Are Customers Getting Online Delivery on the Cheap?
The race is on for e-commerce operations to offer customers the quickest, most convenient and cheapest delivery. However, there is increasing evidence that, whilst these delivery choices are great...
Low unemployment is bad news for employers needing seasonal labour
Amazon will employ 100,000 seasonal staff to support the expected peak in demand for e-commerce in the final weeks of the year (up 25% from 2014), so are big retailers really struggling to find...
Seasonal Demand - the Operational & HRM Challenges of E-Commerce
We've just had Black Friday and today is Manic Monday. Both days (along with Singles Day on 11 Nov) are great examples of why B2C e-commerce is highly seasonal and places enormous strains on the...
Is the Biggest Threat to UK Success in E-Commerce a Digital Skills Gap?
A significant and growing skills gap may threaten the UK's ability to exploit the best opportunities in e-commerce.
Amazon Joins the Sharing Economy
Time was when Christmas was delivered by Santa and his hard-working elves, then along came e-commerce and delivery of our pressies was outsourced to the likes of Royal Mail, Yodel and UPS. All hail...
River Island launches Click and (don't) Collect!
River Island is introducing a click & (don't) collect service for customers who select to pick up their orders in store, but then change their mind.
Aldi Plays the Imitation Game
In recent years Aldi has cleverly positioned its product range to match the key elements of higher-priced branded goods. Now it has clearly decided that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Asos sticks by its strategy - even if it means losing older customers
The online fashion retailer, Asos, is a great example of why successful strategy involves clear market positioning.
Rolls Royce CEO admits major strategic issues need fixing
A cumbersome organisational structure is a root cause of the significant strategic problems being faced by Rolls Royce according to its new CEO, Warren East
Amazing Video – Bike Storage in Japan!
As most ‘urban’ cyclists will tell you, one of the most difficult things about cycling in the city is finding somewhere safe to leave your bike.
The turnaround at Thomas Cook - but gearing still too high
This new Lex video from the FT is a superb resource for A2 Business students and teachers who are looking at the strategy of tour operator Thomas Cook.
Student Examiners: 18 Mark Answers
This task ask the students to be the examiner, marking 18 mark questions and judging which level answers have achieved and justifying why.
The Biz Quiz - 24 November 2015
Another busy week in the business news. Were you keeping watch? We're about to find out...
Lack of Bargaining Power is Squeezing Small Business Suppliers
An examiner favourite is the question that essentially asks - why do larger businesses enjoy higher profits? The answer lies somewhere in the complex relationship between scale, efficiency and the...
E-Commerce Sheds Generating High Returns on Investment
Take a look around during any journey up and down the M1 or across the M62 and you'll see them. Sheds. Big sheds. Unglamorous and perhaps even ugly. But, they provide an essential part of...
E-Commerce Helps HMV Return to Profitability
You may remember the collapse of retailer HMV back in January 2013 - forced into administration by a combination of poor strategy and intense competition from supermarket retailers and online...
A terrific short discussion here by the FT Business team which explores the rapid development of online platforms which enable the demand and supply of labour to be matched in new ways.The...
Argos: Forward Thinking or Desperate?
Argos are a company with a plan for the festive season, but
is their strategy forward thinking or just plain desperate?
How do you turn your tech start-up into a global giant?
A fantastic article for the BUSS4ers amongst you; the BBC have analysed the growth of the tech start-up, the strategies adopted by the most successful, the difficulties in expanding the idea...
In Search of Competitive Advantage - the Battle for Same-day Delivery
How quickly would you like your online or mobile purchases to be delivered? Tomorrow? In a few days? Or today?