Publications

May 1998 (Revised May 2001)
Case

Merchandising at Nine West Retail Stores

By: Ananth Raman and Colin S Welch

Describes the merchandising decision process (organization, structure, and incentives) at Nine West retail stores, a large footwear retailer in the United States. Also describes changes currently occurring at Nine West and thus provides a context in which students can... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Situation or Environment; Motivation and Incentives; Decision Making; Change; Budgets and Budgeting; Forecasting and Prediction; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

March 1998 (Revised March 1999)
Case

NIKE, Inc. in the 1990s (C)

By: John A. Quelch

In 1998, Nike's earnings and sales growth slowed. Management faced new competition from Adidas. This case asks students to review the various strategies (including diversification into sports equipment) pursued by Nike to resuscitate corporate growth. View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Competition; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

October 1984 (Revised March 1999)
Case

NIKE (E)

Provides the background for a discussion of Nike (E1), (E2), and (E3). Outlines Nike's senior management group's early program to deal with the company's increasingly difficult competitive circumstance. View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Competition; Situation or Environment; Management Teams; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

19 Sep 2006
First Look

First Look: September 19, 2006

the merino fabric, or should he go the inherently subjective fashion route, given that the technical apparel market in China is virtually nonexistent? Purchase this case:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2025
Teaching Note

Kering Eyewear

By: Rohit Deshpandé and Nicole Zelazko

This teaching note provides comprehensive documentation of how to use the Kering Eyewear case (HBS No. 525-027). View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Conglomerates; Business Subsidiaries; Global Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Product Positioning; Distribution; Product; Luxury; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

March 2021
Supplement

Artea (A), (B), (C), and (D): Designing Targeting Strategies

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

Power Point Supplement to Teaching Note for HBS No. 521-021,521-022,521-037,521-043. This collection of exercises aims to teach students about 1)Targeting Policies; and 2)Algorithmic bias in marketing—implications, causes, and possible solutions. Part (A) focuses on... View Details

Keywords: Targeted Advertising; Targeting; Algorithmic Data; Bias; A/B Testing; Experiment; Advertising; Gender; Race; Diversity; Marketing; Customer Relationship Management; Prejudice and Bias; Analytics and Data Science; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

September 2020 (Revised February 2024)
Teaching Note

Artea (A), (B), (C), and (D): Designing Targeting Strategies

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

Teaching Note for HBS No. 521-021,521-022,521-037,521-043. This collection of exercises aims to teach students about 1)Targeting Policies; and 2)Algorithmic bias in marketing—implications, causes, and possible solutions. Part (A) focuses on A/B testing analysis and... View Details

Keywords: Targeted Advertising; Targeting; Race; Gender; Diversity; Marketing; Customer Relationship Management; Prejudice and Bias; Analytics and Data Science; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

September 2020 (Revised July 2022)
Supplement

Spreadsheet Supplement to "Artea: Designing Targeting Strategies"

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

Spreadsheet Supplement to "Artea: Designing Targeting Strategies" (521-021). View Details

Keywords: Race; Gender; Marketing; Diversity; Customer Relationship Management; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

February 2016 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Chilli Beans: Peace, Love, and Sunglasses

By: José B. Alvarez, Robert Mackalski and Andrew Otazo

This case illustrates how Chilli Beans became the most popular sunglasses retailer in Brazil and the issues it faced when expanding into the United States. View Details

August 1994 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Astra Sports, Inc. (A)

By: John A. Quelch

Astra executives meet to discuss how to counteract the appearance of Korean-made counterfeit athletic shoes in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Strategy; Crime and Corruption; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; North Korea; Latin America; South Korea; Asia; Europe

17 Jul 2014
Panel Discussion

Monitoring the Monitors: How Social Factors Influence Supply Chain Auditors

By: Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel

Read Now

November 2012
Case

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. (Abridged)

By: H. Kent Bowen, Robert S. Huckman, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Matthew Preble

Considers whether New Balance, one of the world's five largest manufacturers of athletic footwear, should respond to Adidas' planned acquisition of Reebok—a transaction that would join the second- and third-largest companies in the industry. Highlights the unique... View Details

Keywords: Production; Competitive Strategy; Supply Chain; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Asia; United States

May 1994 (Revised May 1995)
Case

Laura Ashley (B): Defining a Strategy

By: Richard L. Nolan

A turnaround CEO engineers a business transformation and formulates short-term and long-term strategy after assessing the business situation. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

July 1990 (Revised April 1998)
Supplement

Nordstrom: Dissension in the Ranks? (B)

By: Robert L. Simons and Hilary Weston

Presents a follow-up to the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Rank and Position; Conflict and Resolution; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

15 Sep 2015
First Look

September 15, 2015

pricing decisions on a daily basis. Rue La La is in the online fashion sample sales industry, where they offer extremely limited-time discounts on designer apparel and accessories. One of the retailer's main challenges is pricing and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 1994 (Revised August 1998)
Teaching Note

The King-Size Company TN

By: David E. Bell

Teaching Note for (9-595-013). View Details

Keywords: Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

February 2019 (Revised January 2021)
Case

Quiksilver Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management

By: Kristin Mugford and Mike Harmon

Sports lifestyle company Quiksilver filed for bankruptcy in September 2015. Oaktree is considering an additional investment in the company to facilitate the restructuring. Students must consider whether Oaktree should invest given the risks of the turnaround... View Details

Keywords: Bankruptcy; Bankruptcy Reorganization; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Acquisition; Restructuring; Debt Securities; Transformation; Decision Making; Borrowing and Debt; Investment Return; Crisis Management; Negotiation; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; France; United States