In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 6, 2012

Johnson had launched Apple’s retail strategy and was the man behind the aggressive store expansion a decade ago. Leaders who have thrived within innovative environments hold the key. Incremental improvement isn’t an option; these leaders demand transformation. Last year, J.C. Penny instilled Ron Johnson as their new CEO.

Chief Operating Officer 202

Chief Operating Officer Chief Technology Officer CEO Innovation 202

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 20, 2014

Negotiating for a lower price or something extra is the modus operandi of every antique retailer, real estate broker, flea market merchant and automobile dealer. Everyone is looking for a good deal, a real bargain. I’m not taking issue with that. Bargaining is a terrific way to create and stimulate economies.

Real Estate 215

Real Estate Human Resources Bureaucracy Constraint 215

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 17, 2012

Hustle is a strategy that delivers superior results to thousands of retailers, restaurants, and service companies. In cases where ”get it done” companies such as Mother Parker’s do unleash innovations in systems, processes, products or services, the innovations seldom qualify as transformational innovations. No big deal.

Strategy 229

Strategy Competitive Advantage Innovation Operations 229

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 20, 2016

At one time every brick and mortar merchant keen to enter e-retailing had to figure out digital commerce. Business Models Change and So do Core Competencies. By its very nature, strategy is constraining. That said, business models need not be static. Many, like Wal-Mart and Target, sourced the competency from 3 rd parties.

Strategy 165

Strategy Core Competence Constraint Short-term 165

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2012

The former head of Apple’s retail operations believes the ability to change is the key to success. Van Dyck says this is a habit from her college days when she studied in Cairo and read three newspapers to get multiple perspectives. #4 4 Ron Johnson – CEO JCPenney. Our number one competitor is ourselves.

Creativity 238

Creativity Advertising Belief Systems Storytelling 238

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 19, 2012

Dinosaur companies the likes of Campbell’s Soup who have been plagued by stagnation will have to break their paradigm with daring forward integration initiatives such as retail soup kitchens. Guess where that number is headed? Web opportunities will expand one-to-on marketing, negating middle-men. People will demand balanced lives.

CEO 204

CEO Competitive Advantage Teamwork Marketing 204

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

In America, several specialist retailers who limit their product scope continue to thrive in an environment dominated by 5,000 Wal-Mart stores. . That doesn’t meant they can’t be strategically powerful. Specialization is the key to thriving against mega corporations with broad scope – generalists the likes of Walmart, Kraft, and Google.

Competitive Advantage 100

Competitive Advantage How To Human Resources Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 14, 2011

In Canada and the United States, there is so much ‘trade money’ offered and generated by volume incentives, co-operative advertising and in-store activity, that aggressive retailers put those monies into lowering a brand’s selling price to generate store traffic.

Price 100

Price CEO Brand Discount 100

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 22, 2015

You likely wouldn’t consider the retailer, Target anywhere close to these shadows of their former selves. Within two years, the retailer threw in the towel, closing a 133 stores and putting 17,000 employees out of work. Neither would I until I witnessed Target’s recent entry into Canada. This was a $5 billion mistake.

Brand 100

Brand Core Competence Retail Advertising 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 18, 2015

If that whets your appetite for more, you can pick up a hard copy or kindle version all online book retailers. For more on focus and sacrifice check out my new book, Do Less Better.

Apparel 100

Apparel Brand Franchising Competitive Advantage 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 13, 2011

Our mission is to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the product we sell. Then there’s Barnes & Noble , who seem to know what they are selling but are unsure how to express their differentiation.

Mission Statement 209

Mission Statement CEO Human Resources Brand 209

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 25, 2012

The next step is for retailer buyers of produce to appreciate the branding inroads of Houweling’s Tomatoes by consistently stocking more varieties, 52 weeks of the year. For most food retailers, this will require a mindset shift.

Brand 242

Brand Retail Bureaucracy Constraint 242

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 8, 2016

Speciality coffee shops are competing with retail brands for consumers’ attention in the grocery aisle, new coffee formats are being introduced (such as single-cup brewing systems), and U.S. wholesale grocers (prior to Bell’s arrival in 1977), which meant its market share inside competitive retailers was, naturally, quite low. “By

Brand 100

Brand Brand Management Advertising Management 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2015

Similarly, in the digital world, a strategy that confines retailers to bricks and mortar is foolhardy. You can bet their strategies for e-retailing aren’t wishy-washy. A $5 billion business known as Nespresso was the result. Beyond determining the playing field, and telling you “what not to do,” strategy helps define the culture.

Strategy 100

Strategy Critical Success Factor McKinsey Retail 100