largest competitors, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, Krispy Kreme’s

revenues are drastically lower. Posting revenues of 6.90 and 10.29 billion respectfully, its

competitors dwarfed Krispy Kreme’s revenue of 350.42 million in 2009. Low revenues have

caused major problems for the company. High startup costs, coupled with falling sales, have

stressed Krispy Kreme’s stores. In the period from 2004-2009 over 240 domestic stores were

shut down by the company and franchisees.7 Additionally, on November 10, 2010 they

announced they will be shutting down 21 of their 51 stores in Australia.8 Competition from these

companies, as well as changes in consumer taste and poor expansion strategy, has put Krispy

Kreme in a difficult position.

A shift in consumer demand to want healthier fast-food options has hit the industry hard.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks have combated this shift by offering healthier menu items,

something Krispy Kreme has failed to do. Dunkin’ Donuts offers healthy breakfast sandwiches

and a variety of flatbread sandwiches that are based on both morning and lunch styles.9

5|Page
Starbucks is even more impressive when it comes to variety on its menu as they offer pastries,

muffins, fruit plates, salads, oatmeal, yogurt, and breakfast sandwiches to complement their main

product, coffee.10 Even with a forecasted profit for 2010, how Krispy Kreme addresses and

answers the health craze in the upcoming years will define the company’s future.

The magnitude of growth in the late 1990’s and locations chosen for expansion have not

worked as well as Krispy Kreme had hoped. These seemed like solid investments when the

management was participating in unethical accounting methods. Why are these franchises now

failing and have they been failing since they opened? Almost all new locations have competition

in the form of multiple options for consumers to choose from, putting Krispy Kreme at a

disadvantage. For example, ―Many of the new Krispy Kreme outlets were located within the

food courts of major shopping centers, where rents are high and consumers can immediately

compare retail offerings‖11. Other quick-service restaurants can offer more selection than Krispy

Kreme can and this makes them more appealing. As primarily a doughnut shop, Krispy Kreme is

viewed as a snack and not a full meal which is leading to the aforementioned store closures.

External Environment Analysis

General Environment

Krispy Kreme competes in the Bread Production in the United States industry, NAICS

code 31181. This includes everything from the production for wholesale or retail of breads, pies,

doughnuts, cakes and other bakery items. It’s in the mature stage of the life cycle with annual

revenues of $36.5 billion, and roughly 8,495 small to medium sized firms competing.12 The two

major players are Sara Lee Corporation (7.0%) and Flowers Foods, Inc. (6.0%), which together

make up thirteen percent market share of the industry.13 The other eighty seven percent is made

6|Page
up of smaller, yet still highly competitive firms like Hostess Brands (4.5%), Bimbo Bakeries

USA (4.5%), and Krispy Kreme (<1.0%).14

There are seven product segments which make up this industry. The largest is the bread

segment at 32% which includes many fresh and packaged breads like French bread or the loaf

varieties you might find in your local grocery store. Revenues from this segment make up more

than half the industry total, which is in part because the breads in this segment are considered

staple foods; in other words, people consume bread products in such quantities that it’s a

substantial portion of their diets. Staple foods can vary from country to country, for example,

China or Japan may consider rice as a staple more so than Americans would. Some examples of

other staple foods are pastas, grains and potatoes. The second largest segment is the rolls

segment, capturing roughly 19%. Varieties include fresh or packaged rolls, muffins, croissants

and bagels. Again, this category yields strong revenues which are tied to its strong relationship

with the staples of the American diet. The frozen cakes and pastries segment carries 15% of the

market. This segment is somewhat an up-and-coming segment with strong recent popularity due

to its convenience combined with shelf life. The last four segments include other sweet goods,

holding 14% of the market, retail bakery products with 10%, soft cakes (non-frozen variety)

holding 8%, and pies making up 2%. The five lowest revenue-yielding segments are because the

products are not considered discretionary items rather than staples; they are not requirements in

the diet, but indulgences. These discretionary segments also feel losses when the economy is

experiencing difficulties and people begin cutting their spending habits. They also see

fluctuations seasonally; in the colder holiday months there is a spike, while spring and summer

months see a decline as people are eating lighter.15

7|Page
 Economics plays a large part in the industry; impacts cause a ripple effect throughout the

industry touching everything, including competition, consumer spending habits and tastes,

supply prices, transportation costs, and labor costs. In the past few years, Krispy Kreme, as well

as the bread producing industry as a whole, has struggled like many other companies and

industries during the recession. Growth within the industry over the past five years has been non-

existent, around -1.0%.16 Competition is extremely high and therefore firms must be able to

provide low-cost, differentiated products to the consumer who has extremely low switching

costs. From 2005 to 2010, there have been 813 closed enterprises within the industry.17 This is

because in order to survive with all-around low bargaining power, firms must have some form of

brand loyalty from their customers or some sort of differentiation in order to stand out; without,

they become subject to closure or easy targets of acquisition.18 As previously stated, the

doughnut market unfortunately falls into the discretionary item category; therefore, with the

recession taking a toll on consumer spending, doughnuts are not at the top of priority lists. This

raises the stakes for competing firms - how do they get customers in the door when the product

isn’t a current need? The indulgence categories of items on consumer’s lists often get cut during

recessions, as many face substantial difficulties simply paying for current necessities.

Competing firms see great struggles with their raw input prices. Already, prices are fairly

volatile; add a recession on top of it, and you have a potential problem as a buyer. Bakeries buy

their raw materials like sugar or flour from their suppliers who often have erratic prices. Many of

the larger firms have an advantage because they deal business under contracts with their

suppliers and therefore have fixed costs which allow them more flexibility in not having to worry

over unstable costs. On the other hand, smaller firms don’t have the opportunities or resources to

enter into contracts like larger firms do and therefore have to work with what is available.

8|Page
Additionally, it’s important for firms to be close to their supply and distribution channels in order

to save money on any transportation costs that may be incurred.19 Prime supply areas include the

Great Lakes region, the Southeast and the Plains region. All are beneficial for their production of

raw inputs. The Great Lakes region is home to many grain and flour mills, while the Southeast

offers production of starches and sugars, and the Plains region is home to the largest corn

farming.20 Finally, it is key that firms are in premium locations in order to reach their consumers.

These locations are generally large cities where there are larger concentrations of consumers. 21

Within the past decade, consumer tastes have made some dramatic changes. In the past,

diets of Americans have been poor; high levels of sugars and fats and low in nutrients. As a

result, diabetes and obesity have made it to the forefront of deadly diseases in recent years

causing consumer tastes make a substantial change. Alongside dietary changes, Americans are

becoming increasingly busier.22 They have little time to spend on shopping let alone cooking and

consequently consumers look for items that support their on-the-move lifestyles. This factor is a

leading influence for substantial growth that the frozen desserts segment of the market has seen

in recent years.23 Alongside this, consumers are looking to substitute products like fresh snack

foods that are much more easily accessible than traditional bread products.24

Exporting baked goods abroad both now, and throughout history, has been unfeasible.

These goods are highly perishable and overall generally taste better fresh. In recent years, there

has been an increase in packaging procedures as well as the addition of preservatives which can

extend the life of products; however, they still are not suitable for exportation and instead many

major players have extended their franchises outside of the United States to gain presence in

many other countries abroad.25 Industry exports accumulate $863 million annually, servicing

80% to Canada, followed by Mexico, Japan, Korea and the UK.26

9|Page
 Manufacturing technology in recent years has slightly developed. Baked good products

typically require significant labor and these new technologies eliminate much of that need.

Although profitability rises for enterprises investing more in technology and equipment, labor

opportunities within the industry have declined.27 Major competitors have the resources to invest

in these technological manufacturing machines and save on their labor costs stemming from

wages. The major players also have a great advantage - they are able to invest in these

technologies, yield more, sell more, and their costs per unit are much lower than otherwise.

Industry Environment

Using Porter’s Five Forces model, we can better analyze the industry as a whole.

Suppliers generally have low bargaining power. This is true because suppliers have an

uphill battle both ways in the supply chain. On one hand, they have volatile raw input prices

which can cause fluctuation in costs and hinder proper planning, while on the other hand, their

customers come and go as they please because bread products are easily interchangeable and

readily available. In order for suppliers to leverage their bargaining power they need to

differentiate themselves from the rest and create some sort of switching cost for the buyers. To

do so they need to offer premium products or a particular combination of products that are easily

accessible to consumers at low prices; these products must be hard to find elsewhere or the

consumer must be brand loyal to the firm based on other factors.

The bargaining power of buyers is very high. Consumers can go nearly anywhere to get

their bread products, with the exception of specialty niche products. Goods like loaf breads from

grocery stores are especially common; consumers head to the bread aisle and can choose from a

variety of brands, finding similar offerings among them all, usually settling on whichever is the

lowest price for what they’re looking for.

10 | P a g e
 Threat of substitutes is at an extreme high. Especially in today’s society where consumers

are becoming more aware and conscientious of what they eat, substitutes are readily available

and on the rise. Healthy alternatives to traditional bakery items can satisfy the hunger and are

much more accessible. These items include things like yogurt or fruit bars, nuts, and even fruit.28

The threat of new entrants into the bread production industry is moderate. Barriers to

entry are low because the capital required to successfully start a profitable business is fairly

significant. What new entrants have to face is the entrenchment of strong players within the

industry who have the resources to maintain contracts with their suppliers for stable raw input

prices, the capital to invest in technologically advanced manufacturing equipment, and customer

brand loyalty.29 Furthermore, they enjoy economies of scale because they are able to have lower

per unit outputs. On the positive side of things, producers in the industry have a wide variety of

segments they can enter making product differentiation easier, along with combining products

from other industries. For example, looking at Krispy Kreme, they offer not only fresh

doughnuts, but they offer fresh brewed coffee as well; however, it’s also easy to imitate one

another within the industry, as well as one-upping each other. A major competitor that Krispy

Kreme has is Dunkin’ Donuts, who recently began offering extended breakfast menu items like

sandwiches. This extended menu appeals to a wider market than those shopping for doughnuts; it

captures the on-the-go breakfast consumer, as well as the health-conscientious, as many of their

sandwiches are served with ingredients like egg whites and spinach.

The competitive rivalry among firms is high. Because operating conditions have become

increasingly unpredictable and industry growth over the past five years has been -1.0%, many

companies have had to make many changes. Many have begun to scale back operations and the

industry has seen increases in mergers, as well as acquisitions, creating an increasingly

11 | P a g e
fragmented arena which leads to overall low industry concentration levels. There are many small

to medium sized enterprises that are dispersed throughout the country, therefore there is no

significant foreseen increases to concentration.30 Furthermore, businesses are unable to capture

significant portions of the market for several reasons - not only because of the highly fragmented

nature of the industry, but also the violent fluctuations of raw inputs, price competition, quality

control and product differentiation. Quality control is difficult to capture for larger competitors,

as it is hard to deliver fresh, quality products daily to a large area. While they are able to provide

larger outputs at lower costs per unit, smaller firms are able to provide a smaller quantity of

fresher products, at lower prices to the consumer. Staying innovative and differentiated is crucial

in the success of the firm, as growth within the industry is quite limited. Consumer preferences

have made some dramatic changes recently and therefore firms who want to captivate larger

market shares must to cater to these shifting needs.31 Substitute products are readily available

and generally healthier, therefore posing grave threat to those who aren’t conforming to customer

demands. Finally, firms need to form relationships both with their supplier resources, as well as

their consumer base. The only way to sustain or grow market share is to first, establish steady

supply rates, and second, create switching costs for customers using brand loyalty.

Competitive Environment

The bread production industry is house for a wide assortment of baked goods. Because

the industry houses everything from loaf whole grain breads down to gooey-sugary doughnuts,

it’s easier to narrow the competitor focus to the market segment in which Krispy Kreme

competes. The top three competitors that Krispy Kreme faces are Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks

Coffee, Inc., and Hostess. Each has similar product offerings, however, are quite differentiated at

the same time – both in their focus as well as strategies.

12 | P a g e
 Dunkin’ Donuts may be the largest competitor to Krispy Kreme in that they offer very

similar products. The first Dunkin’ Donuts opened its doors in 1950 out of Quincy,

Massachusetts with founder Bill Rosenberg behind the counter. Within four years, the company

had a total of five Dunkin’ Donuts shops and Mr. Rosenberg was well known as a young local

entrepreneur. In 1955, Dunkin’ Donuts began licensing itself to franchisers. Today, they claim to

be ―the world’s largest coffee and baked goods chain, serving more than 3 million customers per

day‖.32 Dunkin’ Donuts is also a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. which also owns Baskin-

Robbins. They offer 52 varieties of doughnuts, other baked goods, multiple coffee beverages,

and breakfast and deli sandwiches. As of year-end 2008, Dunkin’ Donuts had over 8,800

locations world-wide, including over 6,300 in the United States and more than 2,400

international venues in 31 countries.33 Sixty percent of their sales are in coffee, with the

remaining forty percent in their bakery items.34

In 2007, Dunkin’ Donuts became the first major player to introduce a doughnut with zero

grams of trans fat. With the new health change, they also revamped their entire menu of over 50

items.35 In 2008 they began marketing healthier menu items, adapting to the changing tastes of

today’s health-conscious consumer. Their DDSMART product line includes healthy breakfast

sandwiches, snacks and coffee beverages. Some menu items include the ―Egg White Turkey

Sausage Flatbread Sandwich‖, a multigrain bagel with reduced fat cream cheese, the Coffee

Coolatta® with skim milk, and several others.36

By looking at their product offerings, their business level strategy is targeting the on-the-

go families and professionals who appreciate low cost breakfasts or lunches and coffee that are

fast, yet healthy at the same time. Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index rated

Dunkin’ Donuts number one for customer loyalty within the ―Doughnuts and Coffee‖ category

13 | P a g e
for 2007-2009. In 2004 they did a study testing customer’s brand loyalty and challenged them to

substitute another brand of coffee for one week. The results of the study showed that regular

consumers very much disliked living with the other brands, and preferred Dunkin’ Donuts

coffee.37 They are a privately held company so finding financials for ratios for comparison is not

feasible.

Starbucks is everywhere and to date they are the number one retailer of specialty coffees

in the world.38 They are present in over 50 countries with more than 15,500 coffee shops.39 Their

venues specialize in serving freshly roasted and brewed coffees in all variations of coffee and

espresso beverages, as well as many non-caffeinated varieties. They also have a wide assortment

of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and even oatmeal.

Originally, before Starbucks was what it is today, it was a small coffee bean and spice

storefront in the heart of Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Howard Schultz, today’s

CEO, walked into the small Starbucks store, instantly felt at home, and joined the family. His

inspiration took off when he visited Italy for a purchasing trip and returned to America with big

changes. The owners didn’t want the expansion and Schultz left to start his own coffee shop to

pursue his dream. After some time he was able to build his empire, and eventually purchased the

original stores. From the beginning, Starbucks wanted to change the perceptions people had

about coffee, turning it into more of a relationship and lifestyle. Starbucks’ mission is to ―inspire

and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time‖.40 Their

competitiveness is mainly focused on the coffee market, and targets middle to upper income

individuals and professionals. They want people to have a connection with the coffee and be

comfortable in the atmosphere by providing relaxing music, comfortable chairs, ambient lighting

and free Wi-Fi. This makes Starbucks a prime location for small professional meetings, study

14 | P a g e
spots and a place of relaxation.

Source: Yahoo® Finance

Looking at Starbucks’ Yahoo® Finance chart provided above, as compared to S&P 500,

NASDAQ and the DOW, it’s evident that Starbucks took a massive hit with the recession.41 This

is most likely a similar situation as stated above; discretionary items are often times what gets cut

from consumers spending during times of difficulty – namely the recession.

Some of the strengths that they hold are in their brand loyal market, their customer

service and their constant product development and differentiation. There are some consumers

who don’t stray from their daily Starbucks and part of the reason is the employees who make

everyone feel at home; people go to Starbucks for the relationship and connections they make.

Another reason for brand loyalty is their constant devotion to eco-friendly products and

practices. Product enhancement and differentiation allows Starbucks to maintain competitive

advantages by offering new and convenient products. They recently began promotions for

customized Frappuccino® Blended Beverages which allow consumers to choose their own

15 | P a g e
flavors, milks, and other aspects. Furthermore, they began offering breakfast sandwiches and

instant breakfasts like oatmeal which attract on-the-go professionals who have time to stop for

their morning coffee, but not their breakfast as well. Added convenience can easily recruit

customers.

Several weaknesses Starbucks faces include the overall economy and consumer spending,

and consumer expectations changing. Although the economy is beginning to recover from the

recent recession, consumers are not confident in their spending just yet and people are still penny

pinching, trying to regain hold over their assets and eliminate debt; therefore, they still aren’t

spending money on lavish coffees when they can brew at home to save $4 a day. Another major

threat is that customer preferences and expectations are changing, meaning that customers are

becoming used to specialty coffees – the excitement is wearing off and people are wondering if

it’s worth the money. However, overall Starbucks still maintains strong holds over the specialty

coffee industry and in the future, Starbucks wants to maintain their name and reputation of

quality products, as well as continue to foster human connections. They also plan to continue

growth throughout the world, aiming for positive and uniting actions.42

Another competitor for Krispy Kreme is Hostess Brands; however, this competition is

slightly different than the other competitors. First, Hostess focuses on convenient snacks, placing

their products in convenience stores and places where consumers are grocery shopping. They

also do not focus on offering fresh products to the consumer because they are competing under

convenience rather than quality or health snacks.

Hostess began in 1925 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Initially Continental Baking Company

purchased a small bakery that was selling Wonder® bread which was very popular within the

customers shopping at the bakery, so Continental began selling it nationally. They knew they had

16 | P a g e
to integrate more baked goods into their company, so they looked to cakes and the Hostess cake

was born. In 1930, the recession made a need for inexpensive products. Shortcake pans that were

not being used at the time were reinvented to make shortcake with banana cream filling and thus,

America’s favorite cakes, Twinkies® were conceived. It soon became Hostess’ best-selling cake,

even so today, as they survived the change from banana cream to vanilla during WWII.

Throughout the years, Hostess has produced various other products like Ho Ho’s®, fruit pies and

the popular doughnut product Donette®. In 1995, Interstate Bakeries Corporation bought

Continental.43

Because Hostess continues to focus on low-cost snack foods, they are able to target lower

income consumers and families. They place their products in convenience and grocery stores

where snack foods are readily consumed. Some weaknesses that Hostess does have are the

quality of their products and health aspects. Looking at their quality, they strive for low cost and

that is exactly what you get – cheap food. There are a lot of preservatives in their cakes and

snack foods in order to decrease perishability and lengthen the shelf-life of their products, as well

as enough sugar to induce comas. They are lacking to offer healthy products to the now health-

conscious consumer. They suffered bankruptcy in 2004, but were able to come out in 2009.44

They are a privately held company so finding financials for ratios for comparison is not feasible.

Internal Environment Analysis

Krispy Kreme earns revenue from four main segments: Company stores, franchise stores

in the U.S., international franchise stores, and the Krispy Kreme supply chain. The company

stores segment is composed of all of the stores, including both factory and satellite stores,

operated by the company itself where doughnuts, coffee, and other Krispy Kreme products are

17 | P a g e
sold. Company stores typically sell both on and off-premises in order to maximize their

manufacturing capabilities.45 The second segment, franchise stores in the U.S., consists of all of

the doughnut shops in the country which are very similar to company stores, just operated by

franchisees instead. Next, international franchise stores use the same format as the company

stores, but are operated by franchisees overseas and some are run in a kiosk style rather than a

storefront. Most of the international franchise stores stick to on-premises selling.46 The last

segment is the Krispy Kreme supply chain which produces the company’s doughnut mixes and

manufactures the only equipment used to make the doughnuts in factory stores. The supply chain

sells packaging, ingredients, and various other supplies to company-owned and domestic

franchise stores to ensure quality is standardized across all stores.47

The company manufactures all of its own products and sells them through two channels:

on-premises sales and off-premises sales. On-premises sales consist of people purchasing

doughnuts at one of the company or franchise stores either by drive-thru, inside the store, or

discounted sales to organizations who sell the doughnuts for fundraisers. Off-premises sales

consist of the doughnuts that are sold to retailers who resell the doughnuts in brand packaging.

Krispy Kreme owns and operates its own fleet of trucks to deliver the fresh goods to convenience

stores, grocery stores, mass merchants, etc. to U.S. stores.48 Between these two channels Krispy

Kreme is able to sell its product directly to consumers and retailers.

Stores operate based on a standard set of guidelines created by Krispy Kreme; stores must

follow specific rules set for product varieties and specifications, packaging, sanitation, signage

and advertising, design including furniture, use of logos and trademarks, training protocols,

marketing plans, and more. 49 There are also standards set in place regarding employee behavior

18 | P a g e
and customer service which are monitored via mystery shoppers, a customer service hotline, and

quality audits.

Krispy Kreme is run by a top management team made up of 8 individuals: Chairman,

President, & CEO – James H. Morgan, Executive VP, CFO, & Treasurer – Douglas R. Muir,

Senior VP of Company Store Operations – Cynthia A. Bay, Senior VP of Human Resources &

Organizational Development – Kenneth J. Hudson, Senior VP & President of U.S. Stores –

Steven A. Lineberger, Senior VP, General Counsel, & Assistant Secretary – Darryl R. Marsch,

Senior VP of Supply Chain & Off-Premises Operations – M. Bradley Wall, and Senior VP &

President of International Stores – Jeffery B. Welch.50 In addition to the top management Krispy

Kreme has a nine member Board of Directors in place which consists of members from both

inside and outside of the company. Board member’s outside experience includes leadership in

the quick-service industry, community and civic organizations, financial industry, public

accounting, legal advising, and more. Member’s have worked at, or served on the boards of, such

companies as McDonald’s, Sonic, Wachovia Corporation, Pike Electric Corporation, United

States Securities and Exchange Commission, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, U.S.

Department of Justice, and KFC just to name a few51; these leadership positions in such a wide

array of industries is beneficial to Krispy Kreme because the board is diverse and can use their

various experiences to make good decisions for the company.

The company has a variety of core competencies working in their favor namely the brand

reputation they have built up with their Original Glazed® doughnuts as being of high quality,

warm, and always fresh. Along with that go the Hot Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Now® signs

which light up when the doughnuts are fresh right out of the oven. This is a unique feature of

Krispy Kreme’s marketing strategy that competitors haven’t attempted to use. The sign helps the

19 | P a g e
company not only advertise its most famous product, but increases impulse purchases from

consumers who may decide stop by simply because they know the doughnuts are currently hot

and fresh. A second key resource the company possesses is the Krispy Kreme supply chain. The

company’s integrated supply chain is extremely beneficial because it ensures a standardized

quality across all Krispy Kreme stores; in other words, if you buy at Krispy Kreme in

Washington, your doughnut should taste the same as if you had purchased it from the original

North Carolina store. Additionally, the vertical supply chain ensures that price increases won’t

be fueled by rising supplier costs, but rather other things such as rising energy costs and the

agricultural industry that will affect competitors in the market as well.

Performance

Over the past three years Krispy Kreme has been performing very poorly, though they are

slowly beginning to turn things around under new management. At the end of the second quarter

(July) 2010 they were able to show positive net income for the third quarter in a row. Compared

to the end of the second period last year they were able to increase net income from a loss of

$157,000 to positive income of $2.2 million.52 Additionally, the company recognized growth in

all four of their business segments. Company stores brought in revenues of $60 million which

appeared somewhat flat because despite increases in same store and off-premises sales, some

locations were closed or refranchised.53 Franchisees in the United States increased revenues by

15.1% to $2.1 million, while international franchises were able to increase revenues by 5.3% to

$4 million.54 Lastly the KK Supply Chain saw an 18.9% increase in revenues to $44.9 million.55

These figures, along with the income statement for the past three years, shows solid growth in

the company since the new CEO James H. Morgan has taken over (Appendix A). This may be

because of the new strategies being undertaken by Morgan and his new management team or

20 | P a g e
because the recession is slowly ending, though competitor Starbucks saw little change in

revenues due to the recession. Because two of Krispy Kreme’s closest competitors are privately

held, the company can only be compared to Starbucks, who, while not seeing as much growth as

Krispy Kreme, has been able to maintain relatively stable revenues and net incomes over the past

three years (Appendix B). This shows that Starbucks, while a much larger company, is

performing well overall and Krispy Kreme should continue on its current track to remain

competitive with them in order to survive.

Krispy Kreme’s Efficiency

It is very difficult to determine whether or not the company is being run efficiently today.

What we can say is that in 2003 Krispy Kreme traded at a high of about $11 per share, but since

then it has not seen shares over $656; however, if you look at Krispy Kreme’s performance more

recently we can see that they have been outperforming their sector and the S&P 500 since April

of 2009.

Source: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Financials - www.reuters.com

Another measure that is commonly used among investors to determine how a company is

performing is the price to earnings, or P/E, ratio which shows how expensive a stock is compared

21 | P a g e
to other stocks, or in other words, how much one has to pay for a dollar of earnings. Currently

Krispy Kreme’s TTM (trailing twelve month) P/E ratio is 83.78 as compared to an industry

average P/E ratio of 14.2557; this high P/E ratio can mean only one of three things: their stock is

low risk, they have high expected growth rates, or the market is wrong and they are overpriced.

Since Krispy Kreme has a beta of 1.75 and the industry average beta is 0.80 it can be concluded

that they are not low risk. Also, since American capital markets tend to be efficient it is safe to

assume that Krispy Kreme is a high growth stock which is supported by the fact that their

projected growth rate being 50%.58

This analysis has so far only provided an investor’s perspective, but it is important to

understand what all of these ratios mean to the company as a whole. First, based on the analysis,

the market believes that Krispy Kreme is turning around as a company and will likely achieve

exceptionally high growth in the near future; in other words, this indicates that the market has a

great deal of faith in company’s current management. But if Krispy Kreme is being run

efficiently today then why did we spend the last few pages talking about how Krispy Kreme has

only posted positive earnings in two quarters out of the past five plus years, that they are not

doing a good job of managing costs, and are struggling with underperforming stores because of

poor expansion decisions? There are several possibilities, but the likely conclusion is this: Krispy

Kreme is at a turnaround point in their business. While they are beginning to implement

responsible cost cutting strategies and are selling off underperforming stores, they still have a

long way to go. Overall, it appears they are being run efficiently today, but just as in the past this

could change as a result of poor management decisions at any time.

22 | P a g e
Risks Facing Krispy Kreme

Competition

The company’s biggest competitor is Dunkin’ Donuts who is very similar in that they sell

donuts and coffee and they operate chain restaurants in much the same way as Krispy Kreme.

Dunkin’ Donuts, however, is a larger company that is expanding geographically into areas where

Krispy Kreme is located. On a smaller scale they face competition from local bakeries, candy

stores, coffee shops, etc.59 Krispy Kreme also competes in the consumer packaged foods division

of the retail grocery industry and as mentioned before their greatest competition in this market is

Hostess. Krispy Kreme is far less experienced in the packaged foods industry as their historical

focus has been mainly on their on-premise sales. Additionally, their products have significantly

shorter shelf lives than their competitor’s products as they aren’t filled with as many

preservatives. The company aims to maintain a reputation for fresh products and as such must

deliver and ensure products are restocked at these places much more frequently than the

competition which uses time and money.

Costs

Krispy Kreme turned a profit in the second quarter (ended July) of 2010 for the first time

in over five years; however, determining how well a company is controlling their costs is much

more complicated than simply looking at operating profits. One problem that has led to high

costs for Krispy Kreme is that they have focused too heavily on developing fewer large and

costly factory store locations. A problem with this model is that customers are not willing to

drive very far to go get donuts so with fewer, larger locations Krispy Kreme is not able to reach

as wide of a customer base.60

23 | P a g e
 Additionally, Krispy Kreme has another problem that is driving costs far too high – they

expanded too rapidly in the United States in the 1990’s and early 2000’s under poor management

which has led to the company loosing focus on improving same store sales and profitability.

Currently management is taking steps to fix this problem, but the fact of the matter is that high

revenues do not always lead to high profits.61

There are several ways to track how well a company is controlling costs. First we can

look at gross margin - gross margin is stated as a percentage and it measures how much money is

left after all variable costs of production have been subtracted from sales; all other things being

equal, high gross margins are good. If you refer to the provided table you will notice Krispy

Kreme has the lowest gross margin of the comparables. This tells us that Krispy Kreme is having

some trouble controlling costs because for each dollar of sales, they are spending more money on

production than Starbucks, a competitor in the packaged bread goods market - Einstein Noah,

and much more than the restaurant industry as a whole. (Note: Other key competitors Dunkin’

Donuts and Hostess are privately held so financial ratios are unavailable).

Company: Gross Margin Asset Turnover Return on Asset

Krispy Kreme 13.55% 2.04 2.8%
Restaurant Industry Average 40.63% 1.16 5.47%
Starbucks 25.19% 1.79 15.85%
Einstein Noah 19.59% 2.3 38%
Source: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Financials - www.reuters.com

Many companies operate on very low gross margins yet they are extremely profitable

because those firms have very high asset turnover ratios; all other things being equal, the higher

the asset turnover ratio, the better. In the business world asset turnover ratio and gross margin

tend to be inversely related, so if Krispy Kreme is being run efficiently their low gross margin

must be a result of high asset turnover; however, based off of these numbers one can conclude

24 | P a g e
that Krispy Kreme is only doing ok at controlling costs because while their gross margin is low,

their asset turnover ratio is relatively high. Lastly, looking at return on assets it is clear that the

company has by far the lowest percentage ROA. According to financial theory return on asset is

closely related to gross margin and asset turnover, so if Krispy Kreme were effectively

controlling costs it would be expected for them to have a favorable return on assets. By looking

at all three of these ratios it is clear that they are doing a poor job of controlling costs. (Note: To

keep things consistent trailing twelve month ROA was used, if we look at Krispy Kreme’s five

year average ROA it is negative).

Expansion

In the last section we briefly mentioned that Krispy Kreme engaged in a costly expansion

strategy, at least within the United States. As mentioned previously they became a publicly

traded company in April 2000 which generated a lot of positive publicity and exposure causing

investors became anxious for Krispy Kreme to expand their business; the company followed suit

by rapidly expanding until late 2003 when they realized that their high store sales were not

sustainable and many stores began losing money.62 This, coupled with the fraudulent accounting

practices used to hide these losses in earnings, forced CEO Scott Livengood into early retirement

in 2005 and replaced by Daryl Brewster.63 Brewster settled the lawsuits facing Krispy Kreme

and he began closing underperforming stores in the U.S. while pursuing an aggressive overseas

expansion program; despite all of his efforts Krispy Kreme’s stock price continued to fall until

2008 when he resigned and was replaced with current CEO James H. Morgan.64 This shows why

the company still owns underperforming stores in less than desirable locations today. If Krispy

Kreme is unable to improve same store sales they will continue to underperform because their

costs will be too high keeping their profits low.

25 | P a g e
 In the company’s 10K report they claim that international sales have been a very

important component of Krispy Kreme’s growth as they currently operate more stores

internationally than domestically; in fact, management thinks that international expansion is

probably the most profitable expansion Krispy Kreme has engaged in.

Domestic International Total

Company stores 83 — 83

Franchise stores 141 358 499

Total 224 358 582

Source: 2010 Krispy Kreme Annual 10K Report

Though generally profitable, even this international expansion has met with some failures. For

example, in August 2008 Krispy Kreme expanded into Hong Kong and opened a total of seven

locations, but by October that same year all seven locations were closed down.65 In more recent

news, as previously mentioned the company’s Australian stores are suffering and nearly half are

being closed. Overall, Krispy Kreme’s international operations, despite a few setbacks, are

performing well, but there is always risk involved when entering foreign markets.

Economic Risk

Krispy Kreme is part of the quick service restaurant industry which provides the lowest

cost restaurant experience to their customers. This means that as the economy goes down Krispy

Kreme may actually gain some customers who would have otherwise chosen to eat at a casual

dining establishment. However, even if this is the case as economic conditions worsen consumer

spending tends to decrease in all areas so it is likely that Krispy Kreme will experience a

decrease in sales if economic conditions worsen.66

26 | P a g e
Changing Consumer Preferences

Recently many Americans are beginning to prefer healthier food products. As a result

many quick service restaurants have added salads to their menu or added menu items that are

perceived as healthier choices by their customers. Even Dunkin Donuts offers a flat bread

sandwich for their customers. However, at this point Krispy Kreme has made no attempt to add

healthier choices to their menu. In fact, Krispy Kreme’s menu consists of donuts, coffee, and ice

cream products. None of the previously mentioned products are perceived as healthy by the

average consumer so if more consumers begin to demand healthier menu choices this could

mean a significant reduction in sales for Krispy Kreme.67

Key Problem

As mentioned before, Krispy Kreme is running into problems because they are unable to

effectively control costs. One of the biggest reasons that they are having trouble controlling costs

is that historically they have focused too heavily on expansion and not enough on increasing

same store sales. In addition, their expansion was based on large, expensive factory stores which

have not only been expensive to open and operate, but they fail to provide enough locations to

reach a wide consumer base. These large factory stores require a large amount of fixed costs

causing the break-even points to be quite high. In order to prevent the closure of more stores and

ensure future survival Krispy Kreme must focus on more effectively managing costs and

reaching a wider customer base.

27 | P a g e
Recommendations

Recommendation One

Since their initial public offering in 2000 Krispy Kreme has focused on aggressive

expansion and it hasn’t been until more recently that the company’s management has realized

that they need to focus on growing same store sales and rationalizing supply routes. According to

Krispy Kreme’s 10k reports one factory store can supply several outlet stores using a hub and

spokes distribution system. While a potentially effective idea, setting up this type of store system

is very expensive and there are a great deal of fixed costs associated with continuing operations.

The bottom line is that Krispy Kreme is still having trouble controlling their costs and one of the

best ways for them to eliminate cost at this point could be to downsize.

The first recommendation for Krispy Kreme is to begin a companywide analysis of all

corporately owned stores to determine which ones are generating the greatest amount of sales

and more importantly the highest return on investment. Next, management should find the

locations that are consistently underperforming and sell them off. Selling those locations that are

simply sucking revenue from the company will generate money that can be used to make more

profitable investments. Additionally, selling off underperforming stores will allow Krispy Kreme

to focus more attention on their operations in areas where they are profitable which will help

focus management’s attention on same store sales and reducing costs.

Recommendation Two

Krispy Kreme’s business model emphasizes an enjoyable customer experience. For

example, all of their factory store locations feature the ―Doughnut Theater‖, or a viewing

window that allows customers to see the donut making process. In the past this business model

has required large factory store locations. The main problem with large factory stores is that

28 | P a g e
customers are only willing to drive a short distance for doughnuts and developing a few large

stores is much less effective at reaching customers.

The second recommendation is to simply implement a new store model based on smaller

factory stores in all new business locations. Smaller stores require less real estate and lower fixed

costs while providing the ability to serve a wider customer base with more locations. Krispy

Kreme’s current management has been experimenting with smaller factory store locations which

still feature the ―Doughnut Theater‖; in this way they are preserving the same enjoyable

customer experience that Krispy Kreme’s customers have come to depend on, but making it

more convenient for consumers to reach stores.

Recommendation Three

The third recommendation involves changing Krispy Kreme’s menu a little bit to better

meet the changing needs of consumers; in today’s market more and more consumers are focusing

on health conscious products. Despite the company’s previous attempt to alter products to be

more health conscious by removing all trans fats, doughnuts are still not very healthy and are

generally considered a snack food. For example, many people may not want to go to Krispy

Kreme simply because they are looking for a meal and not just a doughnut. One way they could

improve their same store sales and appeal to a wider customer base would be to add a few

healthier lunch items to their menu. Right now the majority of their daily sales, at 35%, occur

during the period of 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. simply because doughnuts are typically consumed in the

morning; in contrast, the lowest percentage of their daily sales, at 13%, occurs between 11:00

a.m. to 2:00 p.m. because they do not offer a diverse enough menu that includes lunch items.68

Competitors have realized what Krispy Kreme clearly has not as Dunkin’ Donuts currently offers

a flat bread sandwich among other things and Starbucks has added a few healthy lunch items to

29 | P a g e
their selection; it’s about time for Krispy Kreme to adjust their menu to adapt to consumer needs

before they get left behind by competitors who have already done so.

Implementation Plan

We feel that at this time the best recommendation for Krispy Kreme is to develop some

healthy lunch options for their menu. These lunch items need to be easy to prepare using the

resources that are already available within the Krispy Kreme store as it would be far too costly to

add additional kitchen space to all Krispy Kreme store locations. The most feasible items then

would be sandwiches or similar products which are good because they do not require additional

kitchen space and because they are generally perceived as healthy.

The company’s current management may have a couple problems with this suggestion.

First being that they may feel adding lunch menu items would fundamentally change Krispy

Kreme’s business model. While they have already discussed altering the menu, the extent to

which they would be willing to do so is still unknown. Another problem management may have

is that it would be too costly to change Krispy Kreme stores in order to accommodate a lunch

menu; however, considering the alternatives this would be the cheapest option that would

generate the most desperately needed revenue for the company. They can easily add a few lunch

menu items without changing the store front at all so it will not be very costly as long as they

focus on adding menu items that complement their current store model. Additionally, most

customers that appreciate Krispy Kreme for their doughnuts will not even realize that the

company has changed as it will still offer the same traditional products; however, those who had

negative, unhealthy views of Krispy Kreme will be more willing to purchase healthier lunch

options perhaps while they buy a cup of coffee during their lunch break.

30 | P a g e
 Employees will probably not see many changes though it will be important to provide

them with adequate training to prepare these new menu items properly. In addition, it would be a

good idea to make sure all store employees have the opportunity to try the new menu items so

that they can make valid recommendations for their customers.

This strategy will be noticed by Krispy Kreme’s competitors; however, since many of

their competitors have already implemented similar strategies it will not make too many ripples

in the pond. In order to avoid simply copying the competition though they will need to offer

lunch menu items that are different. The customers will be the ones who really benefit from this

strategy because they will still enjoy the same great customer experience except now they will be

able to choose from a wider variety of menu items.

Certainly this strategy will require some investment on the part of Krispy Kreme so the

best way to implement this strategy without incurring large upfront cost is to experiment by

adding the new menu items in only a few larger store locations at first. New menu items may call

for Krispy Kreme stores to purchase additional refrigerators and new serving trays or containers

as well require some research and development expense to find what items may attract

consumers. Additionally, some coordination with new or existing suppliers will need to be made

which may be difficult. As Krispy Kreme’s own supply chain currently supplies most of the

necessary ingredients to stores, they will have to either contract with new suppliers or produce

their own supplies for the new menu items as well. It may be easier to have outside suppliers

bake the bread and produce the meats necessary for the new menu items. While this is something

that will require a great deal of thought and planning by the management team, Krispy Kreme

will be able to implement this recommendation without incurring a great deal of additional

expense or hassle.

31 | P a g e
Appendix A

Krispy Kreme Income Statement

All numbers in thousands

Period Ending Jan 31, 2010 Feb 1, 2009 Feb 3, 2008
Total Revenue 346,520 385,522 429,319
Cost of Revenue 297,185 346,545 380,014
Gross Profit 49,335 38,977 49,305
Operating Expenses
Research Development - - -
Selling General and Administrative 23,467 24,959 26,316
Non Recurring 5,903 548 47,143
Others 8,191 8,709 18,433
Total Operating Expenses - - -
Operating Income or Loss 11,774 4,761 (42,587)
Income from Continuing Operations
Total Other Income/Expenses Net (183) 3,146 (11,411)
Earnings Before Interest And Taxes 11,103 7,121 (54,931)
Interest Expense 10,685 10,679 9,796
Income Before Tax 418 (3,558) (64,727)
Income Tax Expense 575 503 2,324
Minority Interest - - -
Net Income From Continuing Ops (645) (4,847) (67,051)
Non-recurring Events
Discontinued Operations - - -
Extraordinary Items - - -
Effect Of Accounting Changes - - -
Other Items - - -
Net Income (157) (4,061) (67,051)
Preferred Stock And Other Adjustments - - -
Net Income Applicable To Common Shares ($157) ($4,061) ($67,051)

Source: Yahoo® Finance

32 | P a g e
Appendix B

Starbucks Income Statement

All numbers in thousands

Period Ending Sep 27, 2009 Sep 28, 2008 Sep 30, 2007
Total Revenue 9,774,600 10,383,000 9,411,497
Cost of Revenue 4,324,900 4,645,300 3,999,124
Gross Profit 5,449,700 5,737,700 5,412,373
Operating Expenses
Research Development - - -
Selling General and Administrative 4,142,500 4,531,200 3,999,274
Non Recurring 332,400 153,300 -
Others 534,700 549,300 467,160
Total Operating Expenses - - -
Operating Income or Loss 562,000 503,900 945,939
Income from Continuing Operations
Total Other Income/Expenses Net 36,300 9,000 2,419
Earnings Before Interest And Taxes 598,300 512,900 1,056,364
Interest Expense 39,100 53,400 -
Income Before Tax 559,200 459,500 1,056,364
Income Tax Expense 168,400 144,000 383,726
Minority Interest - - -
Net Income From Continuing Ops 512,700 315,500 672,638
Non-recurring Events
Discontinued Operations - - -
Extraordinary Items - - -
Effect Of Accounting Changes - - -
Other Items - - -
Net Income 390,800 315,500 672,638
Preferred Stock And Other Adjustments - - -
Net Income Applicable To Common Shares $390,800 $315,500 $672,638

Source: Yahoo® Finance

33 | P a g e
Notes

1
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=KKD+Profile. (accessed November 12, 2010).
2
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Coffee.‖ http://krispykreme.com/about-us/mission-and-vision. (accessed November
12, 2010).
3
―Company History.‖ Krispy Kreme Website. http://krispykreme.com/about-us/history. (accessed November
9, 2010).
4
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.: Company History.‖ http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Krispy
Kreme-Doughnuts-Inc-Company-History.html. (accessed November 11, 2010).
5
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.: Company History.‖ http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Krispy
Kreme-Doughnuts-Inc-Company-History.html.
6
―SEC probes Krispy Kreme.‖ CNN Money. 29 July 2004.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/29/news/midcaps/krispykreme_sec/index.htm. (accessed November 10,
2010).
7
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
8
Schneider, Joe. Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/krispy-kreme-shuts-24-australian
stores-after-appointing-administrators.html?cmpid=yhoo. (accessed November 12, 2010).
9
Dunkin’ Donuts. https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/products/. (accessed November 9, 2010).
10
Starbucks. http://www.starbucks.com/menu/food. (accessed November 9, 2010)
11
Thomson, James. Smart Company. http://www.smartcompany.com.au/retail/20101108-poor-site-selection-caused
kripsy-kremecrash-sumo-salad-founder-luke-baylis-says.html. (accessed November 11, 2010).
12
Kopylovsky, Dmitry. ―IBISWorld Industry Report 31181 Bread Production in the US.‖ IBISWorld. (September
2010): 4. http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2384/industryus/default.aspx?indid=261. (accessed November 4,
2010).
13
Kopylovsky, 27.
14
Kopylovsky, 29-30.
15
Kopylovsky, 13-14.
16
Kopylovsky, 4.
17
Kopylovsky, 12.
18
Kopylovsky, 21.
19
Kopylovsky, 21.
20
Kopylovsky, 20.
21
Kopylovsky, 19.
22
Kopylovsky, 9.
23
Kopylovsky, 14.
24
Kopylovsky, 9.
25
Kopylovsky, 16.
26
Kopylovsky, 17.
27
Kopylovsky, 12.
28
Kopylovsky, 14.
29
Kopylovsky, 24.
30
Kopylovsky, 21.
31
Kopylovsky, 24.
32
Dunkin’ Donuts Website. https://www.dunkindonuts.com. (accessed November 9, 2010).
33
Dunkin’ Donuts Website.
34
Dunkin’ Donuts Press Kit. http://news.dunkindonuts.com/press_kits.cfm?presskit_id=2. (accessed November 10,
2010).
35
Dunkin’ Donuts Press Kit.
36
Dunkin’ Donuts Website.
37
Dunkin’ Donuts Press Kit.
38
Company Profile for Starbucks Corp (SBUX). http://www.hoovers.com/company/Starbucks_Corporation/rhkchi-
1-1njg4g.html. (accessed November 11, 2010).
39
Starbucks Website. http://www.starbucks.com. (accessed November 09, 2010).
40
Starbucks Website.
41
―Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) Basic Chart‖. Yahoo Finace. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SBUX+Basic+Chart.
(accessed November 11, 2010).
42
Starbucks Website.
43
Hostess Website. http://www.hostesscakes.com. (accessed November 11, 2010).
44
―Hostess Brands, Inc Company Description‖. http://www.hoovers.com/company/Hostess_Brands_Inc/rhytci-1
1njg4g.html. (accessed November 11, 2010).
45
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
46
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
47
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
48
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
49
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
50
―Management.‖ Krispy Kreme Website. http://investor.krispykreme.com/management.cfm. (accessed November
9, 2010).
51
―Board of Directors.‖ Krispy Kreme Website. http://investor.krispykreme.com/directors.cfm. (accessed
November 9, 2010).
52
―Krispy Kreme Reports Earnings per Share of $0.03 for the Second.‖ Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=KKD:US&sid=aPinkbFjkmlg. (accessed
November 15, 2010).
53
―Krispy Kreme Reports Earnings per Share of $0.03 for the Second.‖ Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=KKD:US&sid=aPinkbFjkmlg.
54
―Krispy Kreme Reports Earnings per Share of $0.03 for the Second.‖ Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=KKD:US&sid=aPinkbFjkmlg.
55
―Krispy Kreme Reports Earnings per Share of $0.03 for the Second.‖ Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=KKD:US&sid=aPinkbFjkmlg.
56
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Financials.‖
http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financialHighlights?symbol=KKD.N (accessed November 12,
2010).
57
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Financials.‖
http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financialHighlights?symbol=KKD.N
58
―Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Finacials.‖
http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financialHighlights?symbol=KKD.N
59
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
60
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
61
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
62
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
63
Krantz, Matt. ―CEO Ousted as Krispy Kreme tries to Recover.‖ USA TODAY. 18 January 2005.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-01-18-krispy-kreme-shakeup_x.htm. (accessed
November 13, 2010).
64
Augstums, Ieva M. ―Brewster Resigns as Krispy Kreme CEO.‖ USA TODAY. 7 January 2008.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-01-07-2245825613_x.htm. (accessed November 15,
2010).
65
―Krispy Kreme Hong Kong in Liquidation.‖ 27 October 2008. http://www.hkdigit.net/2008/10/krispy-kreme
hong-kong-in-liquidation/. (accessed November 13, 2010).
66
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
67
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report
68
2010, Krispy Kreme 10K Annual Report