Chaitsi Ahuja, founder and CEO of Brown Living, was discussing the firm’s future with her teammates. Ahuja started Brown Living in 2019 with a vision for a zero-waste lifestyle and used a marketplace model to partner with other brands and artisans and offer sustainable products for consumers. It strove to maintain a 100 per cent green supply chain and was guided by its Brown Lens method to ensure accurate green assessments of every product. But it .....more

George Weston Limited (GWL), Canada’s largest retailer, decided in March 2023 to sell its bakery operations to focus on food, retail, and real estate development. The company distributed a package outlining the operational and financial performance of the bakery unit, Weston Foods, to likely bidders. Before bids were received, GWL needed to estimate the unit’s fair market value. GWL hoped to complete the sale before its December year-end, and had .....more

In July 2024, Avenue Supermarts Limited (DMart), a leading Indian retail chain, maintained its stance against entering the ultra-fast delivery market. The company’s success had traditionally come from its competitive pricing and discount strategy rather than from convenience-focused rapid delivery services. This position was challenged when the chief executive officer of a competitor predicted that his quick-commerce company’s revenue would surpass .....more

Founded in 1995, Goelia, a Chinese fashion brand, grew into a national leader with over 600 stores and a strong omnichannel marketing network. After an initial unsuccessful attempt to expand internationally through franchising, the company reentered the global market in 2022 by opening flagship stores in key locations like Sydney and Singapore, alongside launching its online platform. Despite these efforts, Goelia faced challenges in increasing global .....more

The chief executive officer of Brands for Less (BFL) was considering the company’s next steps in expanding in Southeast Asia. After having successfully established a flagship store in Singapore, BFL was contemplating additional markets to enter in this diverse region. For his decision, the CEO would have to analyze the potential markets and factor in the unique cultural, economic, and logistical considerations of each, to determine the optimal expansion .....more

In 2019, Starbuck Corporation (Starbucks) launched Deep Brew, a platform driven by artificial intelligence (AI) designed to enhance personalization, optimize operations, and manage inventory across its vast global retail network. By leveraging AI, Starbucks aimed to improve customer engagement, streamline store efficiency, and strengthen its data-driven decision-making. However, the adoption of Deep Brew introduced significant challenges, including .....more

This spreadsheet accompanies the Teaching Note, product W41960.

Ashok Betraj’s venture, Maanini Vastra Samskrithi Pvt. Ltd. (MVS), was a boutique saree store specializing in 250 varieties of handloom and specialty sarees sourced from impoverished weavers across India. Despite its social mission and reputation, MVS was caught between organized premium players in the market and unorganized sellers offering lower prices. The saree market’s shift to online platforms and urban consumers’ preference for Western wear .....more

This spreadsheet accompanies product W41959.

With a vision statement “To be a premium global conglomerate with a clear focus on each of the businesses,” the Aditya Birla Group continuously sought growth channels. India’s post-COVID economy, focusing on indigenization, aligned with the company’s expansion efforts. Chief executive officer Kumar Mangalam Birla’s interest in the jewellery industry led to the creation of Novel Jewels Limited (Novel Jewels) and the launch of its jewellery brand, Indriya, .....more