Publications

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March 2013 (Revised April 2014)
Case

Barnes & Noble: Managing the E-Book Revolution

By: Alan MacCormack, Brian Kimball Dunn and Chris F. Kemerer

The case describes competition in the market for E-Books, and Barnes & Noble's Strategy in this industry. As a traditional retailer, B&N was challenged by the introduction of digital technologies that allow books to be published, distributed and sold to consumers... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Technology Strategy; Platform Competition; Innovation Strategy; Information Technology; Product Development; Digital Platforms; Standards; Disruptive Innovation; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; North America

May 1993
Case

Alexander Hospital Gift Shoppe

By: Regina E. Herzlinger

Keywords: Retail Industry; Retail Industry

Find at Harvard

November 2002
Teaching Note

Webvan: Groceries on the Internet (TN)

By: John A. Deighton

Teaching Note for (9-500-052). View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry; Retail Industry

February 2002 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Volvo Trucks (C): Closing Volvo Global Trucks

By: Michael E. Porter and Orjan Solvell

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Competitive Strategy; Five Forces Framework; Truck Transportation; Global Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Europe

February 2002 (Revised February 2006)
Case

Volvo Trucks (A): Penetrating the U.S. Market

By: Michael E. Porter and Orjan Solvell

Volvo Trucks has worked on a global strategy for several decades. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the company decided to enter the largest market for trucks: the United States. Over time, the company has struggled to get a significant share of the U.S. market and at the... View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Competitive Strategy; Five Forces Framework; Truck Transportation; Global Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Europe

September 2000 (Revised March 2006)
Case

ZOOTS--The Cleaner Cleaner

By: Myra M. Hart and Sharon Peyus

A successful entrepreneur (retailing) starts a new venture in dry cleaning. The case focuses on transferable models, skills, and knowledge from one venture to the next. Areas of emphasis are: managing growth, challenges of operations, financing, and competitive moves. View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Competitive Strategy; Operations; Knowledge Dissemination; Business Startups; Corporate Finance; Retail Industry; Retail Industry

September 1999 (Revised October 1999)
Case

Auto Collection: Ford's Better Idea for Selling Cars and Trucks

Ford encourages its independent dealers to consolidate, showing them the benefits size can bring both to themselves and their customers. Now, consolidated dealerships improve customer service and reduce costs. View Details

Keywords: Consolidation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Sales; Retail Industry; Retail Industry

January 1995 (Revised March 1995)
Teaching Note

Lowe's TN

By: Walter J. Salmon and David Wylie

Teaching Note for (9-590-013). View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry; Retail Industry

21 Feb 2012
First Look

First Look: Feb. 21

managed. Firms in developing countries, such as Brazil, China, and India tend to be poorly managed. American retail firms and hospitals are also well managed by international standards, although American schools are more poorly managed... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

10 Jan 2012
First Look

First Look: January 10

are the best managed. Firms in developing countries, such as Brazil, China, and India, tend to be poorly managed. American retail firms and hospitals are also well managed by international standards, although American schools are more... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Feb 2007
First Look

First Look: February 27, 2007

has quality variations, reducing consumption. Five independent growers formed a cooperative to provide quality control and a brand name—Ripe 'N Ready—that enabled retailers to differentiate their stores and producers to differentiate the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

20 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 20

Perdigao and Sadia, the two massive food producers that had combined to form Brasil Foods in 2009. Now, the team is free to focus on their ambitious plan to double revenues by 2015. Domestically, the plan calls for Brasil Foods to maintain its allowed View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

12 Jun 2006
Research & Ideas

The Promise of Channel Stewardship

trade off the risks of alienating a loyal franchised retail channel against the benefits of accessing new customers? The problem is exacerbated when the new channel is a low-cost alternative such as the Internet. Such issues are perennial... View Details

Keywords: by V. Kasturi Rangan & Marie Bell; Consumer Products

13 Dec 2016
First Look

December 13, 2016

Harvard Business School Case 217-016 Financial Services at Falabella (A) In 2010, the board and senior management team of Falabella, a leading retailer with operations throughout Latin America, faced choices about what to do with its... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

30 Jul 2013
First Look

First Look: July 30

listed company and the largest telecom provider in New Zealand, was being divided into two publicly traded companies, Chorus, a telecom infrastructure company, and new Telecom, a telecom retail services provider. In connection with this... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

January 2016 (Revised February 2016)
Course Overview Note

The Sustainable Core: Operations Management

By: Michael W. Toffel and L. Beril Toktay

This note is designed to help faculty embed environmental sustainability content into their core Operations Management course at the MBA or undergraduate level. It can also be used to identify cases with environmental content that can be used in operations electives... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Management; Operations Management; Sustainable Operations; Environmental Regulation; Operations; Supply Chain; Supply Chain Management; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Construction Industry; Forest Products Industry; Retail Industry