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- All HBS Web
(2,382)
- People (7)
- News (235)
- Research (1,907)
- Events (1)
- Multimedia (5)
- Faculty Publications (1,547)
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- 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).
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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
- July 2012 (Revised July 2015)
- Case
Nalli Silk Sarees (A)
By: V.G. Narayanan, Namrata Arora and Vidhya Muthuram
Nalli Silk Sarees Private Limited was a family owned and operated business that retailed Indian ethnic wear. This 83-year-old company had enjoyed impressive growth with a $95 million turnover, a 22-store retail footprint, and had outdone its competitors by being the... View Details
Keywords: Pricing Strategy; Price; Strategy; Family Business; Growth and Development; Brands and Branding; Growth and Development Strategy; Expansion; Competitive Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; India
Narayanan, V.G., Namrata Arora, and Vidhya Muthuram. "Nalli Silk Sarees (A)." Harvard Business School Case 113-004, July 2012. (Revised July 2015.)
- 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.)
- November 2018 (Revised December 2018)
- Case
CalSTRS Takes on Gun Violence
By: Vikram S Gandhi and Caitlin Reimers
In Spring of 2018, Chris Ailman, CIO of the $200 billion pension plan for California public school teachers (CalSTRS) was mandated by his board to “prioritize engagement with makers and retailers of firearms in California” following a series of gun-related tragedies in... View Details
Keywords: Pension Funds; Pension Plan; Asset Allocation; Screening; ESG; Gun Violence; Business and Government Relations; Values and Beliefs; Education Industry; California; United States
Gandhi, Vikram S., and Caitlin Reimers. "CalSTRS Takes on Gun Violence." Harvard Business School Case 819-079, November 2018. (Revised December 2018.)
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- October 2022
- Case
Cost Plus Drugs
By: Alexander MacKay and James Barnett
In September 2022, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company CEO Alex Oshmyansky considered the future of the company. Cost Plus Drugs was a retailer for more than 340 generic oral medications, selling their drugs at significantly lower prices than typical pharmacies.... View Details
Keywords: Business Ventures; Decision Making; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Health; Markets; Social Enterprise; Society; Strategy; Health Care and Treatment; Business Divisions; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Health Industry; Health Industry; United States; Texas
MacKay, Alexander, and James Barnett. "Cost Plus Drugs." Harvard Business School Case 723-362, October 2022.
- 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.
- July 1996
- Case
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.--1990
By: Nancy F. Koehn and Michael Dearing
Howard Lester, chairman and CEO, has just completed a second offering of common stock in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. ($218.2 million 1989 sales). Having targeted $500 million in retail sales, Lester's challenge is to: 1) prioritize growth investments in five existing catalog... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Alignment; Customer Value and Value Chain; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry
Koehn, Nancy F., and Michael Dearing. "Williams-Sonoma, Inc.--1990." Harvard Business School Case 797-019, July 1996.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- August 2019 (Revised August 2020)
- Case
Magrabi: Fulfilling the Vision for the Future
By: John Beshears, Alpana Thapar and Boris Tsimerinov
In 2018, Magrabi was the leading retailer of eyeglasses, sunglasses, and other optical products in the Middle East, and it was embarking on a major shift in strategy, transitioning from a brand focused on clinical expertise to a brand that combined technical excellence... View Details
Keywords: Brands and Branding; Transition; Luxury; Sales; Service Delivery; Strategy; Employees; Recruitment; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Middle East
Beshears, John, Alpana Thapar, and Boris Tsimerinov. "Magrabi: Fulfilling the Vision for the Future." Harvard Business School Case 920-009, August 2019. (Revised August 2020.)
- 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.)