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• Case | HBS Case Collection | May 2007 (Revised November 2019)

  Dollar General (A)

  Willy Shih, Stephen P. Kaufman and Rebecca McKillican

  Dollar General Corporation (DG) operates one of the leading chains of extreme value retailers in the United States. 2006 revenues reached $9.2 billion, making DG the 6th largest mass retailer in the country. With revenues growing at 9% annually over the five-year period up to 2005, DG had the distinction of being only one of three retailers to outperform Wal-Mart in both revenue and profit growth in that time. Life in a Dollar General store paints a vivid picture of the roots and historical focus of the company. Opportunistic buying has given the stores an eclectic merchandise mix. Analysts often referred to this category as "treasure hunt" SKUs. Offers an opportunity to examine a company's business model, particularly since DG has been so successful competing with Wal-Mart where so many other retailers have not. While it started out as a family business in the five-and-dime tradition, it evolved to a close-out retail model where its unique low-overhead operations were advantageous. As it added highly consumable categories its mix shifted, but it managed to retain its low-overhead model. Interestingly, the mix shift was likely more an emergency strategy driven by store-level operations than by top-down driven strategy. Frames the growth options available to DG's CEO as he grapples with how to maintain growth.

  Keywords: Business Model; Family Business; Disruptive Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Retail Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Shih, Willy, Stephen P. Kaufman, and Rebecca McKillican. "Dollar General (A)." Harvard Business School Case 607-140, May 2007. (Revised November 2019.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2019

  Myanmar: Special Economic Zones

  Willy Shih and Dawn Lau

  This case examines four Special Economic Zones in Myanmar. While the country's development had been hobbled by a complex history of military rule, ethnic conflict, and international sanctions, as it pursued liberalization it sought avenues to developing its economy. The four zones described in the case – Dawei, Kyaukphyu, Thilawa, and the New Yangon City project all had different roots and different motivations. The different rates of progress of each reflected the interests and approaches of each of the projects' participants.

  Keywords: economic development; emerging economies; Special Economic Zones (SEZs); Development Economics; Developing Countries and Economies; Manufacturing Industry; Energy Industry; Southeast Asia; Myanmar;

  Citation:

  Shih, Willy, and Dawn Lau. "Myanmar: Special Economic Zones." Harvard Business School Case 620-027, October 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019

  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Shaping the Vaccine Manufacturing Ecosystem

  Willy C. Shih

  Vaccines for children has been a long-standing focus for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and its critical role in public health made its production an important economic and political issue. This case describes the Foundation's investment in a breakthrough vaccine manufacturing platform for the Sabin inactivated polio virus. While the new technology promised a much lower cost per dose, it also raised questions about the consequences of lowering entry barriers to vaccine production, maintaining high quality and production standards, a strong regulatory environment were critical to protecting the integrity of the vaccine supply. The new technology also threatened to encourage more developed country vaccine manufacturers to exit the market, not an outcome the Foundation was hoping for, as they possessed the capabilities and resources to invest in future developments. It raises the question of whether vaccines are a public good, and who should be responsible for their production.

  Keywords: vaccine; Production; Supply Chain; Product; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Belgium;

  Citation:

  Shih, Willy C. "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Shaping the Vaccine Manufacturing Ecosystem." Harvard Business School Case 620-021, September 2019.  View Details

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