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Author(s)

Michael Mazzeo

Ariel Shwayder

Sachin Waikar

Steve & Barry's grew rapidly in the mid-2000s, transitioning from a chain of small stores selling inexpensive collegiate-branded merchandise near university campuses into a $1 billion mall-based giant selling a wide variety of low-priced, celebrity-endorsed apparel. While the company had a wide following, elements of its growth strategy?otentially exacerbated by economic conditions?ontributed to its quick downfall. By 2008 Steve & Barry's had declared bankruptcy, and various private equity firms were investigating whether some or all of the company should be saved. This requires analyzing the underlying business strategy pursued by Steve & Barry's before and after its growth phase and specifically diagnosing the explanations for its failure.

Date Published: 12/01/2009
Discipline: Entrepreneurship;Management;Marketing;Strategy
Key Concepts: Strategy, Retail, Product Differentiation, Growth and Change, Bankruptcy, Private Equity
Citations: Mazzeo, Michael, Ariel Shwayder, Sachin Waikar. Steve & Barry's: To Save or Not To Save?. 5-309-501 (KEL446).