In this assignment I will describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of two contrasting organisations. My two chosen contrasting businesses are ASDA and Oxfam.
ASDA is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing by George, toys , car wash and general merchandise such as electrical products and cooking appliances. ASDA also have branched out into telecommunications with a mobile network called ASDA mobile. ASDA is Wal-Mart's largest non-U.S. subsidiary, accounting for almost half of the company's international sales, in this sense ASDA can be classed as a National business as it can be found all over the country or an International business as it is a part of the Wal-Mart Conglomerate which can be found in America and Canada.
Founded as Hindell's Dairies in 1920 by a group of Yorkshire farmers to protect their incomes due to the decline after World War 1. After a sucessful period which saw them expand and diversify the company was floated in 1949 becoming Associated Dairies and farm Stores Ltd. In 1968 Associated Dairies bought out the Asquith Brothers stores and became the company we know today as ASDA (ASquith + DAiries). They are currently the 2nd largest chain in the UK.
ASDA is what is known as a Ltd Company which means it is a private limited company, a Ltd is owned by family or friends and are quite often larger in size than a sole trader or partnership company. Being a Ltd company gives the owner(s) much more control over decisions and the directions in which the company is going, though you are answerable to shareholders they will be friends and family as they are unable to sell any stock shares on the London Stock Market. From this we can ascertain that it is a profit based company which means it is not under governmental control and run by individuals for purely profit making purposed.
Oxfam is a charity organisation that works for no money. Oxfam was originally founded in Oxford,