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  • December 2014
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review

Second Thoughts About a Strategy Shift

By: Elie Ofek and Jill Avery
  • Format:Print
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Abstract

A retail guru attempts to reposition an established brand and introduce an entirely new pricing scheme. Early financial results from the strategic shift are not favorable. Based on the experience of U.S. retailer J.C. Penney, the piece raises fundamental questions about repositioning retail brands and the ability to shift consumers to entirely new pricing formats. It further raises the question of when to declare that a new approach to the business has failed.

Keywords

Brand Management; Pricing Strategy; Retailing; Leadership; Price; Product Marketing; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry

Citation

Ofek, Elie, and Jill Avery. "Second Thoughts About a Strategy Shift." Harvard Business Review 92, no. 12 (December 2014): 125–127.
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About The Authors

Elie Ofek

Marketing
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Jill J. Avery

Marketing
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More from the Authors
  • The Meteoric Rise of Skims By: Ayelet Israeli, Jill Avery and Leonard A. Schlesinger
  • Pricing and Customer Psychology By: Elie Ofek
  • Navya, Instructor Spreadsheet By: Julian De Freitas and Elie Ofek
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