Health - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Costume Shops Struggle with Low Seasonal Sales

October 6, 2020

October is usually the month that Halloween store owners look forward to all year round. Adult customers often spend well over $100 on costumes and accessories as they prepare for parties or haunted pub crawls. But with many of these social events now canceled due to the pandemic, Halloween stores are struggling to make up this essential source of revenue. At Lorenzo Caltagirone’s Virginia costume shop, for instance, sales are down 80 percent. “I’ve never been this worried before,” said Continue reading →

Health, Marketing, Product Distribution, Entrepreneurship, Halloween, Seasonal, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Major Airlines Cut 32,000 Jobs as Relief Expires

October 1, 2020

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Back in March, airlines received $25 billion in relief so that workers could stay on the payroll as the coronavirus pandemic caused a massive disruption in world travel. But with that money now spent, major carriers had been hoping for another round of economic stimulus from the federal government as demand for travel remains low. Legislators have been unable to come to an agreement so far, however, leading American Airlines and United Airlines to announce that more than 32,000 employees Continue reading →

Coronavirus, Airlines, Economic Stimulus, Operations Management, Global, Ethics, Regulation, Unions, Health, Labor Relations, Travel

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 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Winter Could Bring an End to Outdoor Dining in 2020

September 29, 2020

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According to the National Restaurant Association, during the pandemic more than 100,000 restaurants have closed either indefinitely or permanently and millions of jobs have been lost. Experts expect that the nation’s eateries will lose more than $240 million this year and warn that the worst could be yet to come. Along with takeout and curbside business, many restaurants have relied on outdoor dining to drive sales as many customers remain wary about eating inside. With winter on the horizon, however, Continue reading →

Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Health, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

Movie Studios Hold Back Major Releases as Theaters Stay Empty

September 22, 2020

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On August 27th, Warner Bros. began gradually releasing the movie Tenet in theaters that had been closed for months due to the pandemic. After more than two weeks on American screens, though, the $200 million film has only earned $29.5 million domestically. As a result, Hollywood studios may hold back on releasing major titles until audiences are ready to return. “You can’t do it. The economics won’t allow you to do it,” said one studio executive. “We can’t give [theaters] Continue reading →

60 Percent of Closed Businesses Will Not Reopen

September 17, 2020

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According to data collected and analyzed by Yelp, nearly 163,700 businesses have closed since the start of the pandemic in March. This marks an increase of 23 percent from July when Yelp last released statistics about closures. To make matters worse, about 98,000 of those businesses will remain closed permanently.

More than 32,000 of those shuttered businesses are restaurants, 61 percent of which have closed for good. Yelp claims that restaurants like pizzerias, delis, food trucks, and bakeries Continue reading →

Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Health, Restaurants, Food & Drink, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship

Airlines Ease Fees in Effort to Attract Travelers

September 10, 2020

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With Labor Day weekend come and gone, airlines have entered the period of the year where business travelers usually make up the bulk of their flights rather than tourists. But as the pandemic continues to disrupt life throughout the U.S., almost nothing is proceeding like normal in the air travel industry. All told, the nation’s carriers are losing $6 billion per month and have laid off more than one-fifth of workers as the industry desperately looks for ways to cut Continue reading →

Airlines, Promotions, Marketing, Health, Operations Management, Travel, Global, Product Distribution, Coronavirus

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 16: Place and Promotion

[VIDEO] The Robot Revolution Has Arrived

August 20, 2020

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As companies across all industries look for ways to reduce contact between employees during the pandemic, many are turning to automated labor as a way both to stay safe and trim costs. This video looks at how advanced robotic technology could change workplaces in the long term while also examining the potential limitations of automation.

Questions:

Why are many companies investing in automated labor during the pandemic?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of automation?

Operations Management, Ethics, Health, Human Resources, Automation, Manufacturing, Labor Relations, Coronavirus, Organizational Culture

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

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?

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

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