Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 21, 2014

When I argue that e-commerce isn’t likely to destroy innovative omnichannel retailers , I typically receive passionate responses. E-commerce companies, like physical retailers, have wide-ranging cost structures and financial results. Lower margins can come only from lower prices or higher costs. “Ah,”

Retail 8

Retail Price Forrester Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 10, 2012

The company was masterful at the buy side of M&A. The company did not overlook small deals if they contributed to the development of critical capabilities. Indeed, the median acquisition at this company was for less than $15 million. The ability to divest strategically is as important as the ability to acquire strategically.

Due Diligence 15

Due Diligence EBITDA Health Care Gordon 15

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 11, 2013

Under Johnson''s leadership, Penney''s share price plunged by half and the company lost $4 billion in sales. Pundits have ascribed Johnson''s debacle to hubris, incoherent pricing, drive-by leadership, overpromising, reckless haste, inept deal-making (ask Terry Lundgren ), and failing to listen to customers. It''s true.

Merchandising 8

Merchandising Retail Gordon Price 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Many executives start presentations about products or initiatives with a vague theme statement, often expressed with as much pith as a puff of smoke: “We have a new focus on customer satisfaction,” or “Our current strategic goals are execution and innovation.” And doing so will make your company or team the hero.

Merchandising 8

Merchandising Health Care Software Price 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 17, 2013

The company, Prahalad tells the CEO, is simply too complex and diverse. So WalMart’s gargantuan core competencies of buying power, supply chain management and logistical superiority guarantee the “everyday low prices” its customers crave and demand. company like Apple. Because, as Web 2.0

Core Competence 8

Core Competence Prahalad Supply Chain Hamel 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 21, 2017

As more companies struggle to find their niche with the modern consumer, they’re turning to new technologies to recreate this sensory experience. To embrace this market shift, retailers will need to experiment with a range of technologies and strategies across marketing, supply chain, and merchandising. Insight Center.

Retail 8

Retail Supply Chain Merchandising Brand 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 23, 2012

In fact, the company has about 500 metrics that it tracks every day, the majority of them relating to the customer experience. Many companies pride themselves on moving from quarterly to monthly customer feedback sessions. The company gets daily or hourly feedback from buyers and responds with continual improvements.

Merchandising 13

Merchandising Metrics Restructuring Library 13

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 3, 2014

After forcing Nardelli out in 2007, founder Bernie Marcus got the company back on the competing-by-boosting-margins-through-innovation road. Clothing designers fought the concept, but our two heroes persevered (more drive), and today the company has more than 3 million members and is growing at nearly 100% year-over-year.

Merchandising 8

Merchandising Budgeting Restructuring PR 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Meanwhile, the company needs cash to keep ahead of its mounting expenses; one journalist compared Groupon's model to a Ponzi scheme because the company is using the float from new deals to pay off merchants from previous deals. Since filing their S-1 ahead of their potential IPO , Groupon scrutiny has been intense.

Incentives 12

Incentives Loyalty Discount IPO 12

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 17, 2011

The root cause of this problem is that in an increasingly demand-driven economy, consumers are redefining companies' competitive sets. The natural assumption is that these three companies' products compete directly against each othe — rafter all, they're all selling electric razors, right? In fact, consumers see it differently.

Management 15

Management Retail Brand Merchandising 15

Harvard Business Review

MAY 22, 2013

If your company is already well established and has smart management, it is likely that it will become a hybrid in the next ten years, blending its legacy business with a new business model that is rising to threaten it. Merchandise ordered online can now be drop-shipped for same-day pickup at local stores. Take Walmart, for example.

Business Model 8

Business Model Merchandising Course Education 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 25, 2012

It is inevitable that prices don't always account for all the costs and benefits for all the people touched by a transaction. Since the bulk of internationally-traded merchandise travels by sea, shipping should be the first port of call. Externalities can come in good forms and bad.

Globalization 12

Globalization Transportation Cooper Travel 12

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

Innovation is widely regarded as important to long-term business performance. We’ve found that CEOs of big pharmaceutical companies, for example, are more likely to have a background as company lawyers, salespeople, or finance managers, than one in medicine or pharmaceutical R&D.

CEO 8

CEO Innovation Pharmaceuticals Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 17, 2011

This is time, effort and money merely focused on splitting the pie versus growing the pie by innovating the product for the benefit of all, especially the fans. These pie-splitting strategies often just drive short-term, unsustainable results where companies are merely "renting share." In one year $2.7 gained from a new product, $1.20

Retail 14

Retail Innovation Price Merchandising 14

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 15, 2010

What drives some companies to succeed while others languish? Successful companies develop a system of a few truly unique capabilities that help them create differentiated value for their chosen customers. And it innovates constantly within its chosen constraints: e.g., tailoring product assortments to local trends.

Succession 15

Succession Retail Merchandising Supply Chain 15

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 1, 2014

As an advisor to Toyota at the time, I saw anecdotal evidence of buyers investing an amount nearly equal to the then-$15,000 purchase price to outfit their xB with flat panel screens, carbon fiber interior elements, and high-end audio equipment. Now, to hype something means to push it heavily through marketing,media and merchandising.

Merchandising 8

Merchandising Price Discount Tips 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 24, 2014

I’m on the board of Time Warner, we have just parsed off our third major part — our original company, Time Inc., So, it’s not uncommon to add a bunch of companies together, much less software products, and then divest yourself of them as the shareholders think they have more value standing alone than standing together.

How To 13

How To Technology Industry Venture Capitalist 13

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 29, 2014

Going more granular, as Big Data does, offers even sharper ethno-geographic insight into customer behavior and influence: Single Asian, Hispanic, and African-American women with urban post codes are most likely to complain about product and service quality to the company. But how should sophisticated marketers and merchandisers use them?

Merchandising 11

Merchandising Media Price Cost 11

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 30, 2012

Sometime in the next few weeks, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company will emerge from bankruptcy. Its presence was so overwhelming that city, state, and federal governments tried almost every weapon available to force it to abandon discount pricing. Hartford, remade their company again and again to keep in step with changing times.

P&L 14

P&L Retail Real Estate Discount 14

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

We were supposed to be coming up with ideas for improving the company’s customer experiences, but the head of operations could not think of a single new customer service idea to explore. And the merchandising vice president had difficulty understanding why “product” was one of the categories we were discussing.

Brand 8

Brand Reis Objective Merchandising 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

Throughout the global economy, big companies are getting bigger. They’re more productive , more profitable , more innovative , and they pay better. The people lucky enough to work at these companies are doing relatively well. ” Its appetizer seems to have been smaller companies. Andrew Brookes/Getty Images.

Software 8

Software Company Competitive Advantage Henderson 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 27, 2012

With six to eight boutiques opening every day, at prices 50 percent below retail, Mack says the goal is to make every day "Black Friday" — without selling out too fast given the 72-hour lifetime of each boutique. Like Bag Borrow or Steal (another rental player), RTR enables time-sharing of merchandise.

Retail 15

Retail Fashion Merchandising Apparel 15

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 28, 2012

Our experience with a company in the hand tools category is typical of what we've found across categories as diverse as consumer packaged goods, personal care, office products and consumer electronics. Profits for the hand tool company would take a significant hit if the team could not turn the situation around.

Tools 9

Tools Company Merchandising Retail 9

Harvard Business Review

MAY 22, 2013

Ever since Amazon''s Price App appeared on the retail scene some 18 months ago, pundits have prophesized the demise of big-box retailers. There''s no question that Amazon''s innovation went right for the jugular of any volume- and price-focused retailer selling commodity goods like consumer electronics and household wares.

Retail 8

Retail Reis Merchandising Download 8