NickelsMcHughMcHugh - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Streaming Superstar Ninja Moves to Microsoft’s Mixer

August 20, 2019

In 2018 users on the video streaming platform Twitch watched more than 505 billion minutes of live streams, up from 355 billion minutes the previous year. At some point many of those viewers likely tuned into Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, a streamer of the video game Fortnite who once boasted more than 14 million followers on Twitch. Along with earning ad revenue and subscription money from streaming, Ninja also made millions from lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Uber Eats and Continue reading →

Twitch, Product Development, Entertainment, Streaming, Entrepreneurship, Amazon, Product Distribution, Video Games, Microsoft

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Whistleblower Accuses GE of Massive Fraud

August 16, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last year, we looked at how General Electric lost its spot on the Dow Jones Industrial Average after more than a century on the index. At the time, experts blamed the legendary company’s decline on the collapse of its financial services division along with a number of failed investments. According to a recent report from a well-known whistleblower, however, the recent troubles at GE are far worse than the company previously claimed. In a report released yesterday, forensic accountant Harry Continue reading →

Accounting, Regulation, Fraud, General Electric, Reputation, Ethics, Enron

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 17: Accounting, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Virtual Restaurants Rely on Rising Demand for Delivery

August 15, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In 2017 Ricky Lopez opened a Top Round franchise in San Francisco’s Mission District. With all sorts of well-established competition in the area already, the chef and entrepreneur says that his roast beef business lost tens of thousands of dollars in its first eight months. Then last year a representative from Uber Eats informed Lopez that his area had a high demand for burgers and ice cream that was going unmet. To take advantage of this opportunity, the food delivery Continue reading →

Operations Management, Branding, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Restaurants, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Phone Scammers Cost Consumers Millions Annually

August 13, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the past five years, consumers have sent more than 1.3 million complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about scammers posing as government representatives. Whether they’re pretending to be from the IRS or a local police department, fraudsters like these have cost Americans more than $450 million since 2014. In fact, this year alone the FTC has received more than 200,000 complaints about calls from people claiming to be from agencies like the Social Security Administration.

In one Continue reading →

Ethics, Regulation, Robocalls, Telemarketing, Scams

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] Why Are Wages Low in the Growing Job Market?

August 9, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For 106 consecutive months, the U.S. labor market has added jobs. But even though there’s plenty of work to go around, much of it is low-paying since wages have not grown as fast as expected. This video looks at the some of the factors contributing to low wage growth in the U.S., such as automation and the decline of unions.

Questions:

How has the rise of automation contributed to low wage growth?
Do you think wage growth would be Continue reading →

Human Resources, Wages, Manufacturing, Economics, Global, Ethics, Automation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

FedEx Stops Delivering for Amazon

August 8, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A couple of weeks ago, we posted a video about the rise of rush shipping and its effect on the environment. Along with impacting the health of the planet, the recent push to deliver products as fast as possible has also altered the balance of power in the shipping industry. Over the past few years, Amazon has developed its own delivery network of trucks and planes in order to decrease its dependency on outside shipping firms. As a result, Continue reading →

Retail, Transportation, Amazon, E-commerce, Shipping, FedEx, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Legendary New York Retailer Barneys Files for Bankruptcy

August 6, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week, we took a look at how online shopping and rising rents are causing many retailers to reassess the worth of their flagship stores. Among the companies mentioned was Barneys, a Manhattan mainstay that used the success of its nine-story flagship to expand across the world. The retailer first became famous for its flashy Madison Avenue window displays that drew countless people inside over the years. By the late 1990s, Barneys became an almost sacred destination for shoppers Continue reading →

Retail, Product Distribution, New York, E-commerce, Facility Location, Marketing, Barneys

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Equifax Fined up to $700 Million for 2017 Data Breach

August 2, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

About two years ago, hackers breached the credit reporting agency Equifax and stole personal information from nearly 150 million people. Along with names and birthdates, the hackers also obtained social security and driver’s license numbers. As consumers responded in anger and disbelief that Equifax could be so negligent, government regulators immediately started investigating the agency. Last week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the results of that inquiry: Equifax agreed to pay a minimum settlement of $575 million that could Continue reading →

Regulation, Security, Cyberattack, Equifax, Credit, FTC, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Retailers Start to Close Flagship Locations

August 1, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For many years, shoppers flocked to destinations like Madison Avenue in Manhattan and Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to experience the best that American retail had to offer. Home to flagship locations from Macy’s, Barneys and many others, these enormous stores acted as potent marketing tools as much as places to buy products. The rise of online shopping changed all that, however, causing multi-floor department stores to lose their appeal.

As a result, many top retailers are closing the doors on Continue reading →

Product Distribution, New York, Macy's, Marketing, E-commerce, Facility Location, Flagships, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Forever 21’s Granola Promotion Causes Social Media Uproar

July 30, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

From free finger food at Costo to complimentary mini-sized makeup at Sephora, companies have long depended on free samples as a powerful promotional tool. But as the clothing retailer Forever 21 recently learned, this time-tested strategy can backfire when paired with the wrong type of product.

Forever 21 routinely includes sample items when shipping out orders to its customer base of young women. Last week one of those products was a free Atkins-branded lemon granola bar that encouraged customers Continue reading →

Forever 21, Marketing, Free samples, Ethics, Promotions, Retail, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion