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• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2018 (Revised July 2018)

  Whole Foods Under Amazon

  Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett and Christine Snively

  In August 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion. Whole Foods was struggling with high costs and faced growing competition from traditional supermarkets offering more organic products. Prior to the acquisition, Whole Foods began rolling out a new order-to-shelf (OTS) inventory management system that many observers believed had led to shortages. For years, store team leaders at Whole Foods were empowered to make inventory decisions and tailor their stores to meet local needs, but the OTS system, and an increasing number of strict rules for purchasing and displaying goods, upset many employees. Should Amazon push Whole Foods to improve performance by emphasizing efficiency and standardization? Or should it aim to maintain a sense of empowerment among employees?

  Keywords: Performance Efficiency; Performance Improvement; Employee Relationship Management; Acquisition; Change Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry;

  Citation:

  Campbell, Dennis, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett, and Christine Snively. "Whole Foods Under Amazon." Harvard Business School Case 118-074, March 2018. (Revised July 2018.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2016 (Revised April 2018)

  JCPenney: Back in Business

  Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Christine Snively

  In 2016, JCPenney was in the midst of a multi-year turnaround after coming dangerously close to bankruptcy. Under CEO Marvin Ellison, the company had identified three strategic objectives—a focus on omnichannel, private label goods, and increasing revenue per customer—to guide all company initiatives. The company was running pilot tests on a new line of appliances, rebranded hair salons, and new private label merchandise, and management now needed to decide how best to roll out and market these initiatives across the chain. Ellison also considered how to build upon the company’s new ad campaign, Get Your Penney’s Worth, and how to strike the right balance between serving its “core” and “emerging” customer segments. He wondered if these objectives and initiatives were enough to restore JCPenney’s position in the evolving retail landscape.

  Keywords: retail; marketing strategy; brands and branding; Customer Management; omnichannel; turnarounds; private label; promotions; competition; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Customer Relationship Management; Goals and Objectives; Retail Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Ofek, Elie, K. Shelette Stewart, and Christine Snively. "JCPenney: Back in Business." Harvard Business School Case 517-037, October 2016. (Revised April 2018.)  View Details

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• Technical Note | HBS Case Collection | March 2018

  Internet Data Capping Note (B)

  Shane Greenstein, Christine Snively, Shane Greenstein and Christine Snively

  The B note brings the reader up through early 2017 and addresses an informal review carried out by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) on sponsored data and zero-rating data plans in the mobile broadband market.

  Keywords: telecommunications; Technology; Internet;

  Citation:

  Greenstein, Shane, and Christine Snively. "Internet Data Capping Note (B)." Harvard Business School Technical Note 618-061, March 2018.  View Details

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