Description: AS a 14-year-old Boy Scout who went on backpacking trips in western Massachusetts, Gihan Amarasiriwardena couldn’t find a fleece jacket that would protect him from the wind. His solution was to make his own wind-blocking coat from scratch, using plastic garbage bags, spray-on adhesive and fleece. Source: NYTimes.com Date: May 18, 2013 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/business/at-ministry-of-supply-teamwork-in-making-high-tech-apparel.html?ref=business… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 1 Business in a Global Environment
YesVideo Moves Home Movies From Old Formats to the Cloud
Description: Jennifer Brown is tearing up. She’s converting early-2000s camcorder footage into digital files, watching as a woman’s colleagues celebrate her promotion until the woman’s boyfriend appears out of nowhere, gets down on one knee, and proposes. When a group of passersby interrupts Brown quietly weeping at her computer screen, she gestures at the proposal… Read more »
Dynamic Pricing Helps Keep Pace with Savvy Consumers
Description: Online retailers looking to gain margin advantage are increasingly using dynamic pricing: the practice of changing prices based on market conditions, consumer behavior and competitive intelligence, according to a new eMarketer report, “Dynamic Pricing: What Retailers Need to Know About Competing in Real Time.” Source: eMarketer.com Date: May 17, 2013 Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Dynamic-Pricing-Helps-Keep-Pace-with-Savvy-Consumers/1009897#BdqCzUfY5X1bZuQe.99 Questions for… Read more »
The Gap is cool again?
Description: Despite a sluggish economy, the Gap is expecting strong sales and earnings. Investors are impressed. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: May 10, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/05/10/investing-buzz-gap-old-navy-banana-republic.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why is the Gap popular again, according to the report? Do you think there other reasons? How significant is the role of new management in… Read more »
Women CEOs at Berkshire Say They Share `Bond’
Description: Mary Rhinehart, Susan Jacques and Cathy Baron Tamraz, chief executive officers of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiaries Johns Manville, Borsheims and Business Wire, respectively, talk about working with Berkshire Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and succession planning at the company. They speak with Betty Liu on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop.” (Source: Bloomberg) Source: Bloomberg.com… Read more »
Some Retailers Say More About Their Clothing’s Origins
Description: The revolution that has swept the food industry is expanding to retail: origins matter.With fair-trade coffee and organic fruit now standard on grocery shelves, consumers concerned with working conditions, environmental issues and outsourcing are increasingly demanding similar accountability for their T-shirts. The issue has been brought to the forefront by the garment factory collapse… Read more »
Online Video-Ad Startups Rivaling Google Seen Near IPOs
Description: Demand for Web commercials played alongside video clips is fueling growth at marketing startups, putting such companies as Tremor Video Inc., YuMe Inc. and Adap.tv Inc. on course for initial public offerings this year. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: May 07, 2013 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/online-video-ad-startups-seen-near-ipos-challenging-google-tech.html Questions for Discussions: Do you think these IPOs are good investments? How… Read more »
Despite Wear, True Religion Finds a Buyer for $835 Million
Description: True Religion Apparel (TRLG) may be a little tattered, but it’s still a handsome asset for TowerBrook Capital Partners, which plans to buy the luxury jeans company for $835 million. Source: Businessweek.com Date: May 10, 2013 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-10/despite-wear-true-religion-finds-a-buyer-for-835-million#r=hp-lst Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about the high-end fashion market? Do you think… Read more »
90 seconds with Google Glass
Description: A developer shows off the latest apps he’s building for Google Glass. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: May 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/05/03/t-90-seconds-google-glass.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What do you think of this new product concept as a consumer product? What are the possible uses for businesses? What applications would complement this technology? Why do… Read more »
Bangladesh tragedy pressures retailers
Description: After a building collapse in Bangladesh killed over 400 workers, retailers are under pressure to improve overseas manufacturing standards. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: May 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/05/03/n-retail-in-bangledesh.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Who is responsible for assuring proper working conditions of foreign workers? Should the industries involveD set up standards for monitoring working… Read more »
