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- August 2014 (Revised December 2015)
- Case
Showrooming at Best Buy
By: Thales Teixeira and Elizabeth Anne Watkins
Best Buy is a consumer electronics retailer with nearly 2,000 stores worldwide. In 2012, the rising popularity of price-matching apps for mobile phones made price differences between retailers transparent, online and offline. Shoppers' desire to test electronics... View Details
Keywords: Competition; Price; Consumer Behavior; Applications and Software; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry
Teixeira, Thales, and Elizabeth Anne Watkins. "Showrooming at Best Buy." Harvard Business School Case 515-019, August 2014. (Revised December 2015.)
- December 2009
- Case
Philips versus Matsushita: The Competitive Battle Continues
Describes the development of the global strategies and organizations of two major competitors in the consumer electronics industry. Over four decades, both companies adapt their strategic intent and organizational capability to match and counter the competitive... View Details
Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Organizational Culture; Multinational Firms and Management; Restructuring; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry
Bartlett, Christopher A. "Philips versus Matsushita: The Competitive Battle Continues." Harvard Business School Case 910-410, December 2009.
- August 2012 (Revised August 2013)
- Background Note
Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging
By: Willy Shih
Some technology transitions are exceedingly difficult for incumbent firms to execute. The bankruptcy filing by the Eastman Kodak Company highlighted the difficulty companies faced when their core business transitioned from an analog to a digital world. Kodak's business... View Details
Keywords: Technology Transitions; Competency-destroying; Digital; Analog; Digital Transition; Modular; Modularity; Technological Change; Radical Innovation; Incremental Innovation; Architectural Innovation; Modular Innovation; Sustaining Innovation; Competency-enhancing; Noise Propagation; Perfect Copying; Digital Music; Digital Media; Consumer Electronics; Kodak; Sony; Panasonic; Disruptive Innovation; Technology Adoption; Transition; Change Management; Consumer Products Industry; United States
Shih, Willy. "Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging." Harvard Business School Background Note 613-024, August 2012. (Revised August 2013.)
- August 2005 (Revised October 2007)
- Case
Best Buy Co.,Inc.: Competing on the Edge
By: John R. Wells and Travis Haglock
While Circuit City struggles, Best Buy has overtaken it to become the premier consumer electronics retailer in the United States. What has driven its success? How can it be sustained? View Details
Wells, John R., and Travis Haglock. "Best Buy Co.,Inc.: Competing on the Edge." Harvard Business School Case 706-417, August 2005. (Revised October 2007.)
- March 2014 (Revised March 2015)
- Case
Samsung Electronics: TV in an Era of Convergence
By: Karim R. Lakhani, Marco Iansiti and Kerry Herman
From the late 1990s to 2006/2007, Samsung Electronics moved from one of 170 TV manufacturers to gain dominant TV market share year over year from 2007-2013. As digital technologies increasingly converged in 2013-2014, the industry faced new questions: What was the... View Details
Keywords: Digital Innovation; Technology; Technology Management; Digital Convergence; Digital Technology; Innovation; Korea; Samsung; Television; Technological Innovation; Information Technology; Innovation and Invention; Innovation Leadership; Innovation and Management; Product Development; Product Design; Electronics Industry; Korean Peninsula; Asia
Lakhani, Karim R., Marco Iansiti, and Kerry Herman. "Samsung Electronics: TV in an Era of Convergence." Harvard Business School Case 614-034, March 2014. (Revised March 2015.)
- April 2011
- Case
Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales
By: John A. Deighton and Sarah Abbott
The sales representatives at Designs by Kate (DBK) sell private label jewelry at hosted parties and through online social media channels. They are also responsible for recruiting, training, and managing new sales reps. CEO and founder Kate Creevey designed the... View Details
Keywords: Direct Sales; Consumer Marketing; Marketing Management; Personal Selling; Sales Compensation; Sales Organization; Motivation and Incentives; Marketing Strategy; Salesforce Management; Performance; Compensation and Benefits; Apparel and Accessories Industry
Deighton, John A., and Sarah Abbott. "Designs by Kate: The Power of Direct Sales." Harvard Business School Brief Case 114-284, April 2011.
- August 2007 (Revised February 2008)
- Case
Gome Electronics: Evolving the Business Model
By: Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Gao Wang, Fei Li, Tracy Manty and Waishun Lo
After 20 years of expansion, Gome Electronics has become China's largest consumer electronics retailer. It has opened stores in almost every province in China, acquired some of its competitors, and went public in Hong Kong. However, it has begun to experience a... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Distribution Channels; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Technology; Industry Growth; Marketing Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Product; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; China
Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Gao Wang, Fei Li, Tracy Manty, and Waishun Lo. "Gome Electronics: Evolving the Business Model." Harvard Business School Case 308-026, August 2007. (Revised February 2008.)
- April 1996 (Revised April 2004)
- Case
Virtual Vineyards
By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Alvin J. Silk, Lisa Klein Pearo and Thomas A. Gerace
Virtual Vineyards markets wine from small California vineyards directly to consumers through its site on the World Wide Web. It also facilitates fulfillment of customer orders. The case focuses on the ways in which Virtual Vineyards provides value to end consumers... View Details
Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Technological Innovation; Management; Service Operations; Internet and the Web
Rayport, Jeffrey F., Alvin J. Silk, Lisa Klein Pearo, and Thomas A. Gerace. "Virtual Vineyards." Harvard Business School Case 396-264, April 1996. (Revised April 2004.)
- February 2004
- Case
Bradman and Tendulkar, LLC
By: Ananth Raman and Vishal Gaur
An investment firm is trying to project inventory turns for Radio Shack, a chain of consumer electronics stores. The investment firm has access to public financial data but not to internal operational metrics. It needs to project inventory turns because inventory... View Details
- June 2017 (Revised May 2019)
- Supplement
Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (B)
By: Doug J. Chung
Kjell & Company was a Swedish retail electronics chain founded in 1988 by brothers Marcus, Mikael and Fredrik Dahnelius. The company operated 84 stores, all company-owned, located mainly in the metropolitan areas of Sweden’s most popular cities: Stockholm, Gothemburg... View Details
Keywords: Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Change Management; Behavior; Electronics Industry; Sweden
Chung, Doug J. "Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 517-133, June 2017. (Revised May 2019.)
- November 2012 (Revised April 2013)
- Case
Konys, Inc.
By: Deishin Lee and Tunay I. Tunca
This case describes the sourcing policy for a consumer electronics company. The company must decide how to structure contracts with their supplier—using a purchase contract, an option contract, or combination of the two. The company can also buy from the spot market.... View Details
Keywords: Option Contract; Uncertainty; Sourcing; Supplier Relationship; Risk and Uncertainty; Contracts; Supply Chain; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry
Lee, Deishin, and Tunay I. Tunca. "Konys, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 613-065, November 2012. (Revised April 2013.)
- December 2017 (Revised March 2019)
- Case
Armarium: Luxury Fashion Brands for Rent
By: Jill Avery, David Fubini, Natasha Dossa and Devon Stewart
Armarium, a two-sided online platform that offered consumers the opportunity to rent the most coveted, current season high fashion clothing and accessories from the top global luxury brands, had emerged from its first sales season with two distinct customer segments:... View Details
Keywords: Brand Management; Retailing; Sharing Economy; Luxury Brand; Ecommerce; Startup; Fashion; Brand Positioning; Customer Acquisition; Internet Marketing; Marketing; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Business Startups; Luxury; Consumer Behavior; Growth and Development Strategy; Social Media; E-commerce; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States; North America
Avery, Jill, David Fubini, Natasha Dossa, and Devon Stewart. "Armarium: Luxury Fashion Brands for Rent." Harvard Business School Case 518-047, December 2017. (Revised March 2019.)
- September 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Angels and Devils: Best Buy's New Customer Approach (A)
In November 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported that consumer electronics retailer Best Buy's new customer approach was to shun the "devils" among its customers. The "customer centricity" initiative, which was led by Best Buy's CEO Brad Anderson, was based on an... View Details
Keywords: History; Customer Relationship Management; Opportunities; Marketing Strategy; Leadership Style; Problems and Challenges; Growth and Development Strategy; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry
Elberse, Anita, John T. Gourville, and Das Narayandas. "Angels and Devils: Best Buy's New Customer Approach (A)." Harvard Business School Case 506-007, September 2005. (Revised February 2007.)
- October 2024
- Background Note
The Semiconductor Industry
By: Andy Wu, Steve Blank and Matt Higgins
The semiconductor industry powers modern technology, from consumer electronics to data centers. This background note explores the layers of the semiconductor inudstry value chain, including Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), fabless companies, and foundries, while... View Details
- 04 May 2021
- Book
Best Buy: How Human Connection Saved a Failing Retailer
we were colleagues, yes, but we were also human beings, and most of us were aligned on this idea of doing something good in the world. So we said, ‘Let’s use Best Buy as a platform for that.’” Instead of seeing the company as a consumer... View Details
- March 17, 2021
- Other Article
Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper
By: Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza and Laura Castrillo
A first look at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted e-commerce apparel shopping in the US and the UK. Extensive analysis and interactive graphics utilizing millions of transactions.
While the pandemic is still playing out, our preliminary investigations... View Details
While the pandemic is still playing out, our preliminary investigations... View Details
Keywords: Retail; Retail Analytics; Consumer; Pandemic; COVID; COVID-19; Apparel; Ecommerce; Online Shopping; Online Apparel; Online Sales; Returns; CRM; Customer Retention; Customer Experience; Customer Value; Digital; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customers; Health Pandemics; Consumer Behavior; Customer Relationship Management; Internet and the Web; Behavior; E-commerce; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States; United Kingdom
Israeli, Ayelet, Eva Ascarza, and Laura Castrillo. "Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (March 17, 2021).
- May 2014
- Supplement
RCA: Color Television and the Department of Justice (B)
By: Willy C. Shih and Gregory Dieterich
This case is a supplement to 614-072, which examines the early history of the color television receiver market, and the global consequences of an historic 1958 consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice that opened RCA's patents to licensing by domestic... View Details
Keywords: Intellectual Property; Patents; Rights; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Business History; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States; Japan
Shih, Willy C., and Gregory Dieterich. "RCA: Color Television and the Department of Justice (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 614-073, May 2014.
- May 2014 (Revised July 2016)
- Case
RCA: Color Television and the Department of Justice (A)
By: Willy C. Shih and Gregory Dieterich
This case examines the early history of the color television receiver market and the global consequences of an historic 1958 consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice that opened RCA's patents to licensing by domestic competitors royalty-free. This externality... View Details
Keywords: Intellectual Property; Patents; Rights; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Business History; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States; Japan
Shih, Willy C., and Gregory Dieterich. "RCA: Color Television and the Department of Justice (A)." Harvard Business School Case 614-072, May 2014. (Revised July 2016.)
- November 1990 (Revised September 2004)
- Case
Circuit City Stores, Inc. (A)
By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Susan Harmeling
Circuit City sells consumer electronic equipment, appliances, and extended service and warranty contracts which supplement those provided by equipment manufacturers. Equipment is sold at low margins, while warranties carry very high margins. A question has been raised... View Details
Keywords: Sales; Cost; Profit; Financial Statements; Revenue; Marketing Strategy; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry
Bruns, William J., Jr., and Susan Harmeling. "Circuit City Stores, Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 191-086, November 1990. (Revised September 2004.)
- April 2013
- Teaching Note
Konys, Inc. (TN)
By: Deishin Lee and Tunay Tunca
This case describes the sourcing policy for a consumer electronics company. The company must decide how to structure contracts with their supplier—using a purchase contract, an option contract, or combination of the two. The company can also buy from the spot market.... View Details