When choosing a product in a grocery store the consumer is faced with vast amounts of information. What does this product cost, which brand is it from, is there any special deal on the product I am looking for, and so on. While many people opt for the cheapest product or one of a brand…
The annual Future Investment Initiative conference, dubbed ‘Davos in the desert’, was meant to be a glowing example of Saudi Arabia’s growing importance in the world. But this year, it was overshadowed by the Khashoggi killing, the region’s worst diplomatic crisis since 9/11. This prompted drop-outs from guests such as Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP…
This article has been co-written by Michael Soon, Founder and Chairman of the LSE Emerging Markets Forum, and Robert Verworn, Director of the 2017 Speakers Team. Michael and Robert (‘Bob’) were recently on a business trip to Harare and Bulawayo, alongside a day excursion to Botswana and a two-day trip to Lusaka for Bob.…
This week, we received the shocking news of the passing of Thai businessman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha – the owner of King Power and Leicester City Football Club – after his helicopter crashed just outside the King Power Stadium after a game between Leicester City and West Ham United. Mr Srivaddhanaprabha was one of many businessmen from…
Introduction The rise of the internet and low cost global communication have revolutionized businesses and societies across the world. From increasing agricultural efficiency to making buyers and sellers more informed about market situations- there is much to gain from increased connectivity. Recently, the areas in which internet access has grown the most have been in…
The title of ‘China’s most Valuable Company’ was robbed from Tencent earlier this year, due its free-falling share price, which since January has fallen 40%. With a market capitalisation of $353 Billion, shedding $200 Billion from last year – the conglomerate has also lost its space in the being the world’s 10 biggest companies, with…
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVHM), the world’s largest luxury retailer, owner of Louis Vuitton, recently experienced an 11% decline in Q2 to Q3 results, sending its share price down by 7%. This was a trend seen across the sector, as competitor Kering, owner of Gucci, saw its shares fall by 10%. These bearish…
Emerging markets have been a driving force in the global economic cycle over the past two decades, fuelled by their strong domestic growth and demographic dividends. Economic openness is an important determinant of growth, job creation and poverty reduction. Economic openness consists of three major aspects: global trade, investments and the free movement of people.…
University of Arizona students work in the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center vertical farming facility for research, education and outreach. (Photo courtesy of Austin Smith) Introduction A 2017 UN study suggests that the world population will increase by approximately 86 million per year over the coming decade, leading to rapidly rising populations, especially…
There has been extensive discussion about how blockchain technology has lots of potential to open up new landscapes for businesses and society in general. Here we will examine the ways in which this ground-breaking innovation could benefit emerging markets, with a particular focus on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), representing the post-Soviet sphere. We believe…