Teaching note for product W44277.

Whether to adapt its business model to fit the local market or to educate the local market to embrace its existing business model—this was the question confronting Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) in China in May 2024. The world-leading warehouse wholesaler had entered China through an online store in 2014 and then branched offline in 2019. By May 2024, it had built seven locations across major cities. However, Costco’s unique business model .....more

Teaching note for product W44769.

In January 2024, a roaring price war was sweeping the coffee industry in China. The war was triggered by a price competition between two largest coffee chains in the market, centering on a ￥9.9 per cup promotion and eventually engulfing almost every coffee shop. Industry-wide profit margins were compressed and countless independent coffee shops and smaller chains collapsed.<br><br>This presented Yongchen Lu, the chief executive officer .....more

Teaching note for product W41577.

Teaching note for product W42311.

In June 2024, the founder of New Zealand Native Oils (NZ Oils) was facing the critical decision of whether to take her business international or remain domestic. She established NZ Oils six years earlier to produce and market skin care products made of organic extracts from manuka and other native plants in New Zealand. The start-up had grown rapidly since its inception within the domestic market, especially during the COVID-19 period, when demand .....more

Proton Holdings Berhad (PROTON), Malaysia’s first national car brand, had long been a dominant player in the domestic market and a leading brand in Southeast Asia. However, its performance since 2005 had consistently declined. In 2017, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely) became a partner by acquiring a 49.9% equity stake in PROTON and dispatched Chunrong Li, PROTON’s chief executive officer, from China to Malaysia to turn the struggling automaker .....more

Alibaba was a leading online platform for cross-border business-to-business trading. Founded by Alibaba Group Holding Limited in 1999, the platform was committed to constant digital innovations that enabled registered users to overcome various obstacles in international transactions, encompassing order acquisition, customs clearance, global logistics, cross-border payments, and partner credibility. However, only a small fraction of small and medium-sized .....more

Teaching note for product W43974.