Product Distribution - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] How Subscription Services Became So Common

May 30, 2019

From music and movies to everyday items like clothes and toilet paper, today’s consumers can order all sorts of products through monthly subscription services. But as more companies adopt this sales strategy, it’s possible that consumers could get tired of subscriptions once all the monthly fees start stacking up. This video looks at why these services have become so widespread and offers advice for consumers who feel they’ve taken on too many subscriptions.

Questions:

Why are more companies starting to Continue reading →

Marketing, Pricing, Innovation, Product Distribution, Subscriptions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Kroger Adapts to New Supermarket Distribution Dynamics

May 21, 2019

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In recent years retailers both large and small have struggled to compete against the low prices and convenience offered by e-commerce outlets. But even as Amazon disrupted all sorts of stores over the last decade, supermarkets such as Kroger managed to survive and thrive. Along with the troubles of delivering fresh produce, online retailers couldn’t convince customers to buy their food sight-unseen.

That is until startups like Instacart made grocery delivery more accessible to the average consumer. Although online purchases Continue reading →

Management, Operations Management, Retail, Innovation, Product Distribution, Supermarkets, Food & Drink, Kroger

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] Why Amazon Is Gobbling Up Failed Malls

May 9, 2019

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Although some brick and mortar retailers are managing to thrive in the age of e-commerce, many others haven’t been able to compete against rivals like Amazon. This includes a good portion of America’s once mighty malls that now either struggle to keep tenants or have shuttered completely. In an ironic twist, however, abandoned malls are currently being purchased by Amazon and other companies to serve as product distribution centers. This video details why the location and size of Continue reading →

Operations Management, Transportation, Amazon, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Malls, Facility Location

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Daimler Pulls Smart Cars from North American Markets

May 7, 2019

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If you’ve never seen a tiny Smart car puttering around the streets of your town, then you’re certainly not alone. The American public have taken little interest in these subcompact, battery-powered two seaters, with the German automaker selling less than 1,200 of its Fourtwo model in 2018. That’s why Smart’s parent company Daimler recently announced it would stop selling the car in the U.S. and Canada after this model year.

“Micro-cars” like these “make sense when you have small roads Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Product Development, Europe, Innovation, Transportation, Sustainability, Product Distribution, Electric cars

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

Independent Bookstores Thrive in the Age of Amazon

May 3, 2019

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Starting in the late 1990s, Atlanta business owner Frank Reiss struggled to keep his small bookstore in operation. Along with the growing dominance of Amazon, he also lost much of his lucrative rare book business to the online auction house eBay. Reiss considered closing his beloved A Capella Books in the early 2000s until his father suggested that hosting events with authors could turn things around for the better. The plan worked: A Cappella sold more than 500 books Continue reading →

Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Promotions, Retail, Amazon, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Bookstores

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Fans Flock to Movie Theaters for Avengers: Endgame

April 30, 2019

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This weekend Marvel released Avengers: Endgame, the final installment of the original “Cinematic Universe” that the company built across 22 films over the last decade. Perhaps the most anticipated movie of the year, millions of people all over the world flocked to theaters to watch the conclusion to this massive franchise. In fact, this weekend Avengers: Endgame rocketed to the No. 1 box office spot in 54 countries as it earned $1.2 billion worldwide. The movie brought in $350 Continue reading →

Global, Entertainment, Product Distribution, Movies, AMC Theaters

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution

Glossier Changes Packaging after Social Media Outcry

April 23, 2019

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From the robin’s egg-blue boxes at Tiffany to Coca-Cola’s classic glass bottles, packaging has long played a role in the success of many well-known brands. In fact, it’s become even more important in today’s social media-driven business environment. Along with catching the eyes of passing shoppers in stores, a product’s packaging must also be bold enough to grab the attention of scrolling Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit users. In the last few years, these platforms have been flooded with “unboxing” videos Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Social Media, Product Development, Branding, Packaging, Sustainability, Product Distribution

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

Fisher-Price Shocks Parents with Rock ‘n Play Recall

April 19, 2019

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For more than a decade, the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper has been a staple product for many new parents. This vibrating, cloth-covered cradle allows a baby to lay at an incline while rocking back and forth, helping them sleep as well as soothing symptoms like congestion and acid reflux. So it came as a major shock to many parents last week when Fisher-Price announced that it was recalling more than 5 million Rock n’ Plays.

The American Academy of Continue reading →

Ethics, Product Development, Product Distribution, Crisis management, Reputation, Fisher-Price, Product Recall

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Microsoft Closes eBook Store and Takes Customers’ Books with It

April 9, 2019

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Last week Microsoft announced that its eBook platform would soon close down. This news didn’t really come as a shock to many in the business world since the company struggled from the start to attract a dedicated audience of readers. First of all, Microsoft tied the platform exclusively to its Edge web browser, which accounts for only 4.4 percent of the total browser market. The company’s e-reader app also launched without key features such as highlighting, sticky notes, and titled Continue reading →

Ethics, Product Development, Licensing, Retail, Legal, Product Distribution, eBooks, Microsoft

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Brexit Confusion Does Damage to U.K. Businesses

April 2, 2019

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In 2016 a majority of U.K. voters chose to leave the European Union, a controversial decision that led to years of confusion and infighting among lawmakers. In fact, British officials were supposed to have all the details of “Brexit” hammered out by March 29, 2019. They missed that deadline, of course, and unfortunately aren’t any closer to brokering a deal to leave the European economic community. Now the nation faces the risk of crashing out of the EU with no Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Manufacturing, Europe, Currency, Regulation, Product Distribution, Brexit, EU, U.K.

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 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law