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Little Short Stop: Creating Strategy for a Shifting Industry
Meredith Woodwark; Karin Schnarr; Gerry BesCase IVEY-9B20M076-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyIn early 2019, the general manager of Little Short Stop Stores, a chain of local, family-owned convenience stores in southwestern Ontario, Canada, was projecting a loss for that year. The loss was due in part to a provincial minimum wage increase to CA$14.00 that came into effect on January 1, 2018, increased from $11.60 in 2017 and $11.40 in 2016. Before this change, the store chain had been exceeding the average industry growth rate by 5 per ce...Starting at €8.20
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City Furniture and Mattress
W. Glenn Rowe; Bobby Singh-Randhawa; Karin SchnarrCase IVEY-9B11M102-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyThe majority owner and general manager of City Furniture and Mattress (CFM) needed to make several decisions that would determine the company’s strategy. CFM had continued to grow in terms of sales, but the general manager and his father, also an owner and manager at CFM, were concerned with profitability and the increasing competition from local and big-box stores. The general manager looked at several options including capital investment, expan...Starting at €8.20
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Organizational Transformation at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Anne Snowdon; Karin Schnarr; Alexander KunschCase IVEY-9B14M083-EStrategyIn 1997, the Ontario Health Services Restructuring Committee mandated the merger of four facilities that treated patients with mental health and addiction issues to create what was later named the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. This new centre, to be situated in Toronto, would provide support and clinical care to those suffering from illnesses such as schizophrenia, anxiety and mood disorders, as well as substance addictions. In 1999, th...Starting at €8.20
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Kombi Sports Inc.: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Heather Calvert; Raymond L. Paquin; Rajshree PrakashCase IVEY-9B21M063-EMarketing, StrategyIn January 2020, Kombi Sports Inc. was at a strategic crossroads in a changing industry. The Montreal-based firm had evolved from a niche provider of alpine performance gloves to a premium Canadian winter apparel brand. Its success could be attributed, at least in part, to its strong collaborative stance and interesting partnerships. However, increasing competition in the industry, particularly among brick-and-mortar retailers, raised questions f...Starting at €8.20
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Blacbiblio: Hold Steady or Change Course
Raymond L. Paquin; Bharathram Sivasubramanian; Rajshree PrakashCase IVEY-9B20M050-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyBlacbiblio.com, Inc., an educational materials start-up in Montreal, Canada, launched its first and only product, the ABCs of Canadian Black History Kit, in 2016. The product received strong positive reviews at the time of its launch, but its initial price of CA$2,500 per kit left it out of reach for most of its intended customers. The company founder, a historian and educational content creator, shifted to a flexible pricing strategy, offering t...Starting at €8.20
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MacPhie & Company: The Growth Imperative
Karin Schnarr; David KunschCase IVEY-9B16M133-EStrategyIn March 2015, consulting firm MacPhie & Company was at a crossroads. Founded in 2004 in Toronto, Ontario, the company offered consulting services related to strategy development, marketing and communications, reputation management, and branding. MacPhie & Company maintained an entrepreneurial culture that fostered innovation and continual learning, while ensuring that all client projects followed the MacPhie Way.” Although MacPhie & Company had ...Starting at €8.20
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The Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club: Skating into the Future
Karin Schnarr; Mathew Krizmanich; Chelsea LeeCase IVEY-9B16M160-EStrategyIn 2015, the chief operating officer of the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club had to consider short- and long-term options to maintain and increase the success of the organization. Given its strong community support, the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club was in the enviable position of having an 800-person waiting list for season tickets; however, this scenario caused a perception that games were always sold out, which discouraged a new generation of fan...Starting at €8.20
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Tim Hortons Inc.
Karin Schnarr; W. Glenn RoweCase IVEY-9B14M114-EStrategyIn 2014, Tim Hortons Inc., a powerhouse in the Canadian quick service restaurant industry for 50 years, has a number of strategic choices to make if it is going to address increasing competition and shifting consumer trends. To have an international presence, it needs the financial resources, organizational capabilities, store saturation, product innovation and brand recognition to compete with Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, the world’...Starting at €8.20