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Bed Bath & Beyond’s Persistent Coupons and the Return of Thrifty Consumers
Pricing strategy Digital ArticleBig-box stores need to offer discounts — and make customers earn them. -
In Praise of Uncertainty
Decision making and problem solving Magazine ArticleThe information technology explosion was set off by visionaries who thrive on uncertainty. Today that innovation-fueling uncertainty is in danger, a victim of its own success and excess. IT producers have historically built platforms that are useless standing alone, inviting others to parlay them into a variety of useful applications. The first PC makers shipped […] -
How AR Is Redefining Retail in the Pandemic
Technology & Operations Digital ArticleA closer look at augmented reality and the "digital lipstick effect." -
The Tempting of Rajat Gupta
Business ethics Digital ArticleAs anyone with the slightest interest in the consulting business knows by now, the SEC has brought civil charges against Rajat Gupta in the Galleon insider-trading case. What makes the matter fascinating to industry watchers, approximately their equivalent of the Charlie Sheen supernova, is that Gupta served three terms as managing director of McKinsey & […] -
Why McDonald’s New Coffee Strategy Could Go Cold
Strategy Digital ArticleEarlier this week, fast food king McDonald’s Corp revealed a bold plan to bring baristas to thousands of its retail locations. While the instinctive reaction is this must be a death blow for staggering Starbucks Corp, don’t count out the Seattle-based coffee chain yet. After watching Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts capture the explosive growth in […] -
How E-Commerce Will Trump Brand Management
Marketing Magazine ArticleThe Internet promises to give marketing the same boost in productivity that new operational strategies have given to manufacturing. -
How E-Commerce Fits into Retail’s Post-Pandemic Future
Technology and analytics Digital ArticleNew data from Ernst & Young suggests it will be an important part of the consumer experience — but not everything. -
Crap Circles
Analytics and data science Magazine ArticleThe most dubious business plan can look solid—even smart—if it’s cast as a virtuous circle. “See, we invest our profits in innovation to create delightful products that customers buy—which generate profits that we invest in innovation!” Who could argue with that? Indeed, the merit of self-reinforcing systems seems so obvious that businesspeople instinctively describe their […] -
Innovating a Classic at Airstream
Strategy & Execution Magazine ArticleAirstream's ability to innovate and grow depends on balancing longtime owners' expectations with new buyers' desires. In this conversation, president... -
Don’t Trust Your Gut With Assortment Planning
Operations and supply chain management Digital ArticleThis blog post is part of the HBR Online Forum The Future of Retail. Retailers periodically update their product assortments, deleting slow sellers and adding new products in response to shifts in consumer demand or to accommodate new offerings from suppliers. Assortment-planning processes vary greatly across retailers and product segments but have one thing in […] -
A Breeze in the Face
Customer experience Magazine ArticleA man once worked on the 89th floor of the Empire State Building. One muggy August day, he began to imagine how nice a breeze in his face would feel. When he opened the window, he suddenly realized he could probably get the world’s best breeze in the face—simply by jumping out and falling face […] -
Nook: Too Soon To Call It a Kindle-Killer
Innovation & Leadership Digital ArticleIf nothing else, developments in the e-reader market provide substantial fodder for online commentary. It seems that every week features a story in a... -
What Ron Johnson Got Right
Innovation Digital ArticleThe ousted J.C. Penney chief understood the importance of intuition. -
The Intersection of Retail and Health Care
Innovation Digital ArticleWhatever comes of the reform efforts in Washington, D.C., the focus of the U.S. health care system has already shifted toward a patient-controlled (not just patient-centered) delivery system. WebMD, DestinationRx, and other online resources are creating informed, intelligent, and empowered consumers who are focused on prevention more so than treatment, and who want their providers’ […] -
How the Sharing Economy Can Improve Your Next Business Trip
Time management Digital ArticleOn-demand services to try. -
The Strategic Power of Saying No
Entrepreneurship Magazine ArticleThe hardest part of being an entrepreneur can be learning to turn down business. It is also the only way to survive—and grow. -
What Makes People Follow Reluctant Leaders
Leadership & Managing People Digital ArticleA new study finds three traits that help people rise to the top. -
Wal-Mart’s New Information Advantage
Customer experience Digital ArticlePaul Reuter, who later founded the Reuters press agency, used a fleet of pigeons to deliver news and stock prices — including the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo — which helped his clients trade on valuable information before their competition. Every company can find an information advantage, if they are creative enough. On June […] -
How to Buy/Sell Professional Services
Managing people Magazine ArticleIn recent years, there has been a marked increase in the buying of professional services by management. This is true for a broad range of advisory activities, such as financial, economic, public relations, advertising, legal, personnel, research, and many others. By the same token, there has been a marked growth in the firms selling these […] -
Who Has the D?: How Clear Decision Roles Enhance Organizational Performance
Decision making and problem solving Magazine ArticleYour organization can become more decisive—and can implement strategy more quickly—if you know where the bottlenecks are and who’s empowered to break through them.
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Wilderness Safaris: Impact Investing and Ecotourism Conservation in Africa
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details In 2018 the majority ownership of publicly owned Wilderness Safaris, the leading high-end ecotourism company in Africa with safari operations in eight... -
David Dunwood
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details The protagonist,David Dunwood, is a second-time search fund entrepreneur who in mid-2004 purchased Mountain Auto, a leading auto parts retailer in the... -
Findasense (B): A New Path for Scaling Up
Management Case Study5.00View Details Global digital and omnichannel customer experience company headquartered in Spain with revenues of 17.4 million euros. An ever-expanding company for the... -
Hubble Contact Lenses: Data Driven Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details As its Series A extension round approaches, the founders of Hubble, a subscription-based, social-media fueled, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand of contact... -
Zalora Philippines: From Growth to Profitability
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details In May 2015 Paulo Campos, Co-Founder and CEO of Zalora Philippines, found himself at a crucial turning point in his young company's development. In just... -
Ron Johnson: A Career in Retail
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details In April 2013, Ron Johnson (HBS '84) stepped down after just 18 months as CEO of J.C. Penney. In his brief tenure, Johnson, an acclaimed retailer respected... -
Delwarca Software Remote Support Unit
Technology & Operations Case Study8.95View Details Delwarca Software provides business software to large corporate clients around the world. The firm serves customers who prefer to assemble corporate solutions... -
Tantan: Love at Right Swipe
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details In July 2016, the founder and chief executive officer of Tantan, a Chinese mobile dating application, considered the progress made by his firm since its... -
Trader Joe's: At a crossroads?
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details When Covid-19 hit the US in 2020, the grocery retail industry underwent a greatly accelerated digital transformation as consumers' habits changed drastically... -
Balancing the Yin and Yang of Organizational Ambidexterity at XRM Vision: Tug-of-war over Exploration-Exploitation Practices
Management Case Study11.95View Details The case presents the real-life situation of XRM Vision, an SME IT consulting firm specializing in the design and implementation of CRM solutions. Like... -
Agilus Work Solutions: Back to the Office?
Management Case Study11.95View Details In April 2022, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Agilus Work Solutions (Agilus) was considering how to handle the future of work at the company. With... -
RETAIL ROCKET: PERSONALIZING THE ONLINE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details The case, based on extensive interviews with Retail Rocket's co-founders (Nikolay Khlebinsky and Andrey Chizh), several employees and one of the start-up's... -
CaiHong: Combining Legal Services and the Internet
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details Shanghai Jiujia Information Technology Co., Ltd. (CaiHong) was founded in April 2015 by entrepreneur Junyuan Huang. The company has transitioned from... -
Wiegandt GmbH Cologne
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details The credit department of Wiegandt, a furniture manufacturer, is evaluating the financial condition of two stores that retail the company's furniture. -
Data Analytics-Driven E-Commerce for the Small Seller: Zilingo
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details Zilingo, a play on the word 'Zillions', is an online e-commerce platform for selling fashion products and was founded by Ankiti Bose and Dhruv Kapoor... -
Brandless: Disrupting Consumer Packaged Goods
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details Brandless, an online direct-to-consumer seller of upscale private-label consumer packaged goods, offered consumers a limited assortment of values-conscious... -
The World Trade Organization and Tobacco Plain Packaging: Is Packaging Adverting and Does It Influence Consumption?
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details This case has stimulated some of the most engaged discussions in my 25 years of case teaching. Students will embrace opposing sides in debating how much... -
Pandastroller: Accelerating Expansion of a Stroller-Sharing Business
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details This case explores the implementation of Huanxin's shared stroller scheme 'Pandastroller', launched in September 2017. To achieve rapid growth, Pandastroller... -
"No More Uncle": Asian Men's Beauty Care in the Forefront of Gender-Neutral Marketing
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details This descriptive case discusses an emerging global market trend and opportunity - the increasing use of beauty products by men, especially those in Asia.... -
Twiddy & Company: Trust in a Chaotic Environment
Management Case Study11.95View Details
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Bed Bath & Beyond’s Persistent Coupons and the Return of Thrifty Consumers
Pricing strategy Digital ArticleBig-box stores need to offer discounts — and make customers earn them. -
Wilderness Safaris: Impact Investing and Ecotourism Conservation in Africa
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details In 2018 the majority ownership of publicly owned Wilderness Safaris, the leading high-end ecotourism company in Africa with safari operations in eight... -
David Dunwood
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details The protagonist,David Dunwood, is a second-time search fund entrepreneur who in mid-2004 purchased Mountain Auto, a leading auto parts retailer in the... -
Findasense (B): A New Path for Scaling Up
Management Case Study5.00View Details Global digital and omnichannel customer experience company headquartered in Spain with revenues of 17.4 million euros. An ever-expanding company for the... -
In Praise of Uncertainty
Decision making and problem solving Magazine ArticleThe information technology explosion was set off by visionaries who thrive on uncertainty. Today that innovation-fueling uncertainty is in danger, a victim of its own success and excess. IT producers have historically built platforms that are useless standing alone, inviting others to parlay them into a variety of useful applications. The first PC makers shipped […] -
How AR Is Redefining Retail in the Pandemic
Technology & Operations Digital ArticleA closer look at augmented reality and the "digital lipstick effect." -
The Tempting of Rajat Gupta
Business ethics Digital ArticleAs anyone with the slightest interest in the consulting business knows by now, the SEC has brought civil charges against Rajat Gupta in the Galleon insider-trading case. What makes the matter fascinating to industry watchers, approximately their equivalent of the Charlie Sheen supernova, is that Gupta served three terms as managing director of McKinsey & […] -
Why McDonald’s New Coffee Strategy Could Go Cold
Strategy Digital ArticleEarlier this week, fast food king McDonald’s Corp revealed a bold plan to bring baristas to thousands of its retail locations. While the instinctive reaction is this must be a death blow for staggering Starbucks Corp, don’t count out the Seattle-based coffee chain yet. After watching Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts capture the explosive growth in […] -
Hubble Contact Lenses: Data Driven Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details As its Series A extension round approaches, the founders of Hubble, a subscription-based, social-media fueled, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand of contact... -
How E-Commerce Will Trump Brand Management
Marketing Magazine ArticleThe Internet promises to give marketing the same boost in productivity that new operational strategies have given to manufacturing.