Month: October 2010

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Blockbuster+files+bankruptcy/3567327/story.html?id=3567327

Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy this week although as of now they are keeping all 3 000 stores open in the United States.  Stores in Canada were not included in this however if the company is struggling in the United States it seems likely that it will soon be in trouble here too.

This surprised me because to me Blockbuster has such huge brand recognition and has been around for so long that I could never picture it in the state it is in now. Blockbuster is finding it hard to compete in the industry because of all of the substitutes available.  I’m not sure that Blockbuster will be able to reverse the damage that has been done because the industry of renting movies from a store is becoming obsolete.  I think that if Blockbuster is to continue they need a drastic change to their strategy, perhaps joining up with a company similar to Netflix that isn’t as well known and by adding their name to it, maybe both companies could benefit.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2010/09/23/blockbuster-bankrupt-netflix-more-popular-than-ever/

http://www.financialpost.com/news/business-insider/Apple+iPad+invading+business+world/3609347/story.html

Tests have been performed on Apple’s iPad device that have been showing that it could not only be a valuable tool for consumers but for businesses as well.  They are saying that the fact that it is “easily programmable” could really change the way some business sectors do business.  For example, restaurants can use the “Tablewait” application to organize seating plans and allow people to check in.

I think this is very significant for Apple because generally Microsoft programs dominant the business world and if they could get into the business market it could be very profitable for them.  Up until now, I think Microsoft has done a better job of positioning their brand to attract businesses to use their software, but it seems like the iPad could be a more efficient device than desktop computers or laptops because of its mobility.  If Apple continues to expand their software to provide useful applications for businesses I think it could be very beneficial to them.

http://www.findmeapropertyindubai.com/properties_ipad.asp

http://www.digitalqatar.net/tag/ipad/

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/entrepreneur/human_resources/article.jsp?content=20061019_145640_5628

PROFIT magazine came up with an article in 2006 describing how businesses need to improve their hiring recruiting strategies in order to attract talented employees.  As the baby boomers begin to retire, it will become difficult to find workers with the appropriate skills to fill open positions.

Although this article isn’t new I found it very interesting what they were forecasting for the future.  If their prediction is correct, then there should start to be a major need for positions to be filled in the job market.  I found it fascinating that it seems right now that it’s difficult for people to find jobs, however the article suggests not necessarily that there’s a lack of people applying for jobs, but that there is a lack of people with the necessary skills and experience.

http://www.expresspros.com/ca/extra/2007/09/

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2010/09/30/walmarts-south-africa-play-storm-clouds-ahead/

Shoppers in South Africa are generally excited for the possibility of Walmart coming to South Africa because it will allow them to shop somewhere where prices are much lower.  Unions in South Africa on the other hand are against Walmart.  They feel that Walmart has a reputation of exploiting workers and they don’t want to welcome that kind of company.

When I heard in class that Walmart was planning to bid over $4 billion for Massmart in South Africa I thought it was crazy.  Walmart may be one of the largest retailers in the world but it seems pretty risky to put that much money into an expansion that is not supported by South African unions that have significant influence.  I think Walmart should rethink this decision or at least make more of an attempt to smooth things over with the unions so that they don’t have a powerful influence rooting for them to fail right from the start.

http://stylerspeaks.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/cbs2-kcal9-starts-now/