Case | HBS Case Collection | 1998 (Revised from original 1998 version)

Staples (A)

by Myra M. Hart, Marco Iansiti and Barbara Feinberg
 

Abstract

Chronicles development of a new business concept. Starts with Stemberg's search for a new employment opportunity, then provides details of his decision to launch a new venture concept through careful matching of personal capabilities and experience against a variety of marketing opportunities. Stemberg redefines his supermarket skills as distribution skills and systematically searches for industries where they can be applied.

Format: Print 15 pages Purchase

Citation:

Hart, Myra M., Marco Iansiti, and Barbara Feinberg. "Staples (A)." Harvard Business School Case 898-157, September 1998. (Revised from original January 1998 version.)

Related Work

  1. Case | HBS Case Collection | 1998

    Staples (B)

    Myra M. Hart, Marco Iansiti and Barbara Feinberg

    Keywords: Consumer Products Industry;

    Citation:

    Hart, Myra M., Marco Iansiti, and Barbara Feinberg. "Staples (B)." Harvard Business School Case 898-158, January 1998.
    CiteView DetailsFind at Harvard Related

  2. Case | HBS Case Collection | 1998 (Revised from original 1998 version)

    Staples (C)

    Myra M. Hart, Marco Iansiti and Barbara Feinberg

    The search for appropriate hardware and software to support the launch of a new large-scale retail operation forces the management team to define their goals at a very detailed level and to make all underlying assumptions explicit.

    Citation:

    Hart, Myra M., Marco Iansiti, and Barbara Feinberg. "Staples (C)." Harvard Business School Case 898-159, March 1998. (Revised from original January 1998 version.)
    CiteView DetailsPurchase Related

  3. Case | HBS Case Collection | 2000 (Revised from original 2000 version)

    Staples: A Year in the Life of a Start-Up

    Myra M. Hart

    The case provides information on the development of the office superstore concept, building partnerships, creating the business plan, and recruiting a management team. Focuses on the detailed level of decision making required to transform an idea into a viable business. Heavy emphasis is placed on operating plans and integration. A rewritten version of earlier cases.

    Keywords: Business Startups; Partners and Partnerships; Business Strategy; Recruitment; Management Teams; Integration; Information Technology; Entrepreneurship; Business Plan; Decision Making;

    Citation:

    Hart, Myra M. "Staples: A Year in the Life of a Start-Up." Harvard Business School Case 800-241, October 2000. (Revised from original January 2000 version.)
    CiteView DetailsPurchase Related

About the Authors

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Myra M. Hart
MBA Class of 1961 Professor of Management Practice, Retired

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Marco Iansiti
David Sarnoff Professor of Business Administration
Unit Head, Technology and Operations Management
Technology and Operations Management

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