Travel and tourism industry

Getting customers to make impulse purchases at the checkout counter has always been more of an art than a science. Now, though, the fast-food industry is combining psychology and computer technology to increase impulse buying. This new sales strategy exploits what we call the “spare-change effect”—people’s willingness to buy with change goods that they wouldn’t […]

Photography: Eric Leleu Alain Ducasse learned to love food on his parents’ farm. He received his first three-star Michelin rating—for Le Louis XV, in Monaco—when he was just 33 and now runs an empire of more than 20 restaurants (with a collective 19 Michelin stars) in cities from Tokyo to Las Vegas. Interviewed by Patrice […]

Taking stock of the economic opportunities to be found beyond our planet

Assets like leadership, talent, and speed are what produce superior market value. A capabilities audit can show you how you measure up—and how to build on your intangible strengths.

Space is becoming a potential source of value for businesses across a range of sectors, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and tourism....

Photography: David Becker/Getty Images Nobu Matsuhisa learned how to make sushi in his native Japan and how to spice it up working as a young chef in Peru and Argentina. He ran a few ill-fated restaurants before finding success with Matsuhisa, in Beverly Hills, and Nobu, in New York. A customer, the actor Robert De […]

On-demand services to try.

The Idea in Brief It’s good that a recession forces businesses to operate more efficiently, but many panic and make damaging trade-offs. Alice Waters runs a thriftier kitchen these days at Chez Panisse, but she still gives top priority to quality and sustainability, both indispensable to the brand. In contrast to the many business owners […]

Today, the author writes, business can be conducted in English almost anywhere in the developed world, possibly excepting Japan. But when you build or...

Eighteen months into the pandemic, a panel of experts discuss what's changed, whether the bailouts were misspent, and if business travel is ever coming...

New technology is helping employers systematically shift more work to their best employees.

Tools like Alexa and Google Assistant offer a whole new way of connecting with customers.

Tracking things like customer satisfaction and employee turnover can powerfully supplement traditional bookkeeping. Unfortunately, most companies botch the job.

The number of international tourist visits will more than double in the next dozen years. As demand for access to hot spots outpaces capacity, some companies...

Alegre Hotels has traditionally left promotion to each of its diverse properties. But a looming crisis may call for a new strategy.

Risk aversion is undermining U.S. innovation, warns Deborah Wince-Smith, president of the Council on Competitiveness.

Financial security, forgiveness, respect, and communication.

Lilypad Hotels and Resorts may rebrand its boutique properties under the corporate name. Will customers and hotel managers buy in—or simply check out?

Companies aggressively offer discounts, introductory coupons, and other incentives to lure new customers—and, often, those prospects oblige by making an initial purchase. But my research in the financial services, fast food, and automotive sales and service industries shows how these tactics can backfire. In one study, involving 300 new customers of a bank, 71% of […]

Getting the right people on board—and then all enthusiastically pulling in the right direction—has bedeviled organizations since the time of wooden ships, when the most popular form of motivation left lash marks. Today’s corporate helmsmen may be more enlightened, but they still face the same challenge. How can a company transform its frontline crew into […]