Chapter 15: Distribution - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Good Humor Changes Ice Cream Truck Jingle

August 31, 2020

For decades, ice cream trucks carrying Good Humor products have traveled through American neighborhoods with the folk song “Turkey in the Straw” playing at full blast. Unfortunately, though, this more than two-century old tune has a sinister history outside of its long association with frozen treats. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, “Turkey in the Straw” was a standard number in minstrel shows that relied heavily on racist caricatures.

“While these associations of ‘Turkey in the Straw’ are Continue reading →

Product Development, Promotions, Entertainment, Marketing, Music, Ethics, Product Distribution, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

How the Pandemic Has Changed Fashion Marketing

August 26, 2020

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For decades, clothing designers, magazine editors, and photographers at publications like Vogue decided what the fashion world would see and how they would see it. Although models received plenty of opportunities to pose in front of the cameras, they got almost no say in the decisions that were made behind the scenes. That started to change as social media platforms like Instagram gave models direct access to audiences, granting them more individual power over the creative direction of their brands. Continue reading →

Marketing, Clothing, Global, Product Development, Social Media, Promotions, Fashion, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Italy’s Renaissance-Era Wine Windows Return to Use

August 18, 2020

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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced countless companies around the world to come up with new ways to sell products or else risk going out of business. For instance, many bars and restaurants have made the switch to carry-out service and installed take-out windows to easily access waiting customers. For some lucky Italian entrepreneurs, though, their businesses come with built-in to-go kiosks constructed more than 500 years ago.

Known as “buchette del vino,” or “little wine holes” in English, these Continue reading →

Operations Management, Promotions, Global, Italy, Entrepreneurship, Health, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

AMC Theatres Plans for August 20th Reopening with 15 Cent Admission

August 17, 2020

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With hundreds of American movie theaters closed since March, the film exhibition industry has made several attempts to return to business only to reverse course soon after. AMC Theatres, for instance, announced plans to reopen on July 15th but scrapped that idea as coronavirus cases spiked across the U.S. Despite these setbacks, though, the nation’s largest theater chain has now set August 20th as its return date. What’s more, AMC plans to charge just 15 cents per admission on the Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Airlines Can Survive the Pandemic

August 7, 2020

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Airline passenger volume has plummeted by 95 percent during the coronavirus pandemic, wiping out tens of billions of dollars in revenue in the process. This video looks at how airlines are fighting to survive these unprecedented times by furloughing employees, limiting flight capacity, and retiring old aircraft like the Boeing 747.

Questions:

What measures are airlines taking to cut costs during the pandemic?
What are the potential long term consequences of furloughing employees like pilots?

Health, Travel, Operations Management, Product Distribution, Human Resources, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus

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 15: Distribution

Clorox Wipes Will Not be Widely Available Until 2021

August 6, 2020

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Global sales of household cleaning products and disinfectants have skyrocketed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, supplies of some products have become increasingly strained as even the biggest brands struggle to keep up with demand. For example, Clorox CEO Benno Dorer said that the company will not be able to fully stock grocery store shelves with disinfectant wipes until at least 2021.

Clorox has also been running low on many of its most popular items, Continue reading →

Clorox, Supply chains, Health, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Manufacturing, Coronavirus

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 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] How Coronavirus Is Ushering in a New Era of Concerts

July 23, 2020

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Since thousands of concert venues around the world remain closed due to coronavirus, many artists have taken to social media to stream live performances. These innovative concerts draw in huge online audiences but are no replacement for the revenue generated by live shows. This video looks at how the music industry is hoping to earn cash from unorthodox venues, such as drive-in concerts and video game tie-ins.

Questions:

Do you think virtual events in video games like Fortnite could Continue reading →

American Movie Theaters Face Uncertain Future

July 14, 2020

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Last month, we looked at AMC Theatres’ plans to reopen on July 15th with expanded safety measures. But after major studios delayed the release of upcoming blockbusters like Tenet and Mulan, the chain pushed back its reopening plans to July 30th. Still, even this goal could be optimistic as cases of coronavirus continue to rise across the country. “Twenty days ago, I would’ve said we’re on track,” said David Gross, head of the film consultancy company Franchise Entertainment Research. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Health, Product Distribution, Coronavirus, Operations Management, AMC Theatres, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] The Economic Ripple Effect of Retail Sales, Explained

July 9, 2020

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Retail sales plummeted during the coronavirus lockdown, which is bad news for more people than just business owners. This video shows how retailers drive economic growth by creating a ripple effect of sales across many different sectors.

Questions:

How do retail sales help drive economic growth?
Why have online retailers seen sales skyrocket during the pandemic?

Retail, Economics, Product Distribution, Marketing, Coronavirus, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Approximately 140,000 Businesses Listed on Yelp Remain Closed

July 7, 2020

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Over the last few weeks, restaurants and retailers across the country have gradually reopened with limited capacity, plexiglass barriers, and other anti-Covid restrictions. According to a recent study of the review site Yelp, however, approximately 140,000 listed businesses that closed in March remained shut down in June. What’s more, 41 percent of those companies have closed for good. Retailers accounted for the highest number of closures at 27,000. Coronavirus lockdown measures also majorly hurt restaurants, with 53 percent of closed Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Ethics, Restaurants, Entrepreneurship, Food & Drink, Coronavirus, Promotions, Health

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion