The Current — Volume #012
Welcome — our goal is to provide a roundup of key stories and trends influencing the business landscape in the Sunshine State. We’ll bring the goods with strategies, tools, content, and tactics to help you visualize the future and chart the path to positive outcomes.
And of course, a few fun conversation starters for the (virtual) water cooler. Away we go.
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The Best Stuff We Have Read
The Luxury E-Commerce Wars Heat Up
To continue our discussion on ecommerce, this is an interesting point of view on the competition to win the luxury category. On one side: Amazon. On the other: a new alliance of brands and platforms. Who will win?
Takeaways from McDonald’s remarkable comeback
“The seeds of the revival of McDonald’s started with a simple decision that is surprisingly easy to get wrong: go back to basics. From 2015 onwards, McDonald’s scaled back its array of menu offerings and focused on price and quality. It recommitted to Ray Kroc’s beloved business model, increasing the share of franchises last year to 93% (almost 39,000 restaurants), up from 82% in 2015. This provided the company with higher-margins and steadier royalty and rental income. It also streamlined its sprawling international operations, selling control of its restaurants in China and Hong Kong. The results were impressive. Across McDonald’s, sales exceeded $100Bbn last year; its operating margins, thinner than a frazzled patty in most of the restaurant industry, ballooned to 43%. And its share price sizzled. Since 2015 its market value has almost doubled to $160Bbn”
A question on digital transformation…
We all hear the term ‘digital transformation’ often, but most of us struggle to define it in a concrete way. Regardless if you buy into the hype, it is clear that COVID has provided gasoline on digital investment. Many believe being a ‘digital first’ organization is now table stakes to succeed. Is your business making the right investments to thrive in 2021?
Maybe You’re Wondering, “Who is Slalom?”
Slalom is a local-first company. With an 8,000-person international presence, we launched in Florida last Fall with the goal of becoming a driving force in our local community.
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