The task is to explain the journey of the product from the wrong place, wrong time, wrong form, wrong quantity (from the consumption point of view) – and the value adding process whereby it becomes available in the right place, right form, right time, right quantity etc for consumers. Effective work will be based upon a review of all material in the module and selection of elements that help to explain why the route to market is as it is.
A good place to start to think about your route to market is to relate your consumption of this particular product to features in the supply chain – what, for you, is the distinctive value proposal and how is the supply chain organised to deliver this? Next step would be to check out where it is sold – and at what prices.
You are free to pick any product you wish, but you should pick a product that you can illuminate well by thinking about the route to market. You are strongly advised to select a product based on your personal or career interests. In the past, students who have selected unusual products have been able to demonstrate originality (a criteria for first class work).

You do not need a lot of data about your product – but you will need some. Look at how and where the product is available, check out company websites in the sector you are looking at. Look also for articles about the sector in the Financial Times, other newspapers (via database Nexis) or in the trade press (via ABI inform, select trade press only in the drop down menu). Be critical (another feature of first class work) in accepting what the company says about itself – I have yet to see a company that states “we are not concerned about the ethical supply of our products”. Yet amongst those that claim to source ethically we can critically assess those claims.