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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(3,917)
- People (16)
- News (908)
- Research (2,470)
- Events (27)
- Multimedia (47)
- Faculty Publications (1,849)
- October 2009 (Revised June 2011)
- Case
Zappos.com 2009: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture
By: Frances X. Frei, Robin J. Ely and Laura Winig
On July 17, 2009, Zappos.com, a privately held online retailer of shoes, clothing, and other soft line retail categories, learned that Amazon.com, a $19 billion multinational online retailer, had won its board of directors' approval to offer to merge the two companies.... View Details
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decision Choices and Conditions; Governing and Advisory Boards; Service Delivery; Organizational Culture; Internet and the Web; Valuation; Retail Industry; Retail Industry
Frei, Frances X., Robin J. Ely, and Laura Winig. "Zappos.com 2009: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture." Harvard Business School Case 610-015, October 2009. (Revised June 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.)
- June 1995
- Case
Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution System
By: Janice H. Hammond and Afroze A Mohammed
Describes distribution operations in Polaroid Europe. In the late 1980s, Polaroid senior management in the United States proposed moving from a system of 12 decentralized warehouses to a centralized distribution system in which all inventory for European retailers... View Details
Keywords: Distribution; Operations; Risk Management; Distribution Channels; Logistics; Transition; Strategy; Problems and Challenges; Industry Structures; Consumer Products Industry; Europe; European Union; United States
Hammond, Janice H., and Afroze A Mohammed. "Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution System." Harvard Business School Case 695-038, June 1995.
- 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.)
- 2010
- Case
New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting: Brief Case No. 4212.
By: Timothy A. Luehrman and Heide Diener 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
- March 2002 (Revised October 2005)
- Case
Wal-Mart in 2002
By: David B. Yoffie and Yusi Wang
In its first quarter of 2002, Wal-Mart became the largest company on the globe (by sales) and expanded into Japan. Was the giant retailer unstoppable? This case explores Wal-Mart's top issues in fueling top- and bottom-line growth: diversification into groceries, new... View Details
Keywords: Diversification; Expansion; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Global Strategy; Retail Industry; Japan; United States
Yoffie, David B., and Yusi Wang. "Wal-Mart in 2002." Harvard Business School Case 702-466, March 2002. (Revised October 2005.)
- 20 Aug 2013
- News
What went wrong at JC Penney?
- September 2009 (Revised May 2011)
- Case
Sniffing Out Opportunities at PetSmart
By: V.G. Narayanan and Lisa Brem
The pet and pet supply industry was one of the few bright lights in an otherwise dismal retail outlook in 2009. This case gives background pet retail industry information and strategic positioning information for both PetSmart and PETCO to enable students to develop... View Details
Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry
Narayanan, V.G., and Lisa Brem. "Sniffing Out Opportunities at PetSmart." Harvard Business School Case 110-025, September 2009. (Revised May 2011.)
- Career Coach
Rachel Oh
Rachel brings a wealth of experience from the retail and consumer product goods (CPG) industry, with a specialized focus in marketing. She navigated MBA internship recruiting in both CPG/retail marketing and entertainment spaces, making... View Details
- 24 Feb 2014
- Research & Ideas
Busting Six Myths About Customer Loyalty Programs
There are three ways to differentiate in retailing: location, location, and location. The problem is that as markets mature, location becomes less potent as a competitive advantage because the consumer has a growing abundance of convenient choices. That's one reason... View Details
- 09 Dec 2015
- Research Event
How Do You Predict Demand and Set Prices For Products Never Sold Before?
How can a retailer use its own data to determine what to charge for products it has never sold before? That’s a question Kris Ferreira considered during a presentation at Future Assembly, an event at Harvard Business School where business... View Details
- 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.)
- July 2005 (Revised January 2009)
- Case
Paper and More (A)
Provides a context and exercise for introducing retail inventory management, including cost optimization, service-level criteria, and forecasting in single and multiproduct settings. The owner of a single-location paper and paper products store considers the... View Details
Keywords: Cost Management; Measurement and Metrics; Logistics; Sales; Expansion; Retail Industry; Retail Industry
Watson, Noel H. "Paper and More (A)." Harvard Business School Case 606-023, July 2005. (Revised January 2009.)
- 13 Apr 2007
- Working Paper Summaries
Incorporating Price and Inventory Endogeneity in Firm-Level Sales Forecasting
- April 2005
- Case
Handleman Company
By: Janice H. Hammond and Kevin Dolan
Describes the organization and operations of the Handleman Co., an intermediary in the music industry that buys recorded music and resells it to mass retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company provides distribution, inventory management, retail merchandising, and category... View Details
Keywords: Business Organization; Music Entertainment; Cost Management; Growth and Development; Business or Company Management; Distribution Channels; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Online Technology; Value Creation; Music Industry
Hammond, Janice H., and Kevin Dolan. "Handleman Company." Harvard Business School Case 605-024, April 2005.
- November 2016 (Revised February 2017)
- Case
CVS Health: Redefining the Value Proposition
By: Michael E. Porter, Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo and Alexandra Houghtalin
This case explores how a company can use shared value as a lens to think about competition and strategy choices in a challenging and evolving industry. The case takes a historical look at the structure of the retail pharmacy industry and the changing nature of rivalry... View Details
Keywords: Shared Value; Pharmacy; Health Care; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States
Porter, Michael E., Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo, and Alexandra Houghtalin. "CVS Health: Redefining the Value Proposition." Harvard Business School Case 717-436, November 2016. (Revised February 2017.)
- September 1996 (Revised October 1996)
- Case
Clarkson Lumber Company
By: Thomas R. Piper
The owner of a rapidly growing retail lumber company is considering the financial implications of continued rapid growth. The magnitude of the company's future financing requirements must be assessed in the context of the company's access to bank finance and/or equity... View Details
Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Financial Reporting; Forecasting and Prediction; Business Strategy; Financial Strategy; Commercial Banking; Borrowing and Debt; Equity; Corporate Finance
Piper, Thomas R. "Clarkson Lumber Company." Harvard Business School Case 297-028, September 1996. (Revised October 1996.)
- September 1983 (Revised December 1985)
- Case
Dunkin' Donuts (C): Growth Strategy
By: Hirotaka Takeuchi
Dunkin' Donuts franchises and operates retail donut shops for take-home and in-shop consumption. Looks at three growth alternatives: 1) More shops (owned or franchised); 2) A broader product line; and 3) More advertising. Raises important issues related to franchise... View Details
Keywords: Advertising; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Brands and Branding; Logistics; Franchise Ownership; Relationships; Retail Industry; Retail Industry
Takeuchi, Hirotaka. "Dunkin' Donuts (C): Growth Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 584-041, September 1983. (Revised December 1985.)
The Store Is Dead—Long Live the Store.
In this article, we pursue two interconnected themes: the expansion of online-first retailers into offline stores that serve the purpose of “supercharging” customer value, and the transformation of the stores... View Details