Arturo

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Zipcar – An effective car sharing system
Arturo
Last modified on December 8, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Zipcar is a car-sharing company that has been able to provide a reliable transportation alternative, defying the car ownership.

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On December 13, 2015, Arturo commented on Zipcar – An effective car sharing system :

Thanks for your comment Anna Marie!!!
I think that Zipcar has four key advantages: 1) Through a membership you just go to the car and take it: No paperwork needed (better than rent-a-car alternatives), 2) Zipcar is currently owned by AVIS group, so they can benefit from their extensive car ownership, providing economies of scale, 3) According to their model, they want to be at 5-10 min walk from every member so they will have the most convenient service for members, 4) Huge entry barrier: Network of more than 900,000 members and more than 10,000 cars in various locations.
Even though I agree with your point that the competition and environment is fierce, I believe that their operating and business model give them advantages to succeed in the market.

On December 13, 2015, Arturo commented on Topgolf Fore the Win :

I love this idea! I want to visit one!
As you mention, they are positioned as an entertainment alternative rather than a practice alternative. This struggles me, because (I think) it does not align to the causes of the downward trend on the number of golfers.
Practicing golf is expensive and time consuming, so I would imagine Topgolf as a great alternative for amateur golfers. I can imagine executives practicing after their long workday or during lunch hours… That would lead to more loyal customers while not forgetting the customer base that they are currently serving. While doing so, I think that some changes of their operating model might be necessary, such as confirmed reservation and personalized service.

On December 13, 2015, Arturo commented on Venmo: harnessing social network for online payments :

Very interesting post Tina!! I use Venmo here in the US, but I am impressed that there are not better alternatives in the market.. In Chile, every bank offers online instant payment / transaction using personal passwords and security tokens to increase the security that Rafael mentions. I can transfer funds to every bank at any time, with high security measures.
I do not understand why this practice is so widespread in Chile and not here in the US.. Can it be a threaten for Venmo’s business model?

On December 8, 2015, Arturo commented on Chipotle: How non-real Mexican food became so successful :

Lately, I have read many news about customers from Chipotle that have fallen sick with E. Coli. In fact, reading a news from Dec. 7, 2015 I realized that they have already closed one store in Boston after several Boston College students reported being sick.
Is there anything in how Chipotle serves the food or how it distributes or produces the ingredients that could present flaws to the “Offering a clean, good environment” as you suggest in the post?
Is it just a coincidence or is there something else that they can do to assure its customers that they are eating a healthy product?
It seems that they are investigating, but we will see if they make any change in their operational model to adjust to the last episodes.