Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,369)
- Faculty Publications (1,096)
- October 1997 (Revised July 1999)
- Case
Best Buy
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Balaji Chakravarthy
Documents the evolution of Best Buy, an electronics retailer, from its founding in 1966 to its very successful "Concept 2" strategy in 1996, boosting its sales ($7.2 billion) past industry #1 Circuit City. Its CEO Richard Schulze offers a new vision (Concept 3) to... View Details
- October 1997 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
C-Car
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell
C-Car was the first automobile retailer in the United States to go public. Subsequently the owner, Mr. Gilliland, must decide how to invest the capital raised from the public ownership. This case describes in detail C-Car's highly profitable strategy of managing its... View Details
- October 1997
- Case
L'Oreal of Paris: Bringing 'Class to Mass' with Plenitude
By: Robert J. Dolan
L'Oreal's strategy is to "trickle down" technology over time from high-end outlets like department stores to mass-markets, such as drugstores. The mass market brand Plenitude has become the market leader in France, but even eight years after introduction in the United... View Details
- October 1997 (Revised January 2008)
- Case
Asda (A)
By: Michael Beer and James Weber
In the mid-1980s, Asda was one of the most successful retail companies in the United Kingdom. By 1991, the chain of 200 grocery stores had a lack of direction, a demoralized workforce, declining profits, rising debt, collapsing stock price, and was facing bankruptcy.... View Details
- October 1997 (Revised May 1998)
- Case
Asda (A1)
By: Michael Beer and James Weber
Supplements the (A) case. View Details
- October 1997 (Revised May 1998)
- Supplement
Asda (B)
By: Michael Beer and James Weber
Describes Archie Norman's efforts over a five-year period to turn around the company by regaining financial control, delivering management, creating experimental projects where individuals felt free to innovate, instituting a back-to-roots strategy that put customers... View Details
- October 1997 (Revised June 1998)
- Case
Woolworths South Africa
By: David B. Yoffie and Anthony St. George
Woolworths South Africa is one of the most successful retail chains in the country, modeled on Marks and Spencer of the United Kingdom. This case focuses on the sources of Woolworth's competitive advantage within South Africa and the challenges of growth in the wake of... View Details
- September 1997 (Revised March 1998)
- Background Note
Automobile Retailing in the U.S.
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell
In the mid-1990s, the U.S. automobile retailing industry is on the brink of profound change. This case traces the drivers of change, the history of the industry, and potential distribution systems of the future. View Details
- May 1997
- Case
CompUSA
By: Krishna G. Palepu and Sarayu Srinivasan
CompUSA was performing poorly until new management reorganized and redirected the business. Consequently, CompUSA became the top retailer in its industry. Management outlines its future plans. View Details
- April 1997
- Teaching Note
Tweeter etc. TN
By: John T. Gourville and George Wu
Teaching Note for (9-597-028). View Details
- March 1997 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
Amazon.com (A)
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, an Internet-based bookseller, has created one of the most successful ventures for electronic commerce on the Web. With revenue growing at a pace of 30% per month, Bezos attributes the success of Amazon.com to its value... View Details
- March 1997 (Revised April 2011)
- Case
Gillette Singapore: Managing Global Business Integration on the Ground (A)
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Thomas Dretler
The general manager of Gillette Singapore faces issues of managing change during the company's global integration with Parker Pen. View Details
- February 1997 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
first direct (A)
Describes the operations and strategy of the world's largest, fastest growing branchless bank. Using a person-to-person interface over conventional phone lines, First Direct provides standard banking and related financial products to nearly 700,000 customers throughout... View Details
- February 1997 (Revised May 1998)
- Case
Tire City, Inc.
By: W. Carl Kester
A small, rapidly growing retail distributor of automotive tires must present a set of forecasted financial statements to a bank in order to obtain a five-year loan. Expected growth rates given in the case and historical financial ratios derived from recent financial... View Details
- January 1997 (Revised June 1997)
- Case
Corporate New Ventures at Procter & Gamble
By: Teresa M. Amabile and Dean Whitney
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble is faced with an urgent need to revitalize new-product innovation, given its recent focus on incremental product improvements and its aggressive growth goals. As part of this effort, the company's top executives form a small,... View Details
- January 1997
- Teaching Note
Clarkson Lumber Company, Teaching Note
By: Thomas R. Piper
Teaching Note for (9-297-028). View Details
- December 1996 (Revised July 2002)
- Background Note
Note on Marketing and the Internet
By: John A. Deighton, Alison Berkley and John Barabino
The World Wide Web is new, a comprehensive marketing environment. It is a medium for direct marketing, for retailing and distribution, for the delivery of service and product elements, for marketing research, and even for posting and testing prices. This note explores... View Details
- October 1996 (Revised April 1997)
- Case
Tweeter etc.
By: John T. Gourville and George Wu
In the early 1990s, Tweeter etc., a small regional retailer of higher-end audio and video equipment, faced increasing competitive pricing pressures from several large regional and national consumer electronics chains. In response, in 1993, they introduced "Automatic... View Details
- September 1996 (Revised June 1997)
- Case
QVC, Inc.
Illustrates the "Service Profit Chain" in action. QVC, whose initials stand for Quality, Value,, and Convenience, demonstrates clearly how a strong customer focus can lead to establishing a strong franchise in the retail sector and a highly profitable business whose... View Details