February 25, 2025

Although online shopping has been the norm for decades, oftentimes consumers still want to visit a physical store. Whether it’s trying on different sizes, comparing colors and styles, or simply browsing, there are some shopping activities that people prefer to do in person. When the pandemic upended supply chains, retailers responded by cutting back on the amount of inventory that went out to individual stores. Instead, they centralized inventory at distribution centers to make it easier and cheaper to respond Continue reading

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February 4, 2025

Costco, the warehouse club famous for bulk items and cheap hot dogs, is trying to avoid what would be its first-ever employee strike. The Costco Teamsters union, which represents 18,000 workers, threatened to stop working after January 31 unless the company raised wages and benefits to reflect inflation. With only a few hours left before the strike was scheduled to start at 56 stores across six states, Costco reached a tentative agreement with the union over the weekend. Now it’s Continue reading

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December 13, 2024

In the days before online shopping, catalogs were a common way to purchase holiday gifts without having to go to a store as customers placed and received their orders directly through the mail. Sears issued the first holiday edition of its popular catalog in 1933 selling toys like a Mickey Mouse watch, a Lionel electric train set, and live singing canaries. In 1968, the catalog grew to more than 600 pages, including 225 pages of toys. Many companies relied on Continue reading

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December 11, 2024

After decades of decline, many American malls are continuing to struggle as former anchor stores like Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears either close locations or go out of business entirely. With lots of open space on their hands, at least 192 malls are experimenting with housing in an attempt to bring life back to dying retail spaces. The video below explains the logistics of mall-based apartments, which can be located close to restaurants and shops but also lack basic amenities like Continue reading

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November 19, 2024

Hormel makes 71 different kinds of pepperoni. In addition to the widely popular original pepperoni slices, grocery shoppers can also choose diced, thick-sliced, mini-sliced, low-sodium, low-fat, turkey pepperoni, and more. The spin-offs may not sell as well as the original, but they do help to attract customer attention for the overall brand. More products mean more shelf space at stores, which gives customers more opportunities to find and buy Hormel products. The company also hoped this strategy would make shoppers Continue reading

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October 24, 2024

Walgreens and CVS stores are common sights on American street corners, but in the coming years there will be significantly fewer of them around. The video below takes a detailed look at the recent struggles faced by U.S. pharmacy chains as they plan to shut down thousands of locations nationwide. 

Questions:

  1. Why are Walgreens and CVS closing thousands of stores over the coming years? What are some factors that have contributed to their problems?
  2. How can entrepreneurs help prevent “pharmacy deserts”?
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October 11, 2024

Over the last few months, companies around the globe kept a close eye on American ports as a key union agreement neared its expiration date. The International Longshoremen’s Association, a union representing 50,000 members, demanded wage increases that met resistance from management. Unable to reach an agreement, the union went on strike at the beginning of last week. 

But not for long. Just three days after longshoremen at East and Gulf Coast ports walked out on their jobs, employers represented 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 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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Demand for gold has been rising across the globe, defying economists’ expectations and sending prices soaring to new heights. The video below looks at how the gold trade has changed in recent years as everyday consumers enter the market alongside major investors. Costco, for example, sells $200 million worth of gold bars every month to members on the lookout for what they consider to be stable investments.

Questions:

  1. Why have gold prices been rising across the globe recently?
  2. Do you Continue reading
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