In 2022, Proterra looked like a company that had already won. It had delivered more than 1,000 electric buses, held contracts with 135 transit agencies, and grew revenue 24% to $309 million. The White House championed it. The U.S. electric bus market grew 66% that year, and federal infrastructure money was flowing toward exactly what Proterra made. In August 2023, Proterra filed for Chapter 11.
Whirlpool, the global appliance behemoth, recently reported less-than-healthy results. To summarize Whirlpool’s performance, The Wall Street Journal titled its brief recap “Whirlpool Heading for Full-Year Loss as Costs Mount and Sales Fall.” Whirlpool’s sagging performance has resulted in a cost-cutting, price-raising strategy.
Relying on deal after deal to attract customers is death-wish marketing. The more often a brand announces, “This is a great deal,” the more customers come to believe that the deal price is the real price. The regular price begins to look inflated. The brand’s perceived value declines. What appears to be a short-term sales success can become a long-term problem for revenue quality and profitability.
The teddy bear is more than 120 years old. Soft toys are one of the oldest, most crowded, and most price-driven categories in consumer goods, full of cheap lookalikes and characters licensed from film franchises. Asked to name a category where brand power goes to die, plush would be a reasonable answer.
Albertsons, the grocery chain, is in trouble. In December 2024, federal and Washington state court rulings blocked its proposed $24.6 billion merger with Kroger, leaving Albertsons to compete on its own in a highly competitive, volatile business. Nearly two years later, the problems have not disappeared. In its October 13, 2026 earnings release, Albertsons reported a 0.8% decline in identical sales, $52 million in quarterly net income and a comprehensive business review intended to accelerate...
