Publications

21 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

Lessons for Retailers from the Rebirth of Indie Bookstores

As big box bookstores Barnes & Noble and Borders spread across the landscape in the 1990s, retail observers sounded the death knell for small, independent booksellers. But they had no idea of the onslaught that was coming. Amazon.com... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Entertainment & Recreation

05 Nov 2020
Video

Entrepreneurial Opportunities in a Post-COVID World: The Future of Retail & E-Commerce

July 1991
Supplement

Retail Promotional Pricing: When Is a Sale Really a Sale? (B)

Provides the court's decision in the May D&F case, and updates the controversy surrounding high-low retail pricing. View Details

Keywords: Courts and Trials; Price; Judgments; Retail Industry

19 Jun 2014
Blog Post

Exploring the World of Retail as an Intern at Walmart

Fortunately for my stress level, I came into HBS with two parts of my career vision crystallized already: a role in the retail & consumer products realm, and something that would allow me to see a project beyond the recommendation... View Details

March 2011
Case

Seven-Eleven Japan: The Tanpin Kanri Retail Practice

By: Hirotaka Takeuchi and Carin-Isabel Knoop

This case focuses on Tanpin Kanri, which uses both store-level human knowledge and product information sharing. View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Sharing; Employees; Practice; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry; Japan

November 1990 (Revised December 1991)
Case

Ahold & AMS: European Retail Synergy Marketing

By: Ray A. Goldberg

Keywords: Marketing; Retail Industry; Europe

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Article

Can Big-Box Retailers Provide Local Health Care?

By: Robert S. Huckman

National retailers, most notably Walmart and Best Buy, are making big bets on their ability to fill this need for local health care. At first glance, these moves are a bit surprising given that these companies have not traditionally been focused on health care... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Service Delivery; Local Range; Retail Industry; Retail Industry

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April 2018 (Revised November 2019)
Case

JD: Envisioning the Future of Retail (A)

By: Feng Zhu and Shirley Sun

JD, China’s second largest e-commerce company by gross merchandise volume (GMV) after Alibaba, had expanded rapidly from 2012 to 2016. When the company celebrated its 13th birthday in 2017, Richard Liu, its founder, deliberated on the company’s growth strategies. The... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; E-commerce; Retail Industry; China

June 2001
Teaching Note

Merchandising At Nine West Retail Stores TN

By: Ananth Raman

Teaching Note for (9-698-098). View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry; United States

May 1986
Case

U.S. Retail Coffee Market (A), Software Case

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry; United States

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24 Apr 2014
News

Using storytelling to transform the retail experience

Stories make sales. That’s the philosophy of Jennifer Lee Koss (AB 2001, MBA 2008), cofounder of BRIKA, an online shop for modern and elevated craft. BRIKA (from fabricá, the Spanish word for factory) enhances the appeal of its well-crafted goods (many of them... View Details

April 1994
Supplement

Disposable Diaper Industry in 1984

By: Stephen P. Bradley and Pankaj Ghemawat

Updates the Disposable Diaper Industry in 1974. Intended as an in-class handout. View Details

Keywords: Competition; Markets; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

Article

Case Study: Can Retailers Win Back Shoppers Who Browse then Buy Online?

By: Thales S. Teixeira and Sunil Gupta

This case study discusses the options that brick-and-mortar retailers can use to combat the negative consequences of 'showrooming.' View Details

Keywords: Showrooming; E-commerce; Retail Industry

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April 2021
Case

Buy Online, Pickup in Store: Evaluating an Omnichannel Intervention in Retail

By: Antonio Moreno, Santiago Gallino and Amy Klopfenstein

In October 2018, fashion, wellness, and beauty retailer Sylvarella implemented a Buy Online, Pickup in Store (BOPS) program in an attempt to counteract a sales decline. While BOPS had the potential to meet customer expectations for a seamless order and fulfillment... View Details

Keywords: Operations; Service Delivery; Logistics; Infrastructure; Distribution Channels; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Analysis; Retail Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Canada

02 Mar 2016
Blog Post

HBS FIELD - A Sneak Peek Into Retail

extensive customer interviews and prototyping. In addition, professors make themselves available to discuss industry trends. Students can also lean on the distinct skills of the other members of their six person team. Finally, students... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

July 1991 (Revised June 1992)
Case

Retail Promotional Pricing: When Is a Sale Really a Sale? (A)

Addresses the controversy that surrounds highly promotional retail pricing referred to as "high-low pricing" by the trade. High-low pricing involves setting prices at an initially high level for a brief period of time, then discounting off the so-called "regular" or... View Details

Keywords: Courts and Trials; Price; Ethics; Consumer Behavior; Product Marketing; Retail Industry; Colorado