It appears that J.C. Penny’s first quarter efforts to increase market share by competing on ‘everyday low prices’ fell a bit short. So it’s back to the drawing boards! This year, J.C. Penney is set to embrace technologies coolest gadgets in an attempt to recapture the coveted consumer dollar. However it seems this technological love…

How often does your company make decisions based on internal opinions?  How often do you damn the torpedoes without sufficient evidence that the product and/or service you are launching or offering truly fits the needs of the customers? Let me share a Delta story with you. As a road warrior, I have had my share of…

On September 28th, The Wall Street Journal announced that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will again default on its obligation to fund future retirees’ health care costs. The $5.6 billion default marks the second failed payment to the U.S. Treasury in two months. The USPS May be on the Verge of Losing its Competitive Advantage While there’s no doubt the USPS…

Chilis, Applebees and Chevys, among others, are testing table computer screens to take orders, pay the bill, and play games.  You can watch movie trailers, news tidbits, whatever your preference. A Wall Street Journal article revealed that dinner out is now going to be like dinner at home – Everyone will be interacting with a screen…

A recent article in the WSJ on the ascendance of Spirit Airlines highlighted many of the features that have come to represent the race to the bottom in the airline industry: No more meals, drinks, or service of any sort Pay extra for luggage, checked and carry-on Less leg room/comfort Poor on time performance Spirit is the…

I read an interesting article in the Wall St Journal,  Amazon Faces Taxing Time Ahead. Amazon may be losing the online retailers battle that exempted them from collecting taxes where they did not have a physical presence.  This was one of Amazons competitive advantages;   Jeff Bezos originally located his company in Seattle since it offered a smaller…

Cable TV ratings are plunging.  Thank goodness for “Big Bang Theory “ reruns as they have boosted ratings for TBS;  AMC is still alive and thriving thanks to “The Walking Dead”, ironic as it may be.   These are among the handful of networks with increased ratings along with the History Channel according to the…

Department store JC Penney is going the way of Walmart, by changing their pricing structure into more of an “everyday low prices” style of marketing model. According to this article from Yahoo Finance, instead of offering hundreds of sales and promotions, JC Penney is trying to adopt a more consistent and predictable pricing structure, with all…

Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet PC has experienced the thrill of downloading apps. These handy little software programs help us navigate our world, play games, connect with friends, save money and unlock the little mysteries of everyday life. But even though there are thousands of apps on the App Store and other app…

I had the privilege years ago of meeting David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue.  I am as impressed today as I was then by JetBlue’s understanding of delivering relevant competitive advantages.  Most airlines deliver next to none, I am sorry to report.  I fly over 100,000 miles each year so I can report from personal experience:…