KSR395's Profile

So interesting – I never knew about Wayfair’s use of new technology! Like you mentioned, I think their use of technology is truly innovative, but the implementation is difficult. So much of Wayfair’s brand awareness is as an e-commerce site, providing reliable and cost-efficient furniture, therefore the usage of such technology among buyers will be difficult. I wonder if there are other ways to innovate on their existing platform or perhaps they could look towards partnerships (not necessarily in the retail space, but maybe through real estate brokers) where they can showcase this program.

Interesting post! As many have mentioned, while there are too many car accidents due to human error each year, I think the public will react more extremely and negatively if there are any car accidents due to driver-less cars. The lack of control when it comes to driving is a new concept for consumers; therefore, the spotlight on the number of accidents due to driver-less cars will be so extreme, that any one accident will be known amongst the public. Moreover, as we have seen with computers and all technology, there are always new and updated models coming out (i.e. iPhone – iPhone 7). Each model update costs money, so what will be the impact of costs on the driver-less cars? Will Uber have to update cars each year in order to stay safe?

Yes – thank you for such an interesting article. I have never heard about the work that Polaris Project was doing and I had never thought specifically of the ways data and analytics can help fight against human trafficking. The responses provide interesting questions as it relates to the governmental enforcement around the organization and how it impacts international and domestic law. I wonder, as big data improves and expands, how will governments react to such improvements and help implement change. Will they look to Polaris Project or what will be their next step?

Fascinating company and post! I have not heard about PillPack before, but it is an interesting business model and definitely could change the way consumers fill and consume their prescriptions. I agree with your post (and several of the responses) that the success of the company greatly depends on whether or not Walgreens, CVS, etc. develop similar programs, as well as the accuracy of the fulfillment. I wonder what the doctors and hospital reactions have been to PillPack and if they have any concerns regarding the potential error in fulfillment. It will be interesting to see how larger pharmacies react to new technology companies.

Very interesting post! I love this idea – the convenience factor and ability to have personalized styling has the potential of changing retail and the way consumers shop. I wonder what the impact will be on brick and mortar retail as companies like Stitch Fix and other e-Commerce / direct-to-consumer retail companies expand (such as Everlane, Dia & Co, etc.). Is this the beginning of the end of retail stores and malls?

Yes – I totally agree what an interesting topic and post! To be honest, I had not even given much thought to the sustainability of feminine products until reading your post, but I completely agree that there is a stigma around discussing it, as well as changing our behavior. As we learned in Marketing, it is very hard to get consumers to change their behavior. Therefore, as you mentioned, it would be difficult to change human behavior from using disposable tampons; however, Natracare provides a good solution. In order to address the issue, we need to overcome the sigma and provide more awareness and education among consumers.

I agree – I never thought of Blue Apron as a sustainable company aiming to reduce food waste. I always just saw it as a convenient service for aspiring chefs. Therefore, this post was very enlightening and I appreciated learning about the positive impacts of Blue Apron on food shortage. I have used a similar service in the past called Plated, and found that I both saved money on ingredients and helped prevent having to buy extra food. Similar to Margaret’s experience; however, the packaging was hard to recycle and each individual ingredient was packaged in a separate plastic bottle, which did not seem eco-friendly. As Blue Apron continues to grow, I wonder if it will address the packaging issue.

I agree with GTaylor, Whole Foods is in a very interesting position. Whole Foods is at the end of the supply chain, and while it may not have as much control over certain products given the since global warming impacts the availability of such products, it can benefit from the lack of availability. How Whole Foods forecasts inventory and prices its products will be interesting as global warming continues to impact food production.

Yes – thank you for sharing! I was also unaware of these initiatives and think it is a great move for Nike as a company. As you said, sports truly unifiy people. Unlike anything else in our society, sports capture the attention of so many people and it as an ideal platform for spreading awareness and making a difference. Like you mentioned, I think Nike’s initiatives could be very impactful because not only do they minimize waste and recycle used materials, but as a global brand that is relevant in all sports, it can truly reach so many people and drive awareness of an important issue facing everyone in the world.

Great post! I agree, I think it is important that Zara and Inditex are finally addressing the role they have in climate change, but like many of the other readers, I wonder if it is too little and too late. At the end of the day, the low prices and the constant new inventory are what are driving consumers to the stores, but at the same time, as Caroline stated, these factors are also some of the main contributors harming the climate. Yet I wonder how much Inditex is truly incentivized to change their business model? It seems to me that they can address certain aspects of their business to help climate change, but at the end of the day the strengths of their business are some of the main causes of climate change.