Digital Strategy, Global Insights, Leadership

Inflation – Predicting the Winners

12 Nov , 2021  

The recent report of the Consumer Price Index topping 6.2% has sent shiver of inflation fears into the market. However, this inflationary hit seems different than the inflation seen in recent episodes of high inflation. Examining this will help us determine who are the winners and losers of the current inflation spike. How is the […]

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Global Insights, Leadership

Gone Fishing: Amazon and Apple Deal with Less Workers and Slow Supply Chains

28 Oct , 2021  

Today, Amazon and Apple announced the limited supply of labor and slow-moving supply chains will hamper fourth quarter top line and bottom lines.[1][2] This should be a major wake-up call for investors and executives on the state of our global economy. Amazon and Apple are unique in that each exerts high control and even ownership […]

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Global Insights

Economic Opportunities in Hispanic USA: ¡Se Habla Spanglish!

3 Oct , 2021  

The wave of Spanglish has hit advertisers in recent years. Dos Equis invites its customers to “Keep it Interesante,” while taco fans at Taco Bell “Live Más.”       Home Depot and other retailers have adopted a near bilingual policy in stores. Smart move! Hispanic culture is alive an well in the US, and […]

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Global Insights, Innovation, Risk Management

10 Unexpected Changes from COVID that Will Stay with Us

5 Oct , 2020  

With President Trump and many people around him being treated for COVID, it is clear that COVID can and does touch everyone. Even if you are not infected, you are experiencing a new economy and a new world. COVID changes have been challenging. Many of the changes we are experiencing will stay with us for years, I think. Some are unexpected and will have long-term impacts to our society and economy. Here are some predictions of economic and financial changes that will stay, even after we have achieved victory or control over COVID.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Analytics, Digital Strategy

CRaP at Amazon and Advice for Amazon Sellers

18 Dec , 2018  

Amazon recently made the news by publicly announcing that it is targeting hard to sell items, so called Can’t Realize a Profit (CRaP) for removal from its all-powerful sales channel. Such items are believed to be those that have a low revenue for the cost to ship.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Digital Strategy

Success Lessons from Digital Leaders and Their Followers

15 Dec , 2018  

There is an open debate among economists and business leaders on why digitization leads to a near winner take-all business model. We see the dominance of one search tool in Google and Netflix over other movie providers. In decades past, it was common to have a movie theater in each community and local bakers everywhere. In other business models, especially those driven by personal relationships and locality, we have seen many scores of offerings simultaneously. In fact, achieving scale for the seller was very hard.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Analytics, Big Data, Digital Strategy, Leadership

Facebook: Mind Your P’s!

25 Nov , 2018  

Facebook has never felt the heat it is feeling now. How did this happen? They are a darling promising marketers the reach to nearly every person through customized media. Success was rolling in as more and more advertisers saw the light and loaded up on ads. And, why have Amazon, Apple, Microsoft with its LinkedIn […]

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Digital Strategy, Innovation

Instacart: How ’bout them Carrots?

1 Nov , 2018  

Instacart recently announced a round of funding that evaluates the firm at some $7 billion. That is amazing for a firm whose drivers are presumably not employees and that holds no real inventory but sells food. It may seem like a naïve question, but what does Instacart do exactly? I know it delivers food, but […]

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Innovation, Leadership

A Chicago Icon is No More – 5 Lessons for Retailers

4 Oct , 2018  

A few days ago, the Chicago chain of grocery stores, Treasure Island Foods, announced that it is closing. The store has been a Chicago institution for some 55 years, serving urban areas with mostly small format stores, filled with both common and hard to find items. Julia Childs once called Treasure Island Foods, “America’s most […]

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big Data, Big Data and Analytics, Digital Strategy

Digital Disruption: Are you Netflix or Blockbuster?

15 Sep , 2018  

Are you Netflix or Blockbuster?

A great focus for many startups, investors, and entrepreneurs is creating the next Netflix, Amazon, Uber, or Airbnb – namely to be a digital disruptor. Netflix conquered the analog and physical model of Blockbuster by bringing a digital layer to measure customers, movies, and even brand placements. Before Netflix, Blockbuster was the media channel of preference. It died a rather quick death when media and media consumption became digital.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,