Kurt Barnard
Kurt Barnard
appealing circumstance difficult easier far favorable last mix months product quite reviewing seen several store trying
So far I think he has done quite well under very difficult and trying circumstances, ... He's making the store more appealing and easier to shop, and has been reviewing the product mix for the last several months now and we have seen some very favorable shopper response.
absolutely appeals bankruptcy brings consumers difficult efforts envision found indication newness road sales stores terrible
Their sales are terrible and their efforts to come up with newness that appeals to consumers and brings them back into the stores are failing. There's absolutely no indication that they have found a road back to health, and while they have very little debt, they do have too many stores. With that kind of a background, it's not difficult to envision a bankruptcy in the foreseeable future.
above companies competition difficult gear heads industry merger question rampant retailing
There's no question that competition in retailing is rampant and out of hand. It's getting increasingly difficult for companies to keep their heads above water. That's why the industry is getting into gear for more merger activity.
companies consumer controls decent demand difficult economic evidence good however inventory nobody orders planning spring time until
They are all planning very cautiously, very carefully. Some companies have very decent inventory controls, but however good those controls are they still have to do some economic forecasting, and forecasting is a little difficult this time around. Nobody is going to spring for big orders until there's evidence that consumer demand is back, and there is no such evidence to date.
corn difficult establish failed gave identity reason stand
They failed to establish an identity for themselves, a niche, and that makes it difficult for it to stand out, ... They never gave shoppers a reason for preferring it to any one of its rivals. It was just there, like soaking corn flakes.
cautious consumers demand difficult half industry job picture retail second spending unless until year
Until the unemployment picture improves, consumers will be very cautious about their spending habits. We think the second half of the year could also be difficult for the retail industry unless the job demand improves.
comparable difficult discount driven june month retailers sales
June was a difficult month for retailers and it's also typically a month during which comparable sales are driven by discount sales.
christmas coming difficult gross half impossible likely moment pressure puts retailers second tremendous weak
The first half is going to be a very, very difficult one, and at this moment it's going to be impossible to say how the second half is going to be, ... The second half is likely to be better than the first, but remember, most retailers are coming off a very weak Christmas and that puts tremendous pressure on gross margins.
core profitable
It's not a core business, but (gardening) is a very profitable part of the business.
easier growing happens horizon shopping simply store
E-commerce is growing exponentially, and it is not at all unreasonable to think that simply because the store essentially, or a whole horizon of stores, happens to be right on your desk, that shopping is made so much easier than before,
beginning christmas consumer cost economy everybody exciting extra families far gas gasoline high landing less means month pump soft spending toll worried year
Everybody is worried about a soft landing for the economy and a contraction of consumer spending. And come Christmas it will be far less exciting than a year ago. The high cost at the gas pump is beginning to take its toll and for a lot of families spending an extra $20-to-$25 a month on gasoline means spending that much less on stores.
blizzard major malls presidents serious shut since stores weekend
The blizzard was a serious setback for retailers, especially since the Presidents Day weekend is a major day for sales. Most of the malls and independent stores were shut in the Northeast.
add bigger business grow growth percentage smaller stores
The bigger it gets, the smaller the percentage growth will be. Let's say that when you add 10 new stores to 100 stores, you grow the business 10 percent. When you add 10 stores to 3,000 stores, the growth isn't obvious.
activity august basically figures labor reliable september time
The August figures this time are basically not very reliable for anything whatsoever. A lot of the Labor Day activity will come in September this year.