Is Switzerland headed for a crisis?

Pang Dong Lai (PDL) is a regional Chinese supermarket chain that generated an astonishing $3.27 billion in revenue in 2025 with only 14 stores, vastly outperforming national and global giants in per-store efficiency. In a retail landscape defined by fierce competition and razor-thin margins, PDL's success stems from a radical, people-first operating model. By distributing 95% of its profits to employees and management, PDL has engineered an unparalleled service-profit chain, translating extreme employee loyalty into absolute customer trust. This case vividly illustrates the core of strategic positioning: Strategy is about choosing what not to do. To protect its high-trust culture and prevent employee burnout, visionary founder Yu Dong Lai deliberately constrained expansion, mandated weekly store closures, and even shuttered profitable locations. This extreme altruism created a paradox of unintended growth, as overwhelming national demand pushed 2025 sales far beyond the company's self-imposed limits. At the start of 2026, PDL stands at a critical crossroads, profoundly intensified by Yu Dong Lai's retirement announcement and the transition to an 8-person management committee. The new leadership must navigate two distinct growth paths. The first is to 'scale the product' nationally as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand via a supply chain partnership with JD.com, risking the commoditization of a brand rooted in local, in-person experiences. The second is to 'scale the experience' by building massive, capital-intensive destination retail complexes. Participants are challenged to step into the shoes of the succeeding management team. They must evaluate the strategic tradeoffs of each expansion path, debate whether an 'unscalable,' founder-driven culture can be successfully institutionalized, and ultimately decide how to scale the business without changing its soul.

The IMD Smart City Index shows why resident satisfaction matters more than rankings when cities assess smart infrastructure and public trust.

Companies are being forced to rethink how they invest, operate and manage risk as the Iran war reshapes the global economic outlook. What began as a geopolitical shock is now feeding directly into boardroom decisions, pushing executives to delay s...

Considering a career transition? Begin by identifying your unique values and strengths. Sophi Hazi and Arturo Pasquel guide you through the process.

Ecosystem competition is reshaping strategy as firms shift from linear advantage to value networks. Mark Greeven explains how leaders must rethink growth and governance.

First published 250 years ago, The Wealth of Nations remains a cornerstone of economic thought. Adam Smith’s treatise on free trade is still highly relevant for today’s fracturing global economy, argues Stefan Michel

The Wealth of Nations remains a cornerstone of economic thought. Adam Smith’s treatise on free trade is relevant for today’s fracturing global economy.

This note explains the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling of 20 February 2026 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not provide a legal basis for the imposition of tariffs and sets out the factors likely to govern US tr...

The economics of who pays for US tariffs is largely settled, even if the politics is not. Most of the cost has been borne by American businesses and consumers, new Federal Reserve research shows. The more important question is what happens as the ...

A quarter-century of trade data reveals that the 2025 United States tariff shock did not produce an abnormal redistribution of Chinese exports across third markets. Non-US destination shares of Chinese exports varied less in 2025 than during the G...