Publications

10 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Retailing Revolution: Category Killers on the Brink

just this week, Gap Inc. announced it will shut a fifth of its stores in North America over the next two years. Even in categories where only one retailer now exists—Best Buy in electronics View Details

Keywords: by Rajiv Lal & Jose B. Alvarez; Retail

28 Oct 2014
First Look

First Look: October 28

popularity of price-matching apps for mobile phones made price differences between retailers transparent, online and offline. Shoppers' desire to test electronics first-hand before purchase drove them to use... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

02 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

‘Retail Revolution’ Excerpt: The Scale of the Ecommerce Threat

book excerpt The Scale Of The Threat From Retail Revolution: Will Your Brick-and-Mortar Store Survive? By Rajiv Lal, José B. Alvarez and Dan Greenberg After years against the ropes, many retailers are... View Details

Keywords: Re: Rajiv Lal; Retail

21 May 2013
First Look

First Look: May 21

Divergence between rich and poor countries since 1820. Download working paper: http://www.nber.org/papers/w19010 Improving Store Liquidation By: Craig, Nathan, and Ananth Raman... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

10 Apr 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research, April 10, 2018

Spring 2018 MIT Sloan Management Review The Store Is Dead—Long Live the Store By: Bell, David R., Santiago Gallino, and Antonio Moreno Abstract—In this article, we pursue two... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2016 (Revised January 2017)
Case

Accounting for the iPhone Upgrade Program (A)

By: Jonas Heese, Krishna G. Palepu, H. David Sherman and Monica Baraldi

On September 9, 2015, Apple Inc. announced the “iPhone Upgrade Program,” a new way to purchase iPhone models 6s and 6s Plus in Apple’s retail stores throughout the U.S. Next to the strategic implications of the Upgrade Program, financial analysts tried to understand... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Apple Inc.; iPhone 6s; International Accounting; Electronics Industry; California; United States

02 Oct 2014
Working Paper Summaries

Bitcoin

Keywords: by Rainer Böhme, Nicolas Christin, Benjamin Edelman & Tyler Moore; Banking

February 2021
Case

Apple: Privacy vs. Safety (A)

By: Henry McGee, Nien-hê Hsieh, Sarah McAra and Christian Godwin

In 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook debuted the iPhone 6S with enhanced security measures that enflamed a debate on privacy and public safety around the world. The iPhone 6S, amid a heightened concern for privacy following the 2013 revelation of clandestine U.S. surveillance... View Details

25 Sep 2007
First Look

First Look: September 25, 2007

It has opened stores in almost every province in China, acquired some of its competitors, and went public in Hong Kong. However, it has begun to experience a slowdown in growth as sales per-square-meter have... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

28 Jan 2019
Research & Ideas

Forget Cash. Here Are Better Ways to Motivate Employees

than luxurious prizes like electronics or trips. It’s even better if a gift feels personalized. A manager could give an employee who enjoys fitness activities a gift card to a store that sells workout... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

April 2006 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Best Buy Co., Inc.: Customer-Centricity

By: Rajiv Lal, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Irina Tarsis

With FY2005 sales of $27.3 billion, Richfield, Minn.-based Best Buy Co., Inc. was the leading retailer of consumer electronics, home-office products, and related services in North America. Its operations included the distinct store formats Best Buy, Future Shop in... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Service Operations; Business Earnings; Financial Crisis; Failure; Business Model; Leadership; Segmentation; Value Creation; Electronics Industry; United States; Canada; Mongolia