tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69549105789906464982012-01-26T10:38:15.330-05:00This blog represents learning and lessons gleaned from my international engagements on (b2b) customer and (b2c) consumer innovation - from brand, economics, science, academia to touching on politics where it is beneficial or detrimental to innovation.Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.comBlogger3141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-69329829674876343262012-01-26T10:36:00.000-05:002012-01-26T10:38:15.337-05:00

The Oklahoman (1/18, Allen) reported, "Beginning in May," the University of Oklahoma "will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare students to work in those developing regions, said" David Sabatini, "the director of OU's Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center, or WaTER Center, a part of the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science." The problem, Sabatini "said,

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-51451476516222863412012-01-22T22:40:00.002-05:002012-01-22T22:49:45.209-05:00

Via good friend Mr. Tony Tsai, EVP - Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer, The Beijing Hualian Group:"Xie Guozhong: next year may be most unstable year for world economy in past 20 yearsDec. 22, Xie Guozhong, a director of Rosetta Stone Capital Ltd. and independent economist, said that next year may be the most unstable year for the world economy in the past 20 years. It is impossible for the

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-75161792774075855462012-01-22T17:08:00.003-05:002012-01-22T17:10:04.079-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal; complete article here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-71291906068696843152012-01-19T15:55:00.004-05:002012-01-19T16:01:17.599-05:00

By way of my dear friend Dr. Farrokh Mistree, I have had an introduction to Yakov Ben-Haim, Professor and Yitzhak Moda'i Chair in Technology and Economics, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and his work on Info-Gap:"INFO-GAP THEORY is a method for analysis, planning, decision and design under uncertainty. The future may differ from the past, so our models may err in ways we cannot know.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-65903774538594288152012-01-08T12:09:00.003-05:002012-01-08T14:40:27.174-05:00

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-26937576094802304282012-01-08T11:58:00.002-05:002012-01-08T14:35:39.933-05:00

Mercedes and BMW held out till to release their sales numbers for 2011."The auto maker (BMW) sold 247,907 BMW-brand cars and sport-utility vehicles in 2011, 12.6% more than in 2010. Mercedes sold 245,231, up 13.3%."Here are some interesting approaches to improve sales numbers in the automotive industry:"Auto makers have long gone to unusual lengths to pump up vehicle sales. For years, General

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-61621436663150949612012-01-08T09:19:00.003-05:002012-01-08T14:26:52.586-05:00

I had the opportunity to design, convene and execute a two day, first one of its kind, multidisciplinary GE Energy Innovation Summit with an elite team of GE Energy engineers. I have been impressed with the fact that GE Energy chose to lead such a transformational activity, yet more so, I have been working with some of the best engineering minds in the industry here.The Summit brought together

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-265308415957427152011-12-16T11:59:00.002-05:002011-12-16T12:03:28.201-05:00

Google, Inc.'s awarded patent for "Transitioning a mixed-mode vehicle to autonomous mode" here.From a BBC News article here:"Google believe it is a technology that is here and now and will start appearing in motorcars in the near future," said Professor Alan Woodward from the department of computing at the University of Surrey. "We already have systems that park your cars for you and

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-89998474988016127692011-11-17T09:30:00.004-05:002011-11-17T09:36:31.988-05:00

Measuring innovation ROI when corporations work with academia can sometimes be difficult. While one is driven to provide revenue generating results measured on a quarter to quarter basis, the other has goals of pedagogy and scholarship.Here is an example of a success between Boeing and University of Washington on the 787:"The key innovation that the UW center supported was a way to make “

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-55883586250718783712011-11-17T09:27:00.003-05:002011-11-17T09:28:17.301-05:00

"“Instead of making the easy, wrong choice to scale back our investments, we’ve made the difficult, right choice to continue supporting our innovation and expansion programs as we get pricing and cost savings in place to offset higher commodity costs. We do view this as a short-term choice,” P&G Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said in an Oct. 27 conference call."Read the details here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-20815538470143554062011-11-17T07:55:00.003-05:002011-11-17T08:05:10.941-05:00

Few years back I decided to get into learning electronics hardware implementations as in SmartGrid and firmware applications. I believe that the convergence of soft, firm, and hard-wares is the future and understanding and leveraging this convergence will be key to success for companies that use technology for enablement.Here is just such an example coming out of IBM, "IBM training computer chip

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-81362407877059168042011-09-24T08:21:00.001-04:002011-09-24T08:22:58.217-04:00

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-17814600000832503182011-09-24T08:08:00.004-04:002011-09-24T08:13:35.251-04:00

Cars, airplanes, and now farm equipment are autonomous, see details on farm equipment using robotics for autonomy here."The driverless system is fully controlled by advanced software and is capable of performing a complete workflow during the harvest process. This includes locating a moving harvester in the field, synchronizing with it, collecting its grain and delivering that grain to trucks

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-40652186294720605762011-09-14T10:15:00.003-04:002011-09-14T11:32:26.168-04:00

"IBM, last week, announced the creation of the Services Innovation Lab (SIL), a new global lab of 200 technology experts from IBM, that aim to accelerate the expansion of real-time analytics and software automation."Read detail here. SIL's focus areas will be:Cloud ComputingAdvanced AnalyticsService Delivery AutomationEnterprise Mobilization and Smarter Planet

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-8009512436227843382011-08-31T09:24:00.005-04:002011-08-31T09:54:49.575-04:00

Here are a few research and maturing technologies for commercialization into mass market. From Fast Company here, "Batteries That Run On (And Clean) Used Toilet Water": "Environmental engineer Bruce Logan is developing microbial fuel cells that rely on wastewater bacteria's desire to munch http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifonhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif organic waste. When these

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-84967094390350802562011-08-22T15:25:00.003-04:002011-08-22T15:30:47.493-04:00

From good friend Ms. Jessica Banks:

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-25426676809178953292011-08-16T21:29:00.003-04:002011-08-16T21:36:45.519-04:00

Having had the honor of working with Dr. Farrokh Mistree for the past five years, what a thrill it is to see this come to fruition: "(Dr. Mistree) is being recognized for lifelong dedication and numerous contributions to the engineering design community, particularly for instilling a passion for design in generations of students as an inspirational advisor and mentor. He will receive the Ruth

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-15862046601378049492011-08-09T11:13:00.001-04:002011-08-09T11:15:48.636-04:00

From the New Scientist here, new invention may double the charge in a battery: "In a standard battery, ions shuttle from one solid electrode to the other through a liquid or powder electrolyte. This in turhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn forces electrons to flow in an external wire linking the electrodes, creating a current. In Chiang's battery, the electrodes take the form of tiny

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-6463917949901475632011-08-08T13:36:00.003-04:002011-08-08T14:11:51.669-04:00

An example of leveraging tools combined with unconstrained approaches to innovation. From Popular Science "Students' Innovative 3-D Vision System Wins Prize" here. Jacob Ward writes: "In the end, however, we chose the entry from Tsinghua University, China. Five students there built an entirely new 3-D imaging system. They conquered the classic glasses-or-no-glasses problem by simply stepping

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-72112832929774631882011-08-04T11:49:00.002-04:002011-08-04T11:55:03.648-04:00

"The prize bulb uses just 9.7 watts to match the light output of a 60-watt incandescent, compared with 12.5 watts for the product currently sold. The new lamp is also brighter than the one marketed now, at 910 lumens versus 800 lumens. And it is closer in color to a standard incandescent.Both lamps last 25,000 hours, compared with 1,000 to 2,000 for a standard incandescent."Details here at NY

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-84581707335261359302011-07-22T09:50:00.002-04:002011-07-22T09:54:07.618-04:00

The New York Times reports that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously approved a rule Thursday that establishes guidelines "for planning and paying for new power lines, part of a long-term policy effort to help the nation's electricity grid grow enough to meet the demands of renewable energy and a competitive electricity market." The rule "is intended to push the organizations that

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-36313542355164752782011-07-12T13:30:00.002-04:002011-07-12T13:39:23.036-04:00

“Let’s see if anyone complains if we eliminate it,” Joe McClelland, head of electric reliability for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.To accomodate the variability of renewable power sources like wind and solar, the FERC is considering frequency variations. Now, who keeps time by the grid?"A lot of people are going to have things break and they're not going to know why," said Demetrios

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-82615750698891743282011-06-21T08:18:00.005-04:002011-06-21T08:32:51.959-04:00

"The Chinese supply 78% of the footwear imported into the U.S.; 71% of the ties; 55% of the gloves; roughly 50% of the dresses and baby clothing; and 90% of house slippers, according to Commerce Department data."The article in Wall Street Journal this morning here. The following chart highlights the trend:The article ends with a quote from Bernard Leifer, chief executive of SG Footwear:""There's

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-13230824800754142652011-05-31T20:21:00.009-04:002011-05-31T20:35:26.005-04:00

I met my friend Mr. Martin Ertl, currently CIO of Bombardier Transportation in 2006 when he was the Head of Innovation Impulses at BMW. He stated to me in one of our conversations that the innovation in cars will now come from the outside. A quote from Martin in "Sectoral Innovation Leaders Showcasing" here is apropos:"To set itself apart from its competitors, BMW created a decidedly dynamic

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-12207529419888594752011-05-18T20:30:00.002-04:002011-05-18T20:37:43.414-04:00

Quote from WSJ article:"India's store shelves groan under the weight of consumer brands. About 900 new food and beverage brands alone have been launched there in the past two years. Yet while shoppers enjoy ever more choice, it is getting harder for companies such as Procter & Gamble and Hindustan Unilever to preserve profit margins."Consumer Products Goods sector is going to be a very

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-89608486074175570682011-05-18T17:04:00.002-04:002011-05-18T17:07:00.112-04:00

This is fascinating! From the WSJ, details here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-4540148524032222352011-05-06T10:48:00.003-04:002011-05-06T10:58:09.848-04:00

More funding is going to consumer (soft) applications versus (hard) technology products. Who is making the product technologies today? Multi-Nationals like GE are taking the lead, see "GE Makes India a Lab for Global Markets" here from Wharton.Are the breakthroughs like the printer and the personal computer no longer the domain of Silicon Valley?From the Wall Street Journal "For Silicon Valley

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-42971413764915283092011-04-26T13:33:00.001-04:002011-04-26T13:59:09.553-04:00

Via good friend Mr. Tony Tsai, CEO – BHG Retail Innovation Institute and EVP Operations – The BJ Hualian Hypermarket Co.:"Zeng Peiyan urges establishment of free trade zone between China, Japan and South Korea to be acceleratedApril 25, Zeng Peiyan, former vice premier of China, urged the establishment of a free trade zone between China, Japan and South Korea to be accelerated. He said that the

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-72663760137911352252011-03-31T10:43:00.004-04:002011-03-31T10:52:49.458-04:00

Recently I wrote a response (see here) to a friend CIO at an analytics company's question on... What is transformative in the analytics space? What can work with entrenched platforms and systems while allowing for breakthroughs to occur?Sounds like a familiar concern if you are a CIO of any company that deals with large amounts of data, hence, CPG, FMCG, airlines, finance, etc. The large

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-54220395720797179622011-03-24T12:24:00.002-04:002011-03-24T12:29:30.424-04:00

From the Wall Street Journal:"Electric vehicles have been with us for almost 180 years. The first, an electric carriage created by an inventor named Robert Anderson, made its appearance in Scotland in 1832.""If you are looking for a car that makes good economic sense in these tough times, PEVs simply don't make the grade. Unless crude oil prices rise close to $300 per barrel and battery costs

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-58192917307426038602011-03-16T20:52:00.001-04:002011-03-16T20:54:46.508-04:00

Via good friend Mr. Tony Tsai, CEO – BHG Retail Innovation Institute and EVP Operations – The BJ Hualian Hypermarket Co.:"China has reduced holdings of US bonds for three consecutive months; China reduced holdings of US Treasury bonds by $5.4b in January: March 15, according to statistics issued by the US Department of Finance, China reduced holdings of US Treasury bonds by $5.4b in Jan. China

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-45117284115470955422011-03-10T15:05:00.005-05:002011-03-10T15:47:42.724-05:00

Having written about patents in general, see here, here and here, the new changes USPO are creating excitement!From Yahoo News, details here:"The most substantial change brought about by the bill would be to switch the United States to a "first-inventor-to-file" system for patent applications used by all other industrialized countries rather than the current "first-to-invent" system. Supporters

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-54979118577634944012011-03-01T13:27:00.002-05:002011-03-01T13:35:28.415-05:00

Paul Otellini, Intel CEO: "You see us investing in good times and in bad times when other people don't." Otellini, added NBC, "fears the country is losing its competitive edge to Asia. He blames high corporate taxes and an education system that's falling behind the rest of the world in math and science."

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-41364803367453774892011-02-28T15:26:00.004-05:002011-02-28T15:40:28.768-05:00

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Abid Ghuman in Pakistan at NUST (http://www.nust.edu.pk/) During our conversation, it became clear that he was the key mind behind Ford's "Simplified Flexible Manufacturing". Though not adopted in the USA till the pain of economic downturn, now it is becoming the reason for Ford's success.This article highlights the complexities of large corporations here. The

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-19946525968900434942011-02-25T13:51:00.004-05:002011-02-25T13:57:35.849-05:00

A good friend, executive at a large analytics company, asked me how I would articulate the next product in the space. Here is my attempt:New markets require new analytics products that begin in a new fashion.A generic and current example would be: We can dissect the consumer population into demographics (have schema), and run campaigns on them (poor distributions, hitting same consumer with many

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-78090928286109236452011-02-24T17:20:00.002-05:002011-02-24T17:24:10.607-05:00

MIT's Technology Review has declared 2011's 50 most innovative companies., see them all here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-3057150928595090292011-02-20T09:43:00.012-05:002011-02-24T17:24:31.593-05:00

As the president of TIE Carolinas, an entrepreneurial non-profit, I engage with business men and women from across the world. A trend is clear and omniscient - the world at large, specifically Asia and Africa, have a populace that is aspirationaly committed to improving their lot... from the mother living in the Mumbai ghetto whose girls are working as data entry clerks to the Asian billionaires

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-33634754867688076142011-02-18T15:49:00.001-05:002011-02-18T15:50:57.726-05:00

Very nice creative campaign highlighting Indian tourism by theIdeaWorks, see here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-59811511238818251492011-02-18T09:05:00.005-05:002011-02-18T09:53:41.318-05:00

I serve on the Board of Advisors for School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at University of Oklahoma. My engagement with university education has been in large part due to my tremendous unhappiness with the engineers I was trying to hire at P&G and my friend, mentor and colleague Dr. Farrokh Mistree since 2006.This has led me deeper into engaging in engineering education, one result

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-24529213610014737522011-02-17T09:16:00.004-05:002011-02-17T09:38:40.076-05:00

In all my commercialization efforts, from shampoo bottles to molecules to wireless antennas to software, I always look at whether there is an opportunity to have the first mover advantage, in some cases it is merely marketing based perception.Apple has charged its app publishers 30% for AppStore (article here). Google is countering with 10% cut. Apple made 20% more by entering the market first

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-74081415292079558102011-02-16T07:47:00.004-05:002011-02-16T07:53:04.216-05:00

Via good friend Mr. Tony Tsai, CEO – BHG Retail Innovation Institute and EVP Operations – The BJ Hualian Hypermarket Co.:"China reduces holdings of US Treasury bonds two months in a row; Japan may become the "biggest creditor" of the US: The US Department of the Treasury said on Feb. 15 that China reduced its holdings of US Treasury bonds two months in a row in Nov. and Dec. last year to less

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-85998071188732824232011-02-15T15:25:00.004-05:002011-02-15T15:42:10.245-05:00

From the Vancouver Sun here, ""We keep talking about smart grid as if it's one set of technologies," Hassan Farhangi, director of BCIT's group for advanced information technology, said in an interview... "That's not the case. It's a collection of ideas that could have different variations and different characteristics based on where you implement them."""In order to be successful, "you need to

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-73054907898670227882011-02-14T22:42:00.004-05:002011-02-14T22:49:04.712-05:00

At P&G I had the opportunity to work on VLSI, to comprehend massive statistical data. Just recently I discovered information on my early VLSI related efforts, back in 1995/6, at Delta's Operations Control Center (OCC). I did not think I could talk about it, though now of course there is a youtube video! Enjoy!

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-69891863033532930622011-02-12T07:59:00.003-05:002011-02-12T08:01:48.046-05:00

Click to enlarge:

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-37644145798773014342011-02-12T07:55:00.004-05:002011-02-12T07:57:48.257-05:00

Natural motion without invasive hardware helping Xbox grow:

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-48914108396877880252011-02-11T07:47:00.003-05:002011-02-11T07:52:39.064-05:00

From John Gapper's blog on China and IP"[In China] a pattern is developing. One company cedes its intellectual property to a Chinese SOE and then all of them are then squeezed to the margins of China's domestic market, and face a new competitor. None of this is accidental, or a case of over-eager SOEs crossing the line. China wants to transform from being the factory of the world to an advanced

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-83488895769222330302011-02-11T07:10:00.005-05:002011-02-11T07:41:29.171-05:00

It is always helpful to know what the leaders of nations are thinking during crisis, which may be driven by economics, climate, etc. What is even more interesting is to see the realization of the "what" into the "how", which usually is a bit farther away from the desired.In his article "How the west can reverse a decade of decline" in the Financial Times here, Mr. Gordon Brown highlights an

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-7355604394819426502011-02-05T16:53:00.003-05:002011-02-05T17:02:12.733-05:00

The Economist provides good insights into new literature through its reviews of books.  Though, it has been a while, since I read such a blasting of a book in recent months.   The review "How the reader was lost" here of "How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly—and the Stark Choices Ahead" by Dambisa Moyo is worth reading as it corrects popularized misconceptions that tend to turn

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-6131483361377106432011-02-04T08:11:00.006-05:002011-02-14T21:45:38.204-05:00

I serve as the President of TIE Carolinas, see details on TIE here. Innovation and entrepreneurism, whether in-market, through corporations, within non-profits or government driven remains important to our membership.Good entrepreneurs are known for one quality above all... they act on their belief. John Gapper's blog in the Financial Times "Educate or Import the New Entrepreneurs" here is a

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-43622251190765394452011-02-04T07:57:00.004-05:002011-02-04T08:11:05.286-05:00

From a letter in Financial Times of Feb 3rd 2011:"During my own executive MBA at Imperial College Business School (2008-10) there was the six-month IED (innovation, entrepreneurship and design) module – the idea behind it was to take a product or service from “just” an idea to the business plan stage. Interestingly (especially as Imperial College is in the FT top 10 for “entrepreneurship”) there

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-54982612688778021412011-02-02T19:04:00.003-05:002011-02-02T19:06:41.259-05:00

See also a case study of KFC in China here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-42489867027983872672011-02-02T18:58:00.001-05:002011-02-02T19:00:17.174-05:00

From the Financial Times

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-14016038848359715242011-02-01T08:28:00.002-05:002011-02-01T08:39:49.229-05:00

Graphic from FT... question is why the growth? Is it because it is an Open System?

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-45419017953889626052011-01-31T16:33:00.003-05:002011-01-31T16:38:16.425-05:00

Though in the 20th century closed systems could survive, in the 21st century, speed of capturing the customer's/consumer's hearts will be the key... I wrote about leaving the Apple platform here, specifically the iPhone. Now, Netgear's Lo states that the iPhone is "ultimately a closed system just can't go that far…If they continue to close it and let Android continue to creep up then it's pretty

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-31600584617356577162010-12-16T09:14:00.001-05:002010-12-16T09:16:20.956-05:00

Via Mr. Tony Tsai, CEO – BHG Retail Innovation Institute and EVP Operations – The BJ Hualian Hypermarket Co.:"Ministry of Commerce urges US to recognize China's market economy status as soon as possibleDec. 15, Yao Jian, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, says that the 21st Sino-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) is a good opportunity to promote cooperation between China and

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-39781131808756699482010-12-16T07:01:00.010-05:002010-12-16T09:24:51.997-05:00

Google is the "Democratization Engine" for the world's shoppers and consumers.  Let's talk Android - I am leaving the charms of the iPhone and the Apple!  If a few decades in the technology industry has taught me anything, it is that closed systems have revenue spikes when they deliver on the unmet need, though quickly lose it as competitors emerge with more standardized and open systems.  It is

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-18058313245140336152010-09-21T19:44:00.005-04:002010-09-21T19:51:23.506-04:00

"The rapid-fire growth of high-frequency trading, HFT, has spawned a new breed of market mavens whose backgrounds are far different than the traditional suit-clad Wall Street titans.  Their resumes are rich in rocket science and other non-financial fields and they may never have traded a stock, read an earnings report or scrutinized a balance sheet.  They are engineers, mathematicians and

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-37554712744173343322010-09-09T17:24:00.009-04:002010-09-13T16:00:50.227-04:00

The Financial Times published a well thought through analysis on high-frequency trading and its impact on traditional and retail investors here... William Gibson's quote could be used to summarize the essence of HFT: "the future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed".Wikipedia defines HFT as - "High-frequency trading is the execution of computerized trading strategies

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-4085923175643906042010-09-02T16:03:00.002-04:002010-09-02T16:14:11.184-04:00

Good friend Mr. Tony Tsai, CEO – BHG Retail Innovation Institute and EVP Operations – The BJ Hualian Hypermarket Co. forwards key China updates:"Five future development trends of China's foreign trade. Five future development trends of China's foreign trade are analyzed by Liu Jingdong, a researcher at the International Law Research Institute at the China Academy of Social Sciences. The five

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-40302890971953524172010-09-02T11:55:00.012-04:002010-09-07T14:23:22.238-04:00

A large number of folks have asked me to suggest a trusted source where they can donate for the Pakistan flood relief efforts.I am an Advisor to Ms. Sarah Hashwani, Chariman of Board of Directors of the Hashoo Foundation and the Foundation itself, a family philanthropic organization that has been working in Pakistan for quite a few years, see website here. The foundation has UK and USA (501c3)

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-15175271240782154122010-08-14T19:21:00.003-04:002010-08-14T19:27:10.028-04:00

I previously blogged about pricing here regarding behaviors and pricing, and academic studies providing insights to develop strategies from.  Recently from McKinsey Quarterly on "Building a Better Pricing Structure" here, average review though:"A pricing infrastructure can be difficult and costly to create. It requires investing appropriately, empowering the right people, articulating clear

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-79681703063381492532010-07-28T15:42:00.007-04:002010-07-28T16:18:17.526-04:00

I analyze "adjacencies" and "lateralities" in innovation to discover solutions from industries a sector specific or vertical expert perhaps may not choose to.  Here is an excellent example of engineering solutions for network problems validated in natural organisms through the research of Atsushi Tero at PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency in his recently published paper in the Science, "

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-2242164679293135262010-07-28T14:51:00.005-04:002010-07-28T15:33:08.570-04:00

For CPG companies such as P&G and Unilever, whose shopper is mostly a woman, the concept of empowerment to purchase for the household is an important topic.  Also, retailers large and small look at the buying "power" of the geo- and demo- graphics to price in their locale, for example.  So, what is the impact of "power" on the individual.Here are a few strategic insights from the work of Adam

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-74053612503648808802010-07-15T09:30:00.001-04:002010-07-15T09:34:01.720-04:00

From the Financial Times article "Publishers fear threat of digital piracy as sales of e-books grow" here:"Tom Weldon, deputy chief executive of Penguin (part of Pearson, which owns the Financial Times), said: “The only way to fight piracy is to publish digital content across as many formats as possible, through as many channels, at a fair price. If we go for exclusive or proprietary formats, we’

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-20448017723435645292010-07-15T08:11:00.007-04:002010-07-15T08:53:29.486-04:00

Boston Consulting Group recently published a thought provoking report "The African Challengers: Global Competitors Emerge from the Overlooked Continent".  The report calls the perspective that a continent with only 4% of the world's GDP is "out of date".  The report states:"Between 2000 and 2008, Africa's annual GDP grew by 5.3% (adjusted for PPP), compared with 4% globally.  The rise in

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-41743992859119998322010-07-14T13:21:00.006-04:002010-07-14T14:38:48.002-04:00

I was first educated on the art of pricing by a good friend Mr. Dennis J. Crane of the Business Navigation Group, details here.  Thanks Dennis!A recent and an excellent report from UK's Office of Fair Trading, "The impact of price frames on consumer decision making" here, defines the various pricing strategies of retailers into price frames.  These are:"A baseline treatment in which consumers see

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-70429785371285733632010-07-13T15:18:00.013-04:002010-07-13T20:20:43.968-04:00

How fundamental a shift is to occur in long haul airline consumer travel, the Economist describes the growth of Emirates, Qatar Airlines and Etihad Airlines here.  Interestingly, the Economist dissects the complaints of the European carriers, disqualifies them and only offers that continued success is to follow.The impact on the "business" of airlines in the West will be fundamental and

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-76138330406545986962010-07-12T18:29:00.002-04:002010-07-12T18:34:51.233-04:00

From the Economist

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-54785924601218774312010-07-12T10:48:00.006-04:002010-07-12T10:56:36.613-04:00

Previously, I linked Dan Ariely's take on consumer, shaving and razors here.  Here is a video on an emerging trend from Wall Street Journal in razors and blades.  I agree as I am a part of this trend since one year ago.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-87945203116718281712010-07-09T11:06:00.004-04:002010-07-09T16:19:08.395-04:00

Excellent insights on human behavior in "Gambling Severity Predicts Midbrain Response to Near-Miss Outcomes" by Henry W. Chase and Luke Clark in The Journal of Neuroscience here."During gambling, players experience a range of cognitive distortions that promote an overestimation of the chances of winning. Near-miss outcomes are thought to fuel these distortions."This applies to all activities that

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-7171761575610820762010-07-07T23:42:00.005-04:002010-07-07T23:50:20.865-04:00

Good article by Eliot Van Buskirk, "Gaming the  System: How Marketers Rig the Social Media Machine" here. "If clout is the new currency, in other words, it already has its share of counterfeiters."

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-6486303937137783232010-07-07T23:12:00.004-04:002010-07-07T23:17:48.335-04:00

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-49027267270751714652010-07-06T11:27:00.003-04:002010-07-06T11:32:16.401-04:00

I have been consulting in the development sector for the past few years.  I found the data above of great value representing extremes in education in some of the poorest countries in the world.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-76257843924621659142010-07-06T11:07:00.004-04:002010-07-06T11:20:16.746-04:00

"As the [India's] economy has boomed, and its middle class has grown, book sales have shot up.  Most books in India are still sold in small family-run shops, but book chains are moving into malls and airports.  Keen to exploit this growth, several foreign publishers, including Hachette, and HarperCollins have launched in India in recent years."States the Economist article here.  While consumer

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-58702273606112407422010-06-14T10:19:00.002-04:002010-06-14T10:39:44.559-04:00

The article "Cultural research tour reveals who likes what" in the Financial Times discusses the disparities in consumer behavior when it comes to jewelery here.  For the astute, this also provides insights in luxury and aspirational consumer goods and services as well.  In emerging markets of China and South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), jewelery provides the deepest insights as it

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-55589506945439935612010-06-01T15:09:00.006-04:002010-06-01T18:30:24.510-04:00

In Economist's recent report on innovation in emerging markets here, the article "Here be dragons" talks about three specific business models that - "are not only important innovations in their own right but have serious implications for the way that Western companies run their affairs".The three business models discussed and shared below are designed for the culture and society that is under

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-42522622675613548882010-06-01T14:24:00.005-04:002010-06-01T18:28:57.872-04:00

"To flourish in this atmosphere, it helps to have the spirit of a frontier settler, not a corporate bureaucrat." states the article "Grow, grow, grow" in Economist's recent report on innovation in emerging markets here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-57697532017848908032010-06-01T14:16:00.006-04:002010-06-01T18:27:41.908-04:00

From the Economist's recent report on innovation in emerging markets here, the article "Easier said than done" showcases pyramid-straddling - the concept where a brand is able to win across all socio-economic market segments."... the masters of pyramid-straddling are mobile-handset makers. Nokia produces phones for every market, from rural models designed to cope with monsoons to fashion

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-39051258411812688102010-06-01T14:04:00.009-04:002010-06-01T18:24:04.391-04:00

In Economist's recent report on innovation in emerging markets here, the article "Easier said than done" talks about differentiated and unique approaches to putting economically profitable business ideas into practice. An exceptional example is from Kenya:"East African Breweries, a division of Diageo, launched a cut-price beer, Senator Keg, to help reduce demand for illicit alcohol, which is

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-42049776514519188662010-06-01T13:35:00.011-04:002010-06-01T18:20:52.450-04:00

"The engineering gap" in the January Economist states:"According to the [Aspiring Minds, India], only 4.2% of India’s engineers are fit to work in a software product firm, and just 17.8% are employable by an IT services company, even with up to six months’ training. A larger share could cope in business-process outsourcing (call centres and the like). These findings are even gloomier than the 25%

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-39928032081306694112010-05-21T16:07:00.003-04:002010-05-21T16:13:49.240-04:00

This is in contrast to Samsung in my previous posting, from the Financial Times regarding Canon:"Technology has become too complex for Canon to develop everything in-house and it is expected to make more acquisitions... the company’s chief financial officer said in an interview with the Financial Times.“We can no longer cover everything with our own technology so we need alliances and tie-ups,”

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-74073074970540742352010-05-21T16:02:00.003-04:002010-05-21T16:14:39.102-04:00

From the Financial Times:"Samsung Electronics yesterday unveiled a Won26,000bn ($23bn) investment plan, its biggest to date, as the world’s largest technology company by sales looks to cement its leadership in semiconductors and flat panel displays.The total investment for this year, which includes Won8,000bn (~$7bn) for research and development, ...Samsung’s spending this year will be bigger

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-79647528629406142172010-05-20T16:18:00.003-04:002010-05-20T16:29:09.092-04:00

Having been engaged in the development sector for the past two years, I have discovered the difficulty the sector and people working in it face... i.e. their inability to move at speed, though they are tremendously dedicated and do not lack initiative.  In the Financial Times report on the sector:"...as multilateral institutions and government development agencies work more closely with business,

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-69911935348951549042010-05-20T11:41:00.007-04:002010-05-20T12:01:08.133-04:00

A project to generate energy for Europe from North Africa is being initiated by Desertec, see here.  Financial Times writes:"... the most ambitious solar project is in north Africa. The Desertec Industrial Initiative is a plan to build a vast network of solar power plants and wind farms, covering the desert and stretching for hundreds of miles, and connected to an advanced electricity grid that

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-83921215928382156602010-05-03T12:04:00.005-04:002010-05-13T13:26:38.769-04:00

In the "On Point" program on NPR Tom Ashbrook talks to Naomi Klein, listen here.  Watch Naomi on Comedy Central here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-52056455246693493572010-05-03T09:52:00.006-04:002010-05-03T10:08:09.351-04:00

Having been the Architecture Leader at Procter & Gamble on the shopper and consumer virtualization platforms, I am thrilled to see that the statistics still hold true when you and I stand in front of the shelf to make the buy or not to buy decision.  My work was covered in AG Lafley's book "Game Changer" blogged here by friend and colleague Franz Dill.  Franz was instrumental in setting up the P&

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-47836155264246214742010-05-02T22:35:00.003-04:002010-05-02T22:41:18.097-04:00

Dr. Dan Ariely provides introspection on daily consumer products like razors (specifically Gillette).  And of course, if this interests you then Dan's book "Predictably Irrational" provides deep insights on consumer behavior and associated economics.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-35689648912006128842010-05-02T15:32:00.004-04:002010-05-02T15:38:55.629-04:00

I have believed that one of the key ways disruptions in products and services get developed is when the environment creates pressures and the creative thinkers deliver game changing and apropos to the need innovation.  I have been argued against that places like Silicon Valley are not being pushed yet continue to lead... and always an interesting debate ensues!Here is an excellent video on how

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-70365508651822227362010-05-02T10:31:00.002-04:002010-05-02T10:41:16.989-04:00

Excerpt from a letter in Financial Times:"[Mehmet Aksoy's] monolithic stone sculpture is before the Istanbul stock exchange represents more closely the reality of the market.  The brawny bull is arrested on the cantilevered upward slope by the snarling maw of an angry bear.The bull's stance is one of cautious respect, the bear's on the other hand forms a volatile cloud with a clawed paw carved as

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-86272292578289056172010-05-02T10:17:00.004-04:002010-05-02T10:26:05.682-04:00

From various news sources:"Saudi newspapers ran front page pictures on Friday of King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz in a crowd of women with their faces bared, adding fuel to the growing fight over mixing in the kingdom."The picture is several weeks old though.King Abdullah continues to lead with changes across all aspects of Saudi life, an example is:"[King Abdullah] opened a

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-55976052764215112952010-04-30T12:37:00.004-04:002010-04-30T13:02:59.236-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Seamless service from clicks and bricks" talks about the growth of eCommerce driven retail, moving of luxury goods sales to the internet and their success, and a combination of clicks and bricks."Deloitte and Forrester, the technology and market research group, found that 40 per cent of retail sales in the US last year were influenced by the

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-53517337478391746342010-04-30T12:19:00.006-04:002010-04-30T13:04:39.161-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Good analysis and use of data can make all the difference" highlights the role of information technology from product manufacturing to in-market to consumption."“But what has changed since is that there is now a renewed focus on looking at where retailers make money, and that is in the store,” [Andy Park, industry leader for retail and consumer

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-28329715687208805052010-04-30T11:58:00.004-04:002010-04-30T12:37:29.150-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Consumption starts to shift to China, India and Brazil" discusses that the average shopper and consumers balance sheets are in better shape than they were a year ago.  Yet, the article states:"But if the consumer is coming back to malls and high streets, their attitudes are changing, according to recent research.Consumers around the world are

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-25309211395198830472010-04-30T11:50:00.004-04:002010-04-30T13:06:22.883-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "More circumspect attitude prevails" provides some intriguing highlights into the GCC market place - "Mirdif’s developers, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, insist the Dh3bn ($820m) project makes sense. Like businesses in other sectors, they are betting on recovery in an oil rich region that has a reputation for rampant consumerism and the emergence

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-29904256788018883692010-04-30T07:18:00.007-04:002010-04-30T11:57:30.049-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Traditional vendors still dominate" discusses how India remains the "world's most attractive developing country for retail investments."  The article states that "large foreign players such as Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour, have been kept on the margins by New Delhi’s ban on foreign direct investment in so-called “multi-brand retail.”" but

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-45208718923832860582010-04-30T06:26:00.007-04:002010-04-30T11:57:40.572-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "The Wild West with razor-thin margins" documents the complications associated with exponential growth opportunities associated with open markets.  Specifically, the case of "Huang Guangyu, founder of the giant Chinese electronics retail chain Gome, was named China's richest man two years ago... But in February, he cele- brated his second Chinese

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-86050232639181727362010-04-29T16:32:00.009-04:002010-04-30T11:57:52.966-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Stores prepare to fight for every last customer" covers the retailers approach in the US to convert their shoppers to buyer and loyal customers."Glenn Murphy, chief executive of Gap, ... has a hard-nosed view of what to expect this year from US retailers, as their customers gradually emerge from last year’s slump in spending.“It is going to be

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-74768021424806484842010-04-29T16:20:00.006-04:002010-04-30T11:58:06.277-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Green moves make savings" discusses the influence of the shopper on pushing the retailer towards "green"."Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of the IGD, says she is not seeing strong evidence of retailers opting for the schemes that save most money, partly driven by consumers.“The shopper has been very clear [that] it’s not price at the

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-39333026110908025652010-04-29T16:07:00.007-04:002010-04-30T11:58:22.217-04:00

In the Financial Times World Retailing this month, "Global view with a local focus" highlights the shift in emphasis on optimization of retail operations and engaging the retail staff to convert the shopper into a buyer/consumer."Don Williams, head of retail at BDO, says that if businesses have underlying operational issues, these will be thrown into sharp relief: “Tough operational conditions

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6954910578990646498.post-50564758328735564302010-04-28T12:36:00.003-04:002010-04-28T12:44:57.144-04:00

Mr. Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO is someone I have listened to closely when it comes to understanding investments in global markets."As a group emerging markets have become stabilizers in the system, old days we thought of them a disruptor."See the video here.

Sammy Haroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792082374926854952noreply@blogger.com0