EBay in 2020 will launch an end-to-end fulfillment service for third-party sellers to offer speedier delivery, lower shipping costs and the feasibility of free delivery. What do you think of the potential for eBay’s Managed Delivery service to improve the sales performance of its sellers?
A recent paper looked at how leaders craft vision statements — and specifically, why some are more powerful than others. What advice do you have for leaders when developing mission or vision statements?
Tim Hortons has announced a pilot of a plant-based egg alternative at locations in Canada. How important do you see plant-based protein alternatives to cheese, eggs, meat and milk becoming for retail and restaurant operators?
DoorDash previously factored tips provided by customers into what it pays those making the deliveries, now will no longer do so. If DoorDash has been fairly compensating its “dashers”, why would it change its model rather than explain how the current system benefits workers?
Amazon, according to Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. treasury secretary, has “destroyed the retail industry across the United States, so there’s no question they’ve limited competition.” Do you think Amazon is deserving of antitrust scrutiny, whether or not you agree with Mr. Mnuchin’s assertion?
Canadian doughnut chain Tim Hortons has announced the launch of an “innovation cafe” which will be used to test new tech initiatives and menu items for a potential broader rollout. Are labs like Tim Hortons innovation cafe overkill for mass retailers/QSR chains?
Target in July introduced an exclusive line designed for girls aged eight to 12, developed from interviews with girls and their parents. Question is, Where’s the boys’ voice in the tween market? Why do tween boys appear to see less attention from brands and retailers than their female counterparts?
Amazon.com’s growth story — unprecedented, immense, rocket-like (choose your superlative) — does not come with a happy ending for most retailers. In summary, Amazon has won. The bigger problem is, it’s just getting started. Does Amazon have any competitive weaknesses?
A new technological development aims to make delivery drones less likely to plummet and therefore more palatable to the general public. Will parachutes on drones created and managed by delivery startups make this technology more acceptable to the public?
Starbucks is planning a launch of a cloud-based platform providing end-to-end solutions focused on improving the customer experience in restaurants. Will cloud-based platform elevate Starbucks beyond being just a coffee company?
