Overall, Germany is a stable innovation driven economy with a strong democratic system and a highly competitive economy. The aging population as well as the European sovereign debt crisis pose current and future risks to the development of the country. The very sophisticated business sector and the well-developed technical infrastructure sustain Germany’s innovativeness and competitiveness.
Regarding Cold Stone, we still value the benefits of operating in Germany higher than possible problematic factors. With the unique concept of Cold Stone, we believe it will be able to succeed even in light of the high local competition in Germany.
In addition, EU regulation will be majorly affecting Cold Stone when operating in Germany ensuring equal treatment in the food industry across Europe for Cold Stone and its competitors.
Political Factors
* Strong federal republic (Germany is divided into states and municipalities, but final authority lies with federal government) * Robust democratic setup
* Elections considered fair and transparent (high rank in indicator “Voice and Accountability” in Worldbank Worldwide Governance Indicator)
* Benefits from being member of the EU (free trade agreements etc.)
* Many of the decision relevant for Cold Stone (or the food industry as a whole) are made on the European level
* Goal to minimize ecological footprint (garbage, water, energy, light etc.)
* Increasing international role within the EU, with US and NATO (major contributor to EU and UN)
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* Tax regulations and tax rates perceived as one of the most problematic factors for doing business (WEF, 2012)
* Rigid labor market laws (ranking 119th in labor market flexibility according to WEF) leading to a labor market efficiency below comparable countries
* Recently some political and corporate corruption issues (e.g. Siemens and Christian Wulff) and Germany did not ratify the UN Convention against Corruption yet (Rank 14 in Corruption Perception Index 2011 of Transparency International)
* Increasing right-wing extremism
Economic Factors
* 5th largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe’s largest economy
* Leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment making Germany a highly competitive country
* Innovation driven economy (WEF, 2012)
* Macroeconomy still remains remarkably stable in the view of continued economic difficulties in the Euro area
* Reduction in the fiscal deficit (fulfills Maastricht criteria)
* Germany benefited from low interest rates during sovereign debt crisis (deposit facility at 0.00% since July 2012)
* Financing for companies very cheap due to low interest rates
* Decreasing inflation rate to currently 2.0% (October 2012) (2.0% is the maximum level set by ECB to ensure price stability)
* GDP growth of 0.3% in Q2 2012 keeping the overall Euro area out of recession
* Depreciation of Euro against major currencies facilitates exports
* GDP per capita of 31.415,97 € (2011) indicating high purchasing power of consumers
* Prudent economic policies especially regarding lowering of corporate tax rates
* Spillover effects of European Sovereign Debt crisis weighing down on Germany’s economy
* Rating agencies threaten to downgrade Germany (negative outlook according to Moody’s)
* Low GDP growth compared to other developed countries outside Euro area
Social Factors
* High Human Development Index ranking 9th in the world 2011
* Strong healthcare and education expenditure
* Increasing labor productivity (1.6% growth in 2011)
* Inadequately educated workforce as problematic factor for doing business according to GCR (2012)
* Overall lacking behind in higher education and training compared to other advanced economies (ranked 28th according to WEF, 2012)
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It is also a growing industry in all parts of the world starting from kindergarten to the tertiary level. Parents and students today are much more awarded than they used to be few decades ago and realize the significance of a good education in their lives and how a good education from a reputed and well placed university can help them prosper in their professional careers. The education industry ...
* Aging and decreasing population (2011: 31.1% of the population between age of 40-60; 26.6% above 60)
* Growing social divide (considerable number of working poor)
* Ethnic discrimination (pointed out by UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
Technological Factors
* German companies are among the most innovative in the world, spending heavily on R&D (ranking 4th in GCR 2012))
* High capacity for innovation (ranking 3rd in GCR 2012)
* Very intense local competition
* Well-developed ability to absorb the latest technologies at the firm level (ranking 16th in GCR 2012)
* Government policies to improve R&D further
* Sophisticated technological infrastructure
* Growing ICT sector in Germany
* Lacking behind in tertiary education (according the OECD tertiary-level entry and graduation rates are increasing, but slower and from a lower level as comparable countries)
* More young adults have attained lower education than their parents (22%) (20% achieved higher education than the generation before)
* Germany faces a deficit of skilled engineers and a decline in its technical workforce
Legal Factors
* Independent judicial system with hierarchy of courts on state and central levels
* Comprehensive legal structure (influenced by EU and international law)
* Administration of justice is divided into five branches: ordinary, administrative, social, and financial
* Strong business, investment and trade freedom (Ranked 26th in the Wall Street Journal’s 2012 Index of Economic Freedom)
* German law does not differentiate between foreigners and Germans when it comes to investments or establishing companies
* Loopholes in taxation system lead to huge revenue losses for government
* Tax evasion by hiding money in Switzerland or Liechtenstein (German government paid for CDs with data on tax evaders)
* Tax evasion treaty with Switzerland still pending (Federal Council of Germany did not approve it in November 2012)
* Treaties with other tax havens needed to overcome loopholes
* Cut in government subsidies especially in the renewable energy sector complicates business
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German Law - A Reflection Of German History Or The Demands Of The Allied Powers On 1 st September 1948, the Parliamentary Assembly met for the first time, called by the German Landtage, but ultimately demanded by the occupying allied powers, Britain, France and America. They were charged with the creation of a stable constitutional system for the three west German zones that later became the ...
Environmental Factors
* Temperate seasonal climate in most of Germany (more oceanic climate in northern Germany; more continental climate in eastern Germany)
* Strong environmental record compared to other industrialized countries
* Fall in greenhouse gas emissions since 2008
* CO2 emissions declining since 2006
* Strong focus on renewable energy
* Efforts to incorporate EU regulation (e.g. emissions trading, sustainable transport policy etc.)
* Dangerous levels of air pollution in different cities (Establishment of “green zones” in urban areas to counteract against this trend)
* Increase in emissions due to coal-fired power plants (Germany phases out the use of its nuclear power plants)
