1. firm and industry performance for LUSH cosmetics: analyze focal firm performance against industry average and its key competitors in UAE. has the company done well? has it done better than industry average? has it done better than the key competitors?

2. external analysis: analyze external environment of the firm over a period covered in the case. how did the industry and its attractiveness evolve? why so? identify key external challenges the industry face over time. how did they affect industry? what has been the nature of rivalry? (PESTEL and 6 forces of porter analysis)

3. define the current issues and problem statement: what are the main strategic issues company is likely to face going forward? the problem statement should be a clear, concise statement of exactly what needs to be addressed. following questions might help:
what is the problem?
how do i know that this is a problem?
what are the immediate issues that need to be addressed?
differentiate between importance and urgency for the issues identified. important issues are those that have significant effect on profitability, strategic direction of the company, source of competitive advantage, moral of the company’s employees and/or customer satisfaction.