Retail - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Success and Failure in India’s Tricky Marketplace

February 13, 2015

With a consumer pool of more than one billion people, India has become the next big expansion destination for companies around the world. While some businesses are still working the bugs out of their strategies for the subcontinent, other operations have hit the ground running and quickly grabbed up market share. Domino’s, for instance, now sells more pizza in India than anywhere else besides the U.S. thanks to its savvy combination of local and Western tastes. On the other hand, Continue reading →

India, Global, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Retail, Domino’s

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Bloomingdales Makes Fitting Rooms Smarter

December 19, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Fitting rooms provide brick and mortar clothing retailers with one of their few advantages over online outlets. After all, consumers are more likely to purchase an item that they have actually tried own versus something they’ve only seen on a screen. But that doesn’t necessarily mean people will buy everything they bring with them into the changing room. In fact, many consumers will simply give up on an item if it doesn’t fit them immediately.

In order to reverse these Continue reading →

Bloomingdales, Social Media, Product Development, Retail, Innovation

Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Pivoting from One Business Plan to Another

December 10, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

When Michael Garrity founded CommunityLend in 2010, he thought his company was in a perfect position to capture an untapped market. After all, the 2008 financial crisis made many banks wary of lending too much cash, presenting a golden opportunity to non-traditional operations like CommunityLend. Plus, the company’s peer-to-peer model was the first of its kind in Garrity’s home country of Canada, marking a major advantage for the startup.

Despite these benefits, though, CommunityLend had trouble finding qualified borrowers for Continue reading →

Retail, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Media, Finance

Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Half Prices Books Thrives Against the Odds

November 25, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In a world of Amazon and e-readers, there’s just not much room for independent bookstores. Over the past five years, mom and pop bookshops have seen revenues decrease by an average of 3.2 percent annually. But not every company in this discouraging industry is feeling the squeeze. In fact, the Dallas-based retailer Half Price Books is growing at a rate of five stores per year. Revenues rose from $50 million in 1995 to $240 million in 2013, remarkably avoiding Continue reading →

Half Price Books, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Retail, Distribution, Resale

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] The Remote Repo Man

October 1, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

As people inevitably default on their subprime auto loans, dealers turn to a variety of ways to retain their merchandise, sometimes with hazardous consequences.

https://nyti.ms/1qwkB8x

Questions:

Do regulatory agencies need to clearly define when a borrower is in default?

Should lenders be able to turn off a moving car?

From The New York Times

Ethics, Retail, Cars, Finance, Subprime

Videos

TJ Maxx Defies the Odds with Sustained Success

September 17, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although nothing in business is a sure thing, few industries are more volatile than apparel retail. In this unpredictable world, it can be almost impossible to guarantee success for a brand. For instance, Target and Kmart spent years dueling for dominance until the former won out with its more upscale marketing. However, long-term prosperity grants no safety net. Abercrombie & Fitch ruled the preppy clothing market for more than a decade, but now sales are falling as younger consumers view Continue reading →

TJ Maxx, Marketing, Promotions, Retail, Pricing, Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

One-Cent Sale Costs Staples Millions

September 14, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last year the retail chain Staples signed a contract to become the State of New York’s official office-supplies vendor, which looked like quite a coup at the time. After all, the agreement put Staples in direct contact with city halls, schools, police departments and charities across the state. In fact, the company was so desperate to tap this lucrative market that it pledged to sell a number of products for just a penny apiece. While this bold promise helped Staples Continue reading →

Pricing, Staples, Marketing, Promotions, Retail

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

Brazilian Shop-Hopping Stalls Walmart’s Growth

September 10, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Walmart became the largest retail chain in the U.S. by offering customers the same low prices every day. As it expanded globally, however, the company found out that not every culture responds to this pricing strategy. For instance, Walmart has had a hard time winning over Brazilian consumers despite opening 550 stores in nearly 200 cities. That’s because most people in the large South American nation are happy to hunt for the best deals at a variety of stores rather Continue reading →

Retail, Demographics, Brazil, Wal-Mart, Global, Branding

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

[VIDEO] Etsy Artisans Reach Retailers

July 15, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The online, indie-driven craft store Etsy is giving their users a chance to sell their wares wholesale to retail outlets.

https://nyti.ms/1jFBb61

Questions:

What are the major benefits of using Etsy to a firm like Worley’s Lighting?

Do entrepreneurs like Shelli Worley often turn their hobbies into businesses?

From The New York Times

Etsy, Social Media, Product Development, Retail, Distribution, Innovation

Videos

Retailers Keep Tabs on Customers with Beacons

May 13, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the last few years, brick and mortar retailers have come up with some ingenious ways to gather data about the customers who walk into their stores. We’ve taken a look at some of them in past posts on this blog, including one story about “smart” mannequins that observe consumer patterns using cameras in the dummies’ eyes. Although that may skew a bit on the creepy side, it’s important to keep in mind that physical retailers are merely trying to Continue reading →

Retail, Marketing, Consumer Research, Ethics, Bluetooth, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media