Publications

January 2003 (Revised November 2003)
Case

Merloni Elettrodomestici: The New Century Begins

By: Joseph L. Bower

Merloni Elettrodomestici was founded in 1975. This case traces the evolution of the company's strategy, organization, and management as it becomes the #3 player in Europe (the #1 in Eastern Europe). Issues involve questions of geographic expansion, resource allocation,... View Details

Keywords: Management; Resource Allocation; Organizational Structure; Competitive Strategy; Expansion

Find at Harvard

11 Apr 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research, April 11

with evolving demands, the company is strengthening its competitive advantage by creating Shared Value. Current CEO, Doug McMillon outlines his strategy for fending off competition, navigating a challenging View Details

August 2016 (Revised May 2017)
Case

eBay vs. Carl Icahn, 2014

By: David B. Yoffie and Eric Baldwin

This case explores Carl Icahn's attack on eBay, starting in January 2014. The case examines how John Donahoe, CEO of eBay, should respond to Icahn's demand that eBay spin off PayPal and accept Icahn's two nominees to the board of directors. View Details

Keywords: Activist Shareholder; Activist Investors; Technology; Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Investment Activism; Retail Industry; Retail Industry

03 Jan 2017
First Look

January 3, 2017

Johnson, David Simchi-Levi, and He Wang Abstract—We consider a price-based network revenue management problem where a retailer aims to maximize revenue from multiple products with limited inventory over a finite selling season. As common... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Matt Higgins

Matt Higgins is one of the preeminent venture investors in next-generation technology companies and beloved consumer brands. Created alongside Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, RSE Ventures has built an expansive multi-billion-dollar... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products & Packaged Goods;#60;#Services

01 Mar 2014
News

Case Study: Gazelle's New Predators

Brightstar and Encore, which act as trade-in white labels for large retail chains and mobile carriers. Sure, these competitors lack Gazelle's brand in the eyes of consumers and Gazelle's website has a great NPS score, but I worry that... View Details

Keywords: ecommerce; Kathy Korman Frey; Retail Trade; Retail Trade; Retail Trade; Retail Trade; Retail Trade

March 1997 (Revised April 1998)
Case

Amazon.com (A)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport

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

Keywords: Competition; Internet and the Web; Entrepreneurship; Retail Industry

01 Jan 2002
News

Orin C. Smith (MBA '67)

as low-fat latte and Frappuccino(r). Starbucks, the Seattle-based company that started in 1971 as a retailer of bulk coffee, tea, and spices, is largely responsible for this new state of coffee consciousness. Today, the company operates... View Details

28 Sep 2015
Research & Ideas

Six Lessons from Mobile Money Ventures in Developing Countries

business strategy 101 for most entrepreneurs, so why have so many mobile money service offerings failed? It’s a question being studied by Rajiv Lal, the Stanley Roth, Sr. Professor of Retailing at Harvard... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Financial Services; Telecommunications

September 2005 (Revised April 2010)
Case

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (A)

By: Daniel C. Snow, Steven C. Wheelwright and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Scharffen Berger, a premium brand chocolate, is growing rapidly and must decide where and when to add capacity in the production line and with what technology. The company must consider the demands of marketing, the impact on quality and reputation, and the economics... View Details

Keywords: Production; Business Processes; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Performance Capacity; Quality; Expansion

August 1986 (Revised April 2007)
Case

Wal-Mart Stores' Discount Operations

Facilitates a discussion of the sources of Wal-Mart Stores' competitive advantage in discount retailing, and the future sustainability of that advantage. Also profiles the company's major diversification move in the early 1980s. View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Competitive Advantage; Retail Industry; United States

01 Dec 2016
News

Carving a Niche

strategy for building Faction embraces that aura of distinction (“for the few” is one tagline) while leveraging several key retailing trends. “The average size of an interesting, exciting brand is smaller... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna

Profile

Mallika Ahluwalia

value chain, from large hospital systems to medical device companies and retail pharmacies, on strategy and operations. Recently, she returned to her hometown, Delhi, as a Program Officer at the Bill and... View Details

19 Oct 2009
Research & Ideas

Why Are Web Sites So Confusing?

Do you sometimes get the feeling that Internet portals, search pages, social networks, e-commerce, and other Web sites are not necessarily designed in order to maximize user convenience and benefits? We do, too. Why—you might ask? For a fundamentally similar reason to... View Details

Keywords: by Andrei Hagiu & Bruno Jullien

15 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 15

The case concerns bidding and negotiations strategies as well as deal structuring issues. In particular, the cross border nature of the investment, a UK firm investing in Norway, leads to a number of financing issues related to raising... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

23 Jul 2013
First Look

First Look: July 23

30-year customer of Filene's Basement, a retailer offering fashion goods at discounted prices, who was eventually fired by the firm. The case traces how company actions taken in the name of customer relationship management (CRM)... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

August 1965 (Revised December 1987)
Case

L.L. Bean, Inc.

Discusses the development and operations of a small manufacturing and mail order company doing $3 million sales. L.L. Bean operates in violation of most reasonable business principles, but it is profitable and growing. View Details

Keywords: Small Business; Operations; Growth and Development Strategy; Retail Industry; Maine