E-commerce - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Retailers Stock up on Seasonal Warehouse Workers

October 13, 2020

As brick-and-mortar retailers struggle to make ends meet during the pandemic, e-commerce outlets like Amazon are thriving as consumers purchase more products from home than ever before. Experts expect that this trend will continue into the holiday shopping season, which can drive as much as 30 percent of retailers’ overall sales. So while companies would normally be hiring extra cashiers to prepare for Christmas, this year they’re bringing in warehouse workers to handle the high volume of online orders. Continue reading →

Operations Management, Health, Ethics, Product Distribution, Human Resources, E-commerce, Coronavirus, Seasonal hiring

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Retail Sales Plummet with Worst Monthly Loss on Record

April 16, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With thousands of stores closed around the country, U.S. retailers saw sales plunge by 8.7 percent in March. That represents the worst monthly decline on record as millions of consumers stopped visiting restaurants, bars, and shopping malls due to stay-at-home orders for coronavirus containment. While sales of cars, furniture, and electronics all experienced double digit drops, spending at clothing stores plummeted by more than 50 percent. Manufacturing capacity and oil production also fell to their lowest rates since the end Continue reading →

Amazon Changes Shipping Priorities for Vital Supplies

March 19, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With millions of people across the country staying home and practicing social distancing, it’s no surprise that many are doing their shopping online through Amazon. As a result, the e-commerce giant has seen demand for household items and medical supplies increase dramatically over the last couple of weeks. In order to ensure that no essential products go out of stock, this week Amazon announced that its U.S. and European warehouses will now only hold “vital supplies.” This includes baby products, Continue reading →

E-commerce, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus, Operations Management, Supply chains, Global, Health, Human Resources, Hiring, Amazon, Crisis management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Direct-to-Consumer Company Brandless Closes Down

February 13, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In 2017, the home goods company Brandless launched with a novel way to take on Amazon as well as other big-box retailers. The direct-to-consumer startup sold high-quality, organic versions of everything from toilet paper to beauty products in simple, no-frills packaging. Brandless claimed that this eliminated the so-called “BrandTax” levied by many companies, which could account for as much as 40 percent of the product’s actual cost. With little money spent on traditional marketing, Brandless initially charged just $3 for Continue reading →

Macy’s Will Close 125 Stores and Lay Off 2,000 Employees

February 6, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

As the country’s largest department store chain, Macy’s has hundreds of locations nationwide and earned more than $25 billion in sales in 2018 alone. Still, the last few years have not been easy for the retailer as more consumers turn to e-commerce outlets like Amazon for their shopping needs. Meanwhile, discount retailers like TJ Maxx and fast-fashion brands like H&M are also winning over shoppers with wide selections and great deals. After struggling to keep up with all of this Continue reading →

Retail, Pricing, Operations Management, Product Distribution, Human Resources, Layoffs, E-commerce

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Americans Spent Big Online during the 2019 Holiday Season

January 7, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The holiday season is the most important time of the year by far for the nation’s retailers, with many earning as much as 40 percent of their annual sales during that period. Fortunately for them, 2019’s holiday sales increased by 3.4 percent compared to the previous year. Retailers are especially relieved since Thanksgiving arrived six days later than it did in 2018, which took away crucial time that companies could have used to drive sales.

To make up for Continue reading →

Shipping, Holidays, Promotions, Retail, Supply chains, Marketing, Transportation, Product Distribution, E-commerce

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, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

European Protesters Target Amazon on Black Friday

December 3, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Analysts at Adobe estimate that consumers spent more than $29 billion online last week between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Although brick-and-mortar sales rose slightly as well, e-commerce sales surged to record highs as consumers increasingly turned to online retailers for their holiday shopping needs. In fact, experts predict that companies like Amazon earned as much as $9.4 billion on Cyber Monday alone.

But while Amazon enjoyed another successful start to the festive season in the U.S., the e-commerce giant Continue reading →

Ethics, Regulation, Amazon, Product Distribution, Black Friday, E-commerce, Strikes, Cyber Monday, Global, Promotions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How Toys ‘R’ Us Went Bankrupt

November 8, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In 2017 Toys ‘R’ Us filed for bankruptcy under the weight of billions of dollars in debt. Six months later all of the retailer’s stores had closed with their stock liquidated and staff let go without severance. This in-depth video chronicles the rise and fall of this former “category killer,” detailing how the retailer’s bankruptcy changed the toy industry as well as the lives of its former workers.

Questions:

How did the bankruptcy of Toys ‘R’ Us affect its Continue reading →

Deepening Discounts Cut into Retailers’ Profits

October 22, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The last couple of years have not been kind to brick-and-mortar retailers: since 2017 more than 50 companies have gone bankrupt and 21,000 locations have closed across the country. Instead of heading out to stores, many modern consumers now depend on Amazon for their shopping needs. Along with providing convenience, the e-commerce giant also offers everyday low prices as well as major sales events like Prime Day. In response, many traditional retailers have started offering deep discounts in an effort Continue reading →

Promotions, Retail, Pricing, Amazon, Marketing, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Markdowns

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

Food Delivery Startups Expand into Groceries

October 4, 2019

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In recent years food delivery startups like Postmates and Doordash have grown into multi-billion dollar operations by bringing takeout from all sorts of places directly to customers’ doors. But these companies don’t just service restaurants: people can also order everyday items from Walgreens or 7-Eleven and receive them hours later. Of course, consumers are more familiar with Postmates and Doordash as takeout services, not grocery delivery companies.

As a result, both startups are brokering deals with retailers and supermarkets Continue reading →

Transportation, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Delivery, E-commerce, Food & Drink, Product Development, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, 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