Thought Leadership
The lifeblood of a business school is its faculty, and at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business our faculty members are inspiring, supportive and world-class. We are attuned to a marketplace that values innovation, entrepreneurialism, analytical thinking and hard work. Our teaching and research equips students with the wisdom of business scholarship rooted in the experiential lessons of the marketplace.
December 2, 2022
Study Helps Retailers Figure Out What Consumers Want Next
Retailers are constantly trying to figure out not just how to sell their current inventory, but also what to offer to consumers for the next season. Thanks to new research from a University of Maryland marketing professor, predicting what consumers want could get easier.
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Study Helps Retailers Figure Out What Consumers Want Next
November 17, 2022
Airlines Failing in Customer Service: Smith Experts Explain its Roots and Strategies for Passengers
AAA’s prediction for 54.6 million Thanksgiving weekend travelers would push travel in the United States to 98 percent of pre-pandemic volume. But it may not be enough to reserve airport parking spaces beforehand or allocate extra time for TSA lines.
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Airlines Failing in Customer Service: Smith Experts Explain its Roots and Strategies for Passengers
November 10, 2022
For Retailers, the Holiday Shopping Season Looks Lackluster
Continuing a trend that has been building for the past several years, retailers started their Black Friday holiday promotions well before the traditional post-Thanksgiving shopping day this year.
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For Retailers, the Holiday Shopping Season Looks Lackluster
September 8, 2022
Retail’s Inventory Glut
Retailers have been working to reduce inventory to make room for holiday season items. Mishaps in planning dating back to last year are haunting them with excess stock of unwanted products, prompting tactics such as price-cutting, order cancellations and pack and hold.
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Retail’s Inventory Glut
August 4, 2022
The Toys R Us Comeback
It’s been about five years since Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and began liquidating its 700-plus big box stores in the United States. But a return to brick and mortar is under way – inside more than 400 Macy’s stores. Spaces, from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet, are combining…
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The Toys R Us Comeback
June 22, 2022
Swallowing Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store
Consumers are grappling with sharply higher prices nearly everywhere, thanks to soaring inflation rates. The sticker shock at the grocery store can be particularly tough to swallow, says Maryland Smith’s P.K. Kannan, the Dean’s Chair in Marketing Science and associate dean for strategic initiatives.
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Swallowing Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store
June 21, 2022
Third-Party Apps for Brand-Customer Interaction, Smith Expert Gives Pros and Cons
Convenience is invaluable for both sides in business-customer interaction. Thus, companies increasingly are integrating live chat and messaging – an advancement from voice and email – into the customer service channel mix. Third-party apps facilitate and fuel this trend. “The top three apps (…
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Third-Party Apps for Brand-Customer Interaction, Smith Expert Gives Pros and Cons
June 9, 2022
How Target Missed the Mark on Inventory
Target missed the mark when calculating this season’s inventory and now the retailer is scrambling to liquidate extra items. The company is slashing prices to move items like patio furniture and household appliances to free up space on shelves and in warehouses. But how’d they get it so wrong?
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How Target Missed the Mark on Inventory
May 25, 2022
Summer Reading List 2022
Check out the 19th annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders, with recommendations from faculty members at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. This year’s list includes new and older books on the Fed, problem-solving, entrepreneurism, memory, vaccines, and human…
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Summer Reading List 2022
March 10, 2022
A Fluid Situation
Banking Bans More Likely Than Oil, Vodka Boycotts to Influence Russia’s Ukraine Stance
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A Fluid Situation