How to sell 300,000 lbs of turkey

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:   Whole Foods uses the Internet and aggressive in-store displays to sell thousands of turkeys in its Northeast stores.
 
Date: 11/24/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/11/24/n_whole_foods_turkeys.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the special distribution strategies followed by the retailer to meet the demand at this time of year.
  • How important do you think this service is to customers?
  • How might customers respond if they were disappointed in service for this one product? Explain your answer.

Early shopping tally: Some gems, some coal

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Store sales up only slightly from last year, according to tracking firm. But signs of strength seen at some merchants, in West and online.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 11/28/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/28/news/economy/holiday_shopping_saturday/index.htm

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the thinking about expected holiday shopping behaviour this year.
  • Do you think this will be an exceptional shopping season in comparison to the past?  Explain your thinking.
  • Which products do you think are likely to be hot sellers? Explain your thinking.

Thanksgiving Day a boon for online shopping

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Consumers found time this U.S. Thanksgiving Day to squeeze in a lot more holiday shopping online, in between spending time with family, watching football and feasting on turkey.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 11/27/2009

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN2743536720091127

Questions for discussion:

  • Why can online retailing be of particular advantage to both consumers and retailers at this time of year? Explain your thinking.
  • Do you suppose online sales might stimulate in-store shopping later? Explain your thinking.

Credit card usury bill coming soon in House

Posted by & filed under Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Several congressional Democrats said on Wednesday they plan to introduce legislation next week to cap credit card interest rates.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 11/25/2009

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5AO4ZO20091125

Questions for discussion: 

  • What the arguments for and against regulating credit card interest rates?
  • Do you believe rates should be regulated? Explain your answer.
  • What are the likely consequences of a more highly regulated credit card industry for the consumer and for the banks?

P&G’s plan: 1 billion new users

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  The global consumer products company wants to grow its consumer base from 4 billion to 5 billion in the next five years.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 11/18/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/11/18/f_sl_procter_gamble_growth.mov.fortune/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Discuss P&G’s effort to expand internationally in terms of ethical and social responsibility? 
  • What are the arguments for and against developing third world customers?
  • What does this report suggest about economic development in these countries? Explain your answer.

Dirty secrets of Black Friday ‘doorbusters’

Posted by & filed under Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Here are a few things bargain-hungry consumers need to know before they hit stores before dawn the day after Thanksgiving.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 11/20/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/20/news/economy/black_friday_doorbuster_secrets/index.htm

Questions for discussion: 

  • Do you think these complaints about the kick-off to holiday shopping are fair? Explain your answer.
  • How is the strategy expected to ignite shopping?
  • How might this strategy backfire for merchants? Explain your thinking.

Ferrero family steps out of shadows for Cadbury

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

Description: The Ferrero family’s round Rocher chocolates are recognized worldwide but Italy’s richest man, Michele Ferrero, and his two sons, have shunned publicity and kept their company very private — up until now.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 11/18/2009

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5AH4U220091118

Questions for discussion:

  • What advantages and disadvantages are there for the Ferrero company, should it go ahead with the acquisition of Cadbury? Explain your answer.
  • What synergies are there for the two organizations?
  • Would you recommend the acquisition to Ferrero? Explain your thinking.

Panama remakes its famous canal for giant ships

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

Description: One of the world’s greatest engineering marvels is being overhauled as work crews blast through hills to widen and deepen the Panama Canal to make room for a new generation of mega-ships.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: 11/18/2009

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN1834602520091118

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the economic value of this project to local as well as international businesses.
  • How can it be expected to affect transportation decisions by businesses conducting international trade?

From fashion passion to profit

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  An enthusiasm for vintage threads led entrepreneurs to create the successful online clothing retailer, ModCloth.com.

Source: CNNMoney – video report
 
Date: 11/10/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2009/11/10/sbiz_makeover_modcloth.smb/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Why do you think this small business has succeeded?
  • What problems are these entrepreneurs facing, now that they are beginning to grow their business?
  • How would you promote this brand and drive sales?

McDonald’s: 1,000 new restaurants in 2010

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

Description:  Fast food giant plans to increase sales by 5% and invest $2.4 billion to enhance its brand.

Source: CNNMoney.com

Date: 11/13/2009

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/12/news/companies/McDonalds/index.htm

Questions for discussion: 

  • What do these plans at McDonald’s suggest to you about management’s sense of its future? Explain your thinking.
  •  Do you believe McDonald’s will find more growth outside of the U.S. than within? Explain your answer.