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• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2019 (Revised September 2019)

  Amazon in Fashion

  John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock and Gabriel Ellsworth

  According to many analysts and industry observers, in 2018 Amazon became the largest retailer of apparel in the United States and the second largest in the world, behind Alibaba. Much of Amazon’s apparel was made by third-party retailers on its platform, but Amazon had been working to build its own fashion retail skills for more than 15 years and had made a number of acquisitions to this end. Having failed to convince leading brands to sell on Amazon, the company had also launched several private-label lines to boost its presence in fashion apparel. However, in 2017, it had finally convinced leading brand Nike to sell direct on its platform. Christine M. Beauchamp (Harvard Business School MBA, 1997), the President of Amazon Fashion since June 2017, was contemplating next steps.
  Meanwhile, leading online and fast-fashion specialists such as ASOS in the UK and Inditex in Spain did not appear to have much to be concerned about. However, many traditional fashion retailers, struggling to build effective multi-channel strategies, were facing slow growth and pressure on margins. Would 2018 mark the beginning of the demise of traditional fashion retailing? What role would the bricks-and-mortar channel in fashion retailing play in the future? What might the future look like for the fashion industry? And what role might Amazon play in it?

  Keywords: Amazon; Amazon.com; fashion; fashion accessories; retail; Retailing Industry; retailing; ASOS; Inditex; Multi-channel retailers; online retail; online retailing; positioning; private label; delivery; Spending; Online Technology; Competitive Strategy; Fashion Industry; Retail Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry;

  Citation:

  Wells, John R., Benjamin Weinstock, and Gabriel Ellsworth. "Amazon in Fashion." Harvard Business School Case 719-481, February 2019. (Revised September 2019.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2019

  ClearScore, 2018

  John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

  In October 2017, Experian, one of the “Big Three” consumer credit reporting agencies in the United Kingdom made an offer to acquire ClearScore for a total consideration of £293 million. Founded by Justin Basini, Dan Cobley, and Nigel Morris in 2014, ClearScore was the UK’s first company to offer consumers full credit reports and scores for free. ClearScore had accumulated over 5 million customers since its launch on July 15, 2015, and was growing rapidly. In the final quarter of 2017, it was set to reach break-even and deliver £27 million in revenues for the year. Was this the time to sell?

  Keywords: fintech; financial services; credit card; credit scores; Startup; start-up; Startup financing; startup marketing; ＂marketing analytics＂; regulation; lending; television advertising; entrepreneur; Entrepreneurial mindset; entrepreneurial ventures; entrepreneurs; global business; rapid growth stage; risk; net present value; testing; Testing strategy; geographies; Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Finance; Strategy; Credit; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Expansion; Mergers and Acquisitions; Financial Services Industry; United Kingdom; South Africa;

  Citation:

  Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "ClearScore, 2018." Harvard Business School Case 720-369, August 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2018 (Revised August 2019)

  The Progressive Corporation, 2019

  John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

  In early 2019, The Progressive Corporation (Progressive), the USA’s third-largest auto insurance writer, reported earned premiums were up 20% in 2018 compared to the previous year, and net income was up 64%. Direct sales of personal auto policies rose 21%, while agent sales, which had, until recently been slowing, grew 16%. Homeowner policies were up 30% on a small base. For CEO Tricia Griffith, appointed on July 1, 2016, this was a clear indicator that her commitment to accelerating growth was bearing fruit. In the ten years from 2005-2015, Progressive’s earned premiums had grown at 4% per year. They then grew 13% in 2016, 15% in 2017, and 20% in 2018. In 2018, Progressive captured 10% of the auto insurance business in the USA. Griffith commented that Progressive was in 10% of US homes and would double that “in short order.” This would make it larger than 2018 industry leader, State Farm. But the auto insurance business was plagued with hundreds of competitors and had historically been very cyclical. Would Griffith’s strategy be enough to sustain double digit growth? The markets seemed convinced; in July 2019, Progressive’s stock price had almost doubled in two years.

  Keywords: insurance companies; Strategic Analysis; strategic decisions; customer acquisition; customer experience; customer lifetime value; policy implementation; competitors; auto insurance; vehicle; progressive; allstate; state farm; GEICO; Implementation; Insurance; Customer Value and Value Chain; Growth Management; Competitive Strategy; Insurance Industry;

  Citation:

  Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "The Progressive Corporation, 2019." Harvard Business School Case 719-413, September 2018. (Revised August 2019.)  View Details

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