Publications
Publications
- April 2016 (Revised December 2016)
- HBS Case Collection
The Container Store
By: Tatiana Sandino, Zeynep Ton and Aldo Sesia
Abstract
The Container Store (TCS) is a Texas-based retailer of organization and storage solutions. The company prides itself in taking care of its employees first, and its cofounder and CEO Kip Tindell practices Conscious Capitalism. Since its beginnings in 1978, TCS grew to a chain of around 70 stores located in over 20 states by 2013. Tindell believed TCS's employee-first culture and the seven Foundation Principles, which guided the company, were what differentiated the company from other retailers. With plans to grow to 300 stores, TCS went public in late 2013. Since its IPO, same store sales have suffered, and the company's stock in early 2016 was trading well below its IPO price. As such, the company's culture and Foundation Principles were being put to the test.
Keywords
Culture; Conscious Capitalism; Merchandising; Customer Focus and Relationships; Growth and Development Strategy; Operations; Service Delivery; Going Public; Performance Evaluation; Performance Productivity; Retail Industry; United States
Citation
Sandino, Tatiana, Zeynep Ton, and Aldo Sesia. "The Container Store." Harvard Business School Case 116-020, April 2016. (Revised December 2016.)