Another crisis at Peloton. CEO Barry McCarthy is suddenly gone. Possibly, the strategy Mr. McCarthy created, to apparently turn Peloton into Netflix, is gone with him. Mr. McCarthy was seen as a technology business pro, someone who had experience in lower-price, subscription-based businesses like Netflix.
Nike has seen better times, according to The Wall Street Journal. Many recent strategic choices have not worked to Nike’s benefit. Part of Nike’s current problematic situation is that Nike violated some critical brand-business building principles. Sure, there were extenuating circumstances as a result of Covid-19. But the pandemic and the way in which customers responded to imposed lifestyle changes are all the more reasons to apply, implement, and live by the essentials of proper...
Brands do not always survive financial engineering. Sears is an example. Bed Bath & Beyond is another. Toys R’Us is still struggling after a bankruptcy and collapse. Quiznos survived bankruptcy but is a small shadow of its former self.
Barron’s, the financial weekly, is suggesting that investors take a long look at convenience stores. Apparently, convenience stores, such as WaWa and Casey’s and others, have captured the attention and wallets of customers. With fresh, hand-crafted foods, beverages, other merchandise and, according to Buc-ee’s, “the cleanest restrooms in America,” convenience stores are fast-becoming go-to places for speedy, affordable on-the-go offerings.
Lately, there has been a lot of hand-wringing over the sales of EVs. EVs are not generating as much interest as expected. US automotive giants, except for Tesla, have backtracked on their EV plans, even going so far as to say that hybrids may be in their futures, just like Toyota. Mercedes is pulling back, too. This is sad because late last year…Mercedes pledged to build 2500 charging stations in the US.
