Publications

09 Jan 2023
Blog Post

How I Spent My HBS 2+2 Deferral: Sam Perez Diarte

telenovelas with my mom. I looked beyond the drama and strove to have this luxurious life of executives in the shows. I set my mind on becoming one of these executives. While my undergraduate degree is in engineering, I wanted to explore... View Details

01 Nov 2016
First Look

First Look - November 1, 2016

and/or number of display-only items have no significant impact on these decisions. These findings reveal a novel choice behavior in commonly encountered settings such as online marketplaces. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=51862 2016... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

04 Feb 2020
Video

Francis Okomo-Okello

Francis Okomo-Okello, chair of a leading Kenyan luxury hotel group and of the subsidiary of a major foreign bank, discusses his approach to corporate social responsibility programs based on full understanding... View Details

15 Jan 2020
Video

Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi

P.R.S Oberoi, Chair of the iconic Indian luxury travel company Oberoi Hotel and Resorts, holds business largely responsible for most of the corruption in India, but argues that there is now an increasing... View Details

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Prosper with Multi-Channel Retailing

For decades, major retailers offered customers only two methods of purchasing: directly at the store or from catalogs sent through the mail. With the advent of the Internet, retail companies that offered only one or two channels suddenly had available a third option... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Consumer Products; Retail

June 2014
Article

The Red Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity

By: Silvia Bellezza, Francesca Gino and Anat Keinan

We examine how people react to nonconforming behaviors, such as entering a luxury boutique wearing gym clothes rather than an elegant outfit or wearing red sneakers in a professional setting. Nonconforming behaviors, as costly and visible signals, can act as a... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Consumer Behavior

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January 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

kate spade

Kate Spade's founders try to finance and grow their luxury handbag and accessories business. As the case ends, the founding team must decide among four potential strategic partners offering to purchase different shares of Kate Spade at various valuations. Includes... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Partners and Partnerships; Business Growth and Maturation; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry

09 Feb 2019
News

Priority line madness: Now even Santa’s lap has a FastPass

October 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

Burberry

By: Youngme E. Moon, Erika Kussmann, Emma Penick, Susan Wojewoda and Kerry Herman

In 2003, Rose Marie Bravo, Burberry's CEO, is debating how to maintain the currency and cachet of the brand across its broad customer base, while entering new product categories and expanding distribution. In the past five years, the brand has become one of the hottest... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Management Teams; Luxury; Product Launch; Distribution; Product Positioning; Advertising; Market Entry and Exit; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; United Kingdom

04 Feb 2020
Video

Francis Okomo-Okello

Francis Okomo-Okello, Chair of the leading Kenyan luxury hotel group Serena and of the subsidiary of a major foreign bank, describes his belief that a bank must engage in responsible lending for the sake of... View Details

March 2014 (Revised January 2015)
Case

Ghurka

By: Jose B. Alvarez, Walter J. Salmon and Christine Snively

Ghurka was a 38-year-old luxury leather goods brand that specialized in leather and twill luggage, handbags, and accessories. Brightwork Brand Holdings Corp. acquired it as an asset purchase in 2011. Ghurka, under CEO John Reuter, worked to re-launch the brand with a... View Details

Keywords: Retailing; Luxury

September 2002 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Cartier v. Metro

Metro, a German wholesaler, sued Cartier, a French luxury retailer, to require Cartier to honor Cartier's guarantee on its watches that Metro sold, even though Metro is not part of Cartier's selective distribution network. Is such a network incompatible with the... View Details

Keywords: Lawsuits and Litigation; Distribution Channels; Apparel and Accessories Industry; France; Germany; European Union

April 2018 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Coco Chanel: From Fashion Icon to Nazi Agent

By: Geoffrey Jones and Emily Grandjean

This case describes the career of the iconic French fashion designer Coco Chanel who created a transformational business during the first half of the 20th century. Beginning in her early adulthood, Chanel leveraged relationships with acquaintances, friends, and... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Biography; Entrepreneurship; Relationships; Brands and Branding; Ethics; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

January 2009 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Gucci Group in 2009

By: David B. Yoffie and Renee Kim

The Gucci Group had transformed itself into the world's third largest luxury retailer with multiple brands. The company had performed well even after the departure of star designer Tom Ford and former CEO Domenico De Sole. However, the challenging global economic times... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Luxury; Corporate Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry