NickelsMcHughMcHugh - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Retailers Start to Close Flagship Locations

August 1, 2019

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 →

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

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 →

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

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

[VIDEO] The Environmental Cost of Rush Shipping

July 26, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For major online retailers like Amazon and Walmart, few matters are more important than quickly shipping products out to customers. But while free two-day shipping has largely become the norm in e-commerce, all those packages moving across the country can have a major impact on the environment. This video looks at the ecological effects of rush shipping and how retailers could seek to limit its use in the future.

Questions:

In what ways does rush shipping harm the environment? Continue reading →

Transportation, Amazon, Operations Management, Sustainability, Ethics, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Shipping, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Google Accused of Stealing Content from Lyrics Website

July 25, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Since 2009 the website Genius has provided music lovers with a reliable source for lyrics to countless songs. A few years ago, though, the company noticed that someone else was exploring the site along with its usual batch of curious fans. The situation started when Genius published the lyrics to the hit song “Panda” by Desiigner with help from the artist himself. Since the company received assistance directly from the source, their lyrics served as the only accurate transcription of Continue reading →

Startups, Silicon Valley, Antitrust, Google, Product Development, Ethics, Regulation, Entrepreneurship

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

FTC Hits Facebook with $5 Billion Fine

July 23, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In March 2018, the New York Times revealed that Facebook had allowed Cambridge Analytica to gather personal information from more than 50 million users without their knowledge. Soon after the newspaper published its findings, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began its own investigation of the social media giant. After about a year of inquiry, last week the government agency imposed a $5 billion fine on Facebook, the largest penalty ever issued by the FTC.

It is also the same amount Continue reading →

Regulation, Data Mining, Facebook, Legal, Ethics, CEO, Social Media, Cambridge Analytica, FTC

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Photographers Take Advantage of Prime Day Pricing Error

July 19, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

According to a press release from Amazon, this year’s Prime Day was the “largest shopping event in Amazon history.” Although the company didn’t release sales figures for the two-day bonanza, it claims to have sold more than 175 million items across 18 countries. Along with selling more Amazon devices than ever before, the e-commerce giant said this year’s Prime Day earned more than the past Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

During the course of all this widespread discounting, Continue reading →

Pricing, Amazon, Black Friday, E-commerce, Prime Day, Shopping Events, Retail

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

Netflix Loses Subscribers after Increasing Prices

July 18, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Earlier this year, Netflix raised its monthly rates by 13 to 18 percent across its various subscription plans. According to experts, the streaming video platform increased prices in order to ease investors’ fears that it was taking on too much debt. Unfortunately for Netflix’s stakeholders, however, the company recently announced that this decision contributed to a drop in U.S. subscribers for the first time since its launch 12 years ago.

During the second quarter of 2019, Netflix lost 126,000 customers. Continue reading →

Pricing, Netflix, Streaming, Television, Global, Entertainment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Moxi the Hospital Robot Helps Nurses with Regular Tasks

July 16, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for nurses will grow by 15 percent between 2016 and 2026. With nurses in such high demand, hospitals around the country are on a near constant search for qualified professionals. Sometimes, though, there simply aren’t enough candidates available to meet demand. This can lead to hospital staffing shortages, which require nurses to work longer hours and perform more tasks.

That’s where a robot named Moxi comes in. Developed by Continue reading →

Innovation, Automation, Robotics, Motivation, Operations Management, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] Inclusive Fashion Is the Future of Runways and Retail

July 12, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In recent years consumers have started to lose interest in high-end fashion shows from major houses like Victoria’s Secret and Calvin Klein. In fact, the latter recently closed its luxury collection in order to focus on casualwear. Many designers have responded to industry changes by creating styles for all shapes and sizes to wear, not just thin models. This video looks at the designers who are answering the call from consumers for greater inclusivity in fashion.

Questions:

What Continue reading →

Clothing, Branding, Retail, Fashion, Marketing, Inclusivity, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Amazon Plans to Retrain More than 100,000 Workers

July 11, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

As the world’s most innovative retailer, Amazon is constantly on the look for new and improved ways to serve their customers. Adopting state-of-the-art technology often helps the company accomplish this task, but finding and identifying new types of tech is only half the battle. Amazon also needs skilled employees who can handle this ever-evolving business environment. Finding the right candidates isn’t easy, though: Amazon currently has 20,000 job openings in the U.S.

To fill these vacant positions, the e-commerce Continue reading →

Hiring, Entrepreneurship, Amazon, Training, E-commerce, Human Resources, Retail, Innovation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media