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- All HBS Web
(2,384)
- People (7)
- News (235)
- Research (1,906)
- Events (1)
- Multimedia (5)
- Faculty Publications (1,549)
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- 2007
- Other Unpublished Work
Effects of Inventory on Demand for Rentals in the Home Video Market
By: Ioannis Ioannou, Julie Mortimer and Richard Mortimer
Retailer inventory decisions can greatly influence observed demand for a product by affecting, among other things, product availability (stock-outs) and product visibility in the store. These inventory decisions are affected by numerous factors including vertical... View Details
- August 2019
- Case
Walmart's Omnichannel Strategy: Revolution or Miscalculation?
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman
This case describes Walmart's omnichannel strategy in 2018 as it battled Amazon for online retail market share. The case discusses Walmart's early forays into online retail, as well as its 2018 strategy, which aimed to integrate Walmart's enormous brick and mortar... View Details
Keywords: Acquisition; Strategy; Internet and the Web; Distribution; Distribution Channels; Competition; Retail Industry; Bentonville; Arkansas; New Jersey; Seattle; United States
Casadesus-Masanell, Ramon, and Karen Elterman. "Walmart's Omnichannel Strategy: Revolution or Miscalculation?" Harvard Business School Case 720-370, August 2019.
- May 2003 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Marks & Spencer: The Phoenix Rises
By: Joseph L. Bower
The great U.K. retailer fell on hard times in 1998. In 2001, a new CEO was recruited who appears to have succeeded in turning around this world-renown company. This case examines the steps he took (strategic, structural, and recruiting key people) and highlights a... View Details
Keywords: Global Strategy; Recruitment; Leadership Development; Crisis Management; Supply and Industry; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Segmentation; Retail Industry
Bower, Joseph L. "Marks & Spencer: The Phoenix Rises." Harvard Business School Case 303-096, May 2003. (Revised November 2005.)
- November 1990 (Revised September 1991)
- Case
First Chicago Corp.: Corporate Strategy
Lays out the business challenges facing First Chicago Corp. in 1986: the banking industry has been deregulated, many corporations are bypassing banks in their search for capital, and foreign competition has increased. Their traditional market--corporate banking--has... View Details
Keywords: Restructuring; Investment Banking; Corporate Strategy; Emerging Markets; Commercial Banking; Banking Industry; United States
Friedman, Raymond A. "First Chicago Corp.: Corporate Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 491-056, November 1990. (Revised September 1991.)
- September 2010
- Case
New Heritage Doll Company
By: Timothy A. Luehrman and Heide Abelli
A manufacturer and retailer of specialty doll products must decide which of two projects to fund. The decision requires the student to compute cash flows for the 2 projects, discount values to the present and compare and contrast different project performance measures. View Details
Keywords: Forecasting; Resource Management; Resource Allocation; Forecasting and Prediction; Capital Budgeting; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry
Luehrman, Timothy A., and Heide Abelli. "New Heritage Doll Company." Harvard Business School Brief Case 104-212, September 2010.
- 2010
- Book
The New Science of Retailing: How Analytics Are Transforming the Supply Chain and Improving Performance
By: Marshall Fisher and Ananth Raman
Retailers today are drowning in data but lacking in insight: They have huge volumes of information at their disposal. But they're unsure of how to sort through it and use it to make smart decisions. The result? They're struggling with profit-sapping supply chain... View Details
Keywords: Profit; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Logistics; Supply Chain Management; Mathematical Methods; Retail Industry
Fisher, Marshall, and Ananth Raman. The New Science of Retailing: How Analytics Are Transforming the Supply Chain and Improving Performance. Harvard Business Press, 2010.
- April 1993 (Revised January 2011)
- Background Note
Note on Store Location
By: David E. Bell and Jose B. Alvarez
Reviews some basic issues to be considered in selecting a new location for a retail store. View Details
Bell, David E., and Jose B. Alvarez. "Note on Store Location." Harvard Business School Background Note 593-112, April 1993. (Revised January 2011.)
- November 2017
- Case
Loss Prevention at Mac's Convenience Stores (A)
By: Francesca Gino, Katherine DeCelles and Olivia Hull
Faced with a persistent robbery problem at his convenience store company, Sean Sportun, security and loss prevention manager at Mac’s of Central Canada, looked to standardize safety measures and devise a new way of preventing employee injury. But as a 32-year old with... View Details
Keywords: Public Relations; Community Relations; Change Management; Working Conditions; Leading Change; Training; Knowledge Dissemination; Crime and Corruption; Law Enforcement; Legal Liability; Business and Community Relations; Retail Industry; Canada
Gino, Francesca, Katherine DeCelles, and Olivia Hull. "Loss Prevention at Mac's Convenience Stores (A)." Harvard Business School Case 918-001, November 2017.
- February 2007 (Revised March 2012)
- Compilation
John D. Rockefeller and the Creation of Standard Oil
By: Nancy F. Koehn and Katherine Miller
Reconstructs the entrepreneurial journey of John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil and one of the most famous business figures in history. Traces his early career as a retailer in Cleveland through his decision to enter the oil industry in the early 1860s to his... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Business History; Innovation and Invention; Growth and Development Strategy; Personal Development and Career; Competitive Strategy; Energy Industry
Koehn, Nancy F., and Katherine Miller. "John D. Rockefeller and the Creation of Standard Oil." Harvard Business School Compilation 807-110, February 2007. (Revised March 2012.)
- August 2014 (Revised October 2014)
- Case
Beyoncé
By: Anita Elberse and Stacie Smith
In December 2013, music superstar Beyoncé is about to surprise her fans with the release of her self-titled album. The team at her company Parkwood Entertainment, which general manager Lee Anne Callahan-Longo described as "a management, music, and production company... View Details
Keywords: Marketing; Beyoncé; Internet and the Web; Music Entertainment; Distribution Channels; Product Launch; Music Industry
Elberse, Anita, and Stacie Smith. "Beyoncé." Harvard Business School Case 515-036, August 2014. (Revised October 2014.)
- February 2003 (Revised December 2006)
- Case
Toys "R" Us (A)
By: Michael G. Rukstad, Dennis A. Yao and Cate Reavis
In 1992, Toys "R" Us, the pioneer of the "category killer" retail format, faced significant competitive threats from mass discounters and warehouse clubs and was losing market share. This case explores the dynamic sustainability of Toys "R" Us's retailing model, its... View Details
Keywords: Risk Management; Competition; Supply and Industry; Power and Influence; Retail Industry; United States
Rukstad, Michael G., Dennis A. Yao, and Cate Reavis. Toys "R" Us (A). Harvard Business School Case 703-445, February 2003. (Revised December 2006.)
- October 2005
- Case
Kinko's
Over the decades, Kinko's had forged a deep emotional bond with consumers by easing their anxiety and helping them solve pressing document processing problems. By 2003, however, consumer research revealed that a confusing retail experience had eroded some of this good... View Details
- February 22, 2023
- Article
How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World
By: Ayelet Israeli, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Matt Higgins
Early direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies relied on plentiful capital and low-cost digital marketing to power growth. But as this sector has matured, capital is more constrained, social media is more cluttered, and customer acquisition costs are rising. DTC companies... View Details
Keywords: Online Business; Ecommerce; E-commerce; E-Commerce Strategy; Omnichannel Retail; Omnichannel Retailing; Influencer Marketing; Consumer; Organic Growth; Video Advertising; Promotion; Celebrities; Online Advertising; Online Channel; Online Communities; Online Community; Go To Market Strategy; Platform; Media; Media Content; Digital; Digital Culture; Digital Influencers; Direct To Consumer Marketing; Direct-to-consumer; Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Sales; Digital Platforms; Digital Marketing; Digital Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Internet and the Web; Advertising; Business Model; Growth Management; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Marketing Channels; Marketing Communications; Communication Strategy; Innovation Strategy; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States; North America
Israeli, Ayelet, Leonard A. Schlesinger, and Matt Higgins. "How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 22, 2023).
- June 2023
- Case
Tractor Supply Co
By: David L. Ager and Michael A. Roberto
In February 2023, Hal Lawton, CEO of Tractor Supply Co, the largest farm and ranch retailer in the United States reflected on the company’s 70% growth between 2019 and 2022. Economists had begun to predict an economic downturn and experts were predicting softening... View Details
Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Demand and Consumers; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Retail Industry
Ager, David L., and Michael A. Roberto. "Tractor Supply Co." Harvard Business School Case 923-302, June 2023.
- May 2009
- Case
Ceres Gardening Company: Funding Growth in Organic Products
By: John H. McArthur and Sunru Yong
Ceres is a leading player in the growing organic gardening industry, selling seeds, small plants, and related items. Their distribution depends heavily on retail sales through independent nurseries and garden centers. Because these small dealers are unable to finance... View Details
Keywords: Accounting Procedures; Marketing; Business Growth; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Marketing Strategy; Expansion; Business Growth and Maturation; Marketing Channels; Credit; Financial Statements; Sales; Retail Industry; Retail Industry
McArthur, John H., and Sunru Yong. "Ceres Gardening Company: Funding Growth in Organic Products." Harvard Business School Brief Case 094-017, May 2009.
- April 2021 (Revised January 2022)
- Supplement
SA Taxi: A Vehicle for Empowerment? (B)
By: Nien-he Hsieh, Dilyana Karadzhova Botha and F. Christopher Eaglin
SA Taxi was a vertically integrated business that operated in South Africa’s distinctive taxi industry. Despite being plagued by violence, informal structures, unsafe road practices and lack of government support, the taxi industry had grown to become South Africa’s... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Ownership; Ownership Stake; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Equality and Inequality; Race; Situation or Environment; Transportation Industry; South Africa; Africa
Hsieh, Nien-he, Dilyana Karadzhova Botha, and F. Christopher Eaglin. "SA Taxi: A Vehicle for Empowerment? (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 321-141, April 2021. (Revised January 2022.)
- December 2003 (Revised April 2004)
- Case
Blockbuster Inc. & Technological Substitution (B): Confronting New Digital Formats
Investigates how the rise of digital video formats threatens to make videocassette technology obsolete; how this technological substitution might alter the economics and structure of the video rental and retail industries; and how Blockbuster Inc., the industry leader,... View Details
Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Decisions; Technological Innovation; Competition; Change Management; Service Industry; Service Industry
Coughlan, Peter J., and Jenny Illes. "Blockbuster Inc. & Technological Substitution (B): Confronting New Digital Formats." Harvard Business School Case 704-407, December 2003. (Revised April 2004.)
- May 2011
- Case
The Morrison Company
By: Steven C. Wheelwright and Paul Meyers
The Morrison Company develops and manufactures radio frequency identification tags (RFID) known as smart labels for the retail and pharmaceutical industries. RFID technology is a fast-growing and increasingly competitive industry. Sales have risen dramatically over the... View Details
Keywords: Quantitative Analysis; Technology; Operations Management; Product Lines; Manufacturing; Capacity Planning; Production Planning; Information Technology; Strategy; Production; Organizational Structure; Infrastructure; Product Development; Information Infrastructure; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry
Wheelwright, Steven C., and Paul Meyers. "The Morrison Company." Harvard Business School Brief Case 114-564, May 2011.
- December 2017 (Revised May 2018)
- Case
Amazon Buys Whole Foods
By: José B. Alvarez, David Lane and Joni Coughlin
The June 2017 news that e-commerce giant Amazon was paying $13.7 billion for organic supermarket chain Whole Foods precipitated a broad sell-off in the shares of grocery retailers and suppliers. Behind the precipitous declines lay recognition that Amazon’s bold move... View Details
Keywords: Amazon; Whole Foods; Grocery; Grocery Delivery; Mergers & Acquisitions; Business Models; Food Value Chain; Agribusiness; Mergers and Acquisitions; Operations; Competitive Strategy; E-commerce; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Retail Industry; Web Services Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States
Alvarez, José B., David Lane, and Joni Coughlin. "Amazon Buys Whole Foods." Harvard Business School Case 518-056, December 2017. (Revised May 2018.)
- August 2010 (Revised November 2010)
- Case
Tesco PLC: Fresh & Easy in the United States
By: John A. Quelch
Tesco, the world's third largest retailer, is facing problems with its launch of a new retail chain in the U.S. View Details
Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Marketing; Market Entry and Exit; Retail Industry; United Kingdom; United States
Quelch, John A. "Tesco PLC: Fresh & Easy in the United States." Harvard Business School Case 511-009, August 2010. (Revised November 2010.)