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How is RFID technology related to Wal-Mart’s business model? How does it benefit suppliers? Wal-Mart’s basic business model is “low cost.” RFID promises to reduce supply chain costs and improve the availability of items on store shelves. The world’s biggest retail chain wants RFID readers installed at store receiving docks to record the arrival of pallets and cases of goods. Software uses sales data from its point-of-sale systems and the RFID data about the number of cases brought out to…

Unfortunately, some companies have mismanaged their greatest asset—their brands. This is what befell the popular Snapple brand almost as soon as Quaker Oats bought the beverage marketer for $1.7 billion in 1994. Snapple had become a hit through powerful grassroots marketing and distribution through small outlets and convenience stores. Analysts said that because Quaker did not understand the brand’s appeal, it made the mistake of changing the ads and the distribution. Snapple lost so much…