August 23, 2024

With its iconic cartoon characters, movies, theme parks, and more, Disney has practically held a monopoly over children’s attention for nearly a century. But that’s starting to change as kids spend more time on streaming services, which now account for two-thirds of TV watch time for children ages 2 to 11. And instead of watching Disney+, which offers full-length movies and TV shows, these days most children prefer short-form videos on platforms like YouTube. For example, the “Kids Diana Show” Continue reading

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August 21, 2024

For decades, many big businesses have tried to go green by reducing their carbon emissions. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nike have made “net-zero” pledges over the years that promise to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they put into it. While some firms try to go carbon-neutral by reducing their emissions directly, others pay for carbon removal projects — such as planting trees or building solar panels — to offset emissions. 

But carbon dioxide isn’t the Continue reading

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August 16, 2024

For most of the past decade, the language learning app Duolingo has ranked as the top education platform on Apple’s App Store. Most people download it for free, with only a small percentage of users opting to pay for a yearly subscription. So how does Duolingo manage to earn more than $500 million in annual revenue? Along with examining the roles that advertising and AI play in Duolingo’s success, the video below also explains how the app keeps its dedicated Continue reading

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August 14, 2024

The stock market is known for its rapid rises and unpredictable falls, but last week’s brief meltdown was extreme even by those standards. When the markets opened last Monday, numbers were falling and traders were selling off their stocks in panic. Japan’s stock exchange fell more than 12 percent, the biggest plunge in 37 years. The S&P 500 — which tracks the stock performance of 500 of the largest U.S. companies — lost $1.3 trillion in value, or 3 percent, Continue reading

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August 7, 2024

For hungry American consumers, 7-Eleven isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for a variety of options. While the chain serves plenty of Slurpees, pizza, and hot dogs, that is about the limit of its domestic menu. But Japanese consumers have a different experience with 7-Eleven, which offers a wide assortment of fresh items ranging from tasty baked goods to rice balls and ramen. This video examines how 7-Eleven works in the Asian nation, and why the company wants Continue reading

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July 30, 2024

For more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines has stood out in the competitive world of air travel for a unique and equalizing perk: open seating. While other airlines required passengers to pick a seat in advance and pay more to upgrade, Southwest chose to do things differently. Instead of a seat assignment, passengers received a boarding position, lined up in order at the gate, and chose any available seat once on the plane. “It’s been a very egalitarian view of Continue reading

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July 26, 2024

Retailers once considered July to be a slow month as regular customers spent their money on travel and other activities rather than shopping at local stores. Then Amazon created Prime Day, a 48-hour sales event that turned the middle of July into a bonanza of consumer cash for the e-commerce giant. This past Prime Day was Amazon’s biggest yet, with the company racking up $14.2 billion in sales over the course of two days last week, an 11 percent increase Continue reading

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July 19, 2024

From grocery stores to fast food drive-throughs, today’s consumers pay a lot more for food than they did just a little while ago. In the years following the pandemic, food and beverage companies steadily increased prices to compensate for soaring commodity and labor costs and to please investors looking to boost profit margins. For example, the average price for a bag of potato chips in June 2020 was $5.09. These days, though, that same bag of chips goes for Continue reading

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In a few days, millions of Americans will ignite their grills and barbecue up a storm in a grand Independence Day tradition enjoyed from coast to coast. Thanks to inflation, though, this year’s celebrations may be pricier than in years past. While Fourth of July favorites like hot dogs and potato salad remain affordable, prices for items like ground beef, pork chops, and lemonade have risen dramatically. 

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), an average cookout for 10 Continue reading

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June 14, 2024

The fashion startup Rent the Runway seemed destined for long-term success when it launched as an industry-disrupting force in the late 2000s. As this video shows, though, not even a $1 billion IPO could save the company from established competitors and the impact of a global pandemic. 

Questions:

  1. How did the pandemic affect Rent the Runway’s business? 
  2. What advantages do established competitors like Urban Outfitters have over startups like Rent the Runway?
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