According to the New York Times, these are the less-than-elegant last days of what, in the days when department stores were destinations, was one of New York City’s most elegant: Lord & Taylor, a fortress on Fifth Avenue. Questions: 1. What was the guilt about? 2. Was the article really about the store? 3. What… Read more »
Posts Tagged: business strategies
An Age of Trust and Undying Loyalty
According to the New York Times, Sears may be struggling to survive after filing for bankruptcy in October, since its rundown and empty stores symbolize a has-been company that failed to adapt. But across the country, legions of former Sears workers like Mr. Atwood, a retired truck driver, gather regularly to reminisce about their long… Read more »
Sentinel Capital Partners New Acquisition
Sentinel Capital Partners’ new acquisition is Pet Supplies Plus (PSP), as of December 2018. Questions: 1. What are the benefits for PSP of being acquired? 2. How old are the franchise and company-operated stores and where was the company established? 3. How widespread is the chain, geographically? 4. What are the benefits of the acquisition… Read more »
Costs versus Care
According to Boing-Boing.net, sleep apnea, which is a fast-growing health complaint among Americans, has triggered a set of deceptive and unethical measures by US health insurers to shift the cost of CPAP machines through price gouging to the people who must use them to remain healthy. Questions: 1. Calculate the percentage of the transaction that… Read more »
Millennials: New Results from the Federal Reserve
Millennials have preferences for consumption that differ significantly from those of earlier generations because: (a) they are anti-materialists and want less stuff. (b) they are less well-off than members of earlier generations were when they were young. (c) they have lower earnings, fewer assets, and less wealth. (d) answer choices (b) and (c) are correct…. Read more »
More Greed and Graft
According to the Washington Post, what started as an antitrust lawsuit brought by states over just two drugs in 2016 has exploded into an investigation of alleged price-fixing involving at least 16 companies and 300 drugs. Questions: 1. What was the “shorthand” between executives used for? Give an example. 2. According to the article, who… Read more »
What’s a San Francisco restaurant without labor? Closed…..
According to the Guardian, even hiking the minimum wage to $15 an hour and requiring health benefits, as San Francisco has done, hasn’t been enough to maintain a healthy heartbeat in the restaurant industry labor market, because the median price for a San Francisco rental is $4,550. Questions: 1. In the article, Gwyneth Borden, executive… Read more »
Biggest Ever!
Cyber Monday proves to be the biggest shopping day ever! Because of this, according to Bloomberg, Cyber Monday may provide a big revenue boom for state and local governments. Questions: 1. What is the reason for the big revenue boom for state and local governments? 2. According to Kroll Bond Rating Agency, how much revenue… Read more »
Red-bottomed shoes
Christian Louboutin’s trademark red-bottomed shoes have become iconic. Beyoncé wore a custom pair of boots for her Coachella performance and these shoes can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Questions: 1. Where did Christian Louboutin get the idea for the red soles? 2. According to the article, what combination of factors makes the shoes so… Read more »
Unbelievable Differences in Incentives!
According to the Washington Post, the bundle of financial incentives Wisconsin offered to lure Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn’s first major U.S. plant is larger than what New York, Virginia and Tennessee collectively pledged to Amazon.com, a comparison of the two development projects shows. Questions: 1. Foxconn has said its $10-billion factory in southeastern Wisconsin will… Read more »