I go back a long way with Gordmans Stores (GMAN).
When I was a little kid, the local Richman Gordman had a kids play area
with these huge (to a 4-yr-old) fiberglass animals that you could climb
on/through, slide down, and otherwise amuse yourself with. The play
area was always pretty full, and I think Richman Gordman was locally
popular if for no other reason than mothers could do some shopping
(these were the days when you actually could leave kids unattended to
play) while their shrieking hellions amused themselves without bothering
other shoppers.
Fast forward all too many years, and it's worth
asking if the U.S. retail scene really needs yet another shopping
destination. In the case of Gordmans, I think there could be something
here - the company is trying to combine discount store pricing with a
specialty store "feel," and shoppers have proven over and over again
that they love that combination. With a good balance sheet, an
economically attractive store model, and a solid expansion plan, these
shares may just be a discount themselves today.
Please continue reading here:
Gordmans Stores Looking To Carve Out A Niche In The Cutthroat Retail World
Showing posts with label Kohls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kohls. Show all posts
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Investopedia: Today Not A Typical Williams-Sonoma Market
Higher-end retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) has a problem. It's not a merchandise quality problem or an in-store experience problem. It's not a substitution problem; people still cook and use furniture. No, the problem for Williams-Sonoma is more of a consumer disposable income problem - there is nothing in a Williams-Sonoma store that people cannot live without, and as surveys from the National Retail Federation continue to show, people are trying to stretch their income further by shopping more at places like Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Bed Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq:BBBY) and less at places like Williams-Sonoma.
Cracks Showing in Q2?
Although Williams-Sonoma management decided to issue an earnings press release talking about "strong" earnings in the title, investors can be forgiven if they don't see it as such a strong release. Revenue came in at the lower end of analyst expectations, with reported growth of just a bit more than 5%. While in-store retail growth was pretty anemic (less than 1%), direct-to-consumer sales were up 13% and internet sales (part of DTC) was up nearly 19%.
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Monday, August 22, 2011
Investopedia: Can Retailers Pass The Back To School Test?
Across the country, a traditional rite of fall has either begun or is soon coming - the resumption of school. With the return to school goes an annual pilgrimage to the malls and shopping centers to equip the little tykes with the clothing, electronics and other supplies that they need to start the school year. For many retailers, this is the second-biggest shopping event of the year (after Christmas), but ongoing economic malaise may make this a tougher test this year. (If you have to do back-to-school shopping, check out Best Back-To-School Deals.)
Another Sluggish Season?
According to surveys from the National Retail Federation, this is not looking like an especially robust year. More specifically, it looks like per-family spending may dip slightly from last year (by about half a percent) to about $604. While this is certainly better than the 2009 malaise of $549 per family, it marks another year where retailers cannot rely on fatter wallets to boost their own profits.
Absent more money sloshing around the market in general, retailers will have to pull out the stops to lure shoppers into their stores. Going back to the NRF survey, customers are saying that they will rely more on discount stores, online shopping and sales, but they will not necessarily abandon the name brands and up-market products altogether.
Continue by clicking the link:
http://stocks.investopedia.
Another Sluggish Season?
According to surveys from the National Retail Federation, this is not looking like an especially robust year. More specifically, it looks like per-family spending may dip slightly from last year (by about half a percent) to about $604. While this is certainly better than the 2009 malaise of $549 per family, it marks another year where retailers cannot rely on fatter wallets to boost their own profits.
Absent more money sloshing around the market in general, retailers will have to pull out the stops to lure shoppers into their stores. Going back to the NRF survey, customers are saying that they will rely more on discount stores, online shopping and sales, but they will not necessarily abandon the name brands and up-market products altogether.
Continue by clicking the link:
http://stocks.investopedia.
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