May 2020

Many consumer-goods companies and retailers have risen to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Seven core practices can help them keep what has worked and prepare for what lies ahead. The COVID-19 pandemic is posing staggering health and humanitarian challenges. As the crisis evolves, companies must act on multiple fronts to protect their employees, customers, supply chains, […]

This graph shows the year-over-year change in diners, as tabulated by OpenTable for U.S. (and several other selected cities) restaurant footfalls: This data is updated through May 23, 2020. The U.S. was off 100% YoY, as of March 21st. Today, California and New York are still off 100%. Other states – like Texas and Georgia

For many, the toughest leadership test is now looming: how to bring a business back in an environment where a vaccine has yet to be found and economies are still reeling. Rapidly recover revenue. Start-up mindset; human at the core (people); acceleration of digital, tech, and analytics; purpose-driven customer playbook; ecosystems and adaptability; identify and

GDP is reported at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). So a 40% Q2 decline is ~9% decline from Q1 (SA). From Merrill Lynch: We are tracking 2Q GDP at -40% qoq saar, down from -30% earlier. [May 22 estimate] From Goldman Sachs: The investment bank now expects the unemployment rate to peak at 25%—on par

Clearly, change is accelerating. Macro Strategy—Numerous factors suggest rising global public-health risks, including pandemics. In a widely-held view, the current crisis could be considered a wake-up call to changes in business practices, consumer preferences and behaviors in a way that ultimately are consistent with sustainable-growth objectives. This may have implications for growth and investment patterns

Clayton Christensen, in 2003’s The Innovator’s Solution, explained how the natural course of industries was from interdependent architectures to modular ones: Customers will not buy your product unless it solves an important problem for them. But what constitutes a “solution” differs across the two circumstances in Figure 5-1: whether products are not good enough or are