Publications

17 Dec 2008
Lessons from the Classroom

‘Ted Levitt Changed My Life’

both ways. Peter Levitt, a lawyer in Boston, says that his father often fine-tuned discussion points while eating breakfast at a diner on Western Avenue. After a big meal, Levitt père would skip lunch: "Dad enjoyed food so much that... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Retail; Retail

January 2017
Case

Danaher Corporation, 2007–2017

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

On July 2, 2016, Danaher Corporation completed the spinoff of Fortive Corporation. The previous day, Danaher’s stock price had reached an all-time high. In 2015, Danaher had decided to split off its test and measurement, fuel and fleet management, and automation... View Details

September 2013
Teaching Note

Trader Joe's

By: David L. Ager and Michael A. Roberto

Based on a variety of metrics, Trader Joe's ranked as one of the most successful grocers in the United States in 2013. Experts estimated that the company had the highest sales per square foot of any major grocery chain, even significantly higher than top performer... View Details

Keywords: Comparative Advantage; Core Competencies; Growth Strategy; Strategic Positioning; Industry Analysis; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States

Web

Harvard Business School

Accenture). He became a partner in 1976, specializing in the development of financial control and operating systems in retail and banking industries. In 1985, Gates began to develop commercial and residential real estate. His first... View Details

30 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

The Upside of Highlighting a Product's Downsides

customers more control and set their brands apart. The online apparel retailer Everlane provides detailed descriptions about the factories that produce its clothing. And Lemonade has upended traditional insurance by taking a set portion... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

Steven A. Burd

store chains in California, Illinois, Alaska and Texas. The improved, larger Safeway is now the third largest retail food chain in terms of sales, with revenues of $28.9 billion, and has earned Burd... View Details

Keywords: Retail

01 Mar 2015
News

Fıelds of Gold

expensive foods, retailing at $4,000 or more a pound. Iran is the largest producer of this highly prized spice, which stains food a brilliant golden hue, but David Luo (MBA 2011) believes that Afghanistan... View Details

Keywords: April White; Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry; Agriculture

14 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restarting Under Uncertainty: Managerial Experiences from Around the World

simultaneous increase in demand for home deliveries, which raised the need for operators in stores. The company worked with catering and cooking associations, whose operations were temporarily closed, to share labor. Instead of staying at home, View Details

Keywords: by Raffaella Sadun, Andrea Bertoni, Alexia Delfino, Giovanni Fassio, and Mariapaola Testa

01 Jun 2020
News

Meal Plan

Image by John Ritter In 2019, US restaurants topped $860 billion in revenues; prior to COVID-19, Americans spent more for food away from home than food purchased for at-home consumption, whether it be a... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; restaurants; COVID-19; pandemic; recovery; Food Services and Drinking Places; Food Services and Drinking Places; Food Services and Drinking Places; Food Services and Drinking Places

Jeno F. Paulucci

Pizza into one of the largest frozen food operations in the United States; he sold it to Pillsbury in 1986. Jeno’s Pizza was Paulucci’s second success in the grocery retail trade business. Years earlier, he... View Details

Keywords: Food & Tobacco

Profile

Kim Chen

Why was earning your MBA at HBS important to you? I sought to expand the way I think about my career and business and the context in which both operate. I knew HBS would help me do so by exposing me to a diverse set of classmates, topics, and sides of many important... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Retail

John P. Mackey

Through a series of acquisitions, Mackey transformed Whole Foods from a small, niche player in the grocery retail business into a major enterprise. In many ways, Mackey and Whole View Details

Keywords: Retail

Profile

Paul Scharfman

In a small, undercapitalized cheese manufacturing operation in rural Wisconsin, Paul Scharfman (AB 1976, MBA 1979) saw the opportunity to develop a variety of specialty cheeses that would appeal to the palates of the growing population of ethnic consumers in the United... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Retail

19 Feb 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

Amazoned: Is Any Industry Safe?

obvious—igniting a revolution in retail—to the more subtle—how Amazon's web development services resulted in more startups receiving VC funding. What will be the next shoe to fall? Can Amazon Do What Walmart Couldn’t, Stop the 'Wheel of Retailing'? Is Amazon's growing... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

30 Jul 2019
News

Turning Around Tesco

The British-based grocery chain Tesco—the third-largest retailer in the world—recently marked its 100th anniversary with a record-setting, 30-hour dance relay in Wembley Stadium. There were other reasons to celebrate, too: The chain is... View Details

Keywords: Tesco; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
Background Note

Leadership and Teaming

By: Ethan Bernstein

Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details

May 2020 (Revised March 2022)
Case

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Global Economy (A)

By: Alberto Cavallo and Christian Godwin

In April 2020, the world struggled to contain the exponential escalation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Dozens of countries had imposed restrictions on travel, work, and social gatherings. A large share of the global population was under lockdowns and... View Details