Product Distribution - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Continuing Supply Chain Problems Lead to Price Increases

October 1, 2021

For months, supply chains across the globe have become highly disrupted due to a multitude of factors related to the pandemic. From closed factories and clogged ports to a shortage of shipping containers, supply chain snags are harming small businesses and could possibly affect the flow of goods during the Christmas season. And in the immediate term, shipping issues are contributing to rising inflation which then leads to price increases, something that has been felt by consumers across Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Operations Management, Supply & Demand, Global, Coronavirus, Manufacturing, Pandemic, Supply chains, Economics

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 a New Generation of Card Enthusiasts Are Transforming a Market

September 24, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the course of the pandemic, sports card trading has transformed from a niche hobby to a booming market as people started turning old collections into big money. This video looks at how appraisal companies and online trading platforms have changed collecting forever while attracting the interest of Wall Street investors in the process.

Questions:

How did sports card collecting transform from a fading hobby into a lucrative and vibrant market?
Do you think the market for cards will Continue reading →

Sports, Marketing, Entertainment, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Stock Market, Securities

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Videos

[VIDEO] What One Winemaker’s Pricing Decisions Tell Us About Inflation

September 10, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although demand for wine from California’s Napa Valley has never been higher, supply is low across the region after years of drought, wildfires, and then the pandemic disrupted production. This video looks at the inflationary pressures currently weighing on winemakers as they consider whether or not to raise prices on the latest vintages.

Questions:

What inflationary factors are driving winemakers to raise prices on their products?
What are the potential advantages and disadvantages for businesses when they raise prices?

Labor Relations, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Pricing, Manufacturing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Travel Agencies Make a Comeback as Flying Becomes Complicated

September 8, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although fewer people could be traveling in the coming months due to the delta variant, this summer airlines got slammed with vaccinated vacationers who were ready to fly. Unfortunately for travelers, though, some understaffed carriers were not exactly prepared to handle their return. During the height of the pandemic, airlines offered buyouts or encouraged retirement to many behind the scenes staffers. This led to employee shortages at many carriers, with Delta Air Lines reporting that its call center staff was Continue reading →

Product Development, Travel, Global, Product Distribution, Human Resources, Staffing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

FTC Inquires about Broken McFlurry Machines

September 3, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

It’s a scenario that plenty of fast food fans have faced before: they pull up to the drive-thru speaker at McDonald’s and ask for their favorite frozen treat, only to hear the reply, “Sorry, but the machine is broken right now.” Responsible for about 60 percent of the chain’s desserts, the McFlurry machine is a vital asset for Golden Arches franchises across the country, even though their unreliability has become something of a running joke. Along with serving as the Continue reading →

McDonald’s, Operations Management, Regulation, Ethics, Product Distribution, Franchising, Food & Drink, Entrepreneurship, Forms of Business

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Supply Chain Delays Could Impact Christmas Shopping Season

September 1, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the course of the pandemic, problems with global supply chains have affected companies both large and small, leading some to reconsider their relationships with international manufacturers. Many other businesses are waiting for their products to arrive after weeks or even months of delays. For instance, the toy maker MGA Entertainment said its stock of Rainbow High dolls has been held up overseas due to a shortage of shipping containers. As a result, the company will likely not Continue reading →

[VIDEO] Why Affordable Houses Are Hard to Find These Days

August 27, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Across the country housing prices are skyrocketing to record highs, effectively pricing millions of people out of buying their first homes. This video looks at how this lack of supply in the face of soaring demand can be attributed partly to American zoning laws, which can have the cumulative effect of raising housing costs for everybody.

Questions:

How have American zoning laws contributed to the current lack of affordable starter homes?
Do you think zoning laws against multi-family housing Continue reading →

Housing, Real Estate, Product Development, Demographics, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Ethics

Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Cotton Tote Bags Come with a Big Environmental Cost

August 26, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For years now, many consumers have made an effort to cut down on their use of plastic bags by relying on cotton totes instead. Along with being better for the environment than non-biodegradable, single-use plastic, cotton bags can also serve as walking billboards for any organization that places their logo upon them. As a result, these totes can be spotted in stores the world over, emblazoned with branding from supermarkets, magazines, charities, and radio stations.

But while cotton bags Continue reading →

Manufacturing, Product Development, Sustainability, Marketing, Product Distribution, Ethics

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 15: Distribution

Airlines Anticipate Drop in Travel due to Delta Variant

August 24, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

At the beginning of summer, major airlines had plenty of optimism that rising vaccination rates would entice Americans into traveling again. Initially this hope seemed to be well-placed as demand for flights increased and prices surged accordingly, with the Consumer Price Index finding that airfares rose by 7 percent from April to May 2021. While prices stayed around that level through July, sales started to sag by August as carriers saw the impact of the Delta variant on their bottom Continue reading →

Pricing, Product Distribution, Air Travel, Supply & Demand, Airlines, Global

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Large Companies Overtook Smaller Rivals during Pandemic

August 17, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The economic disruptions of the past year and a half caused small businesses to lose an average of 11 percent of their revenues. This was not the case for the globe’s big corporations, though. According to a McKinsey study of 5,500 “big, highly productive” U.S. and European companies, all surveyed firms reported that they experienced no declines in sales during the pandemic.

Although large companies had already been overtaking their smaller rivals before 2020, economists say that the pandemic widened Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Regulation, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Antitrust, Corporations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law