Kurt Barnard
Kurt Barnard
below decent high large last retail sales
I think by and large retail sales will be decent for most retailers, but not spectacular, ... Most will come in with same-store sales very much below the formidably high same-store sales of last year.
arena bit discount efficient itself large likely perhaps retail store
From what I've seen, Sears is well underway to making itself into a more efficient and a more pleasant-to-shop retail establishment. It is likely to become a powerhouse in the mass-market arena and perhaps look a little bit like a combination of a large discount store and Kohl's.
compare cost impact large lost number pairs sales
You just can't compare the impact of a large number of sales of flashlights, which may cost $2 to $4, with lost sales, for example, of hundreds of pairs of shoes, each costing $50 to $200.
attract competition direction exclusive goods group itself larger luxury pricing shows space stores trying
While Saks is trying to make itself even more exclusive and pricing its goods even higher, the Neiman Marcus stores are going in the other direction and trying to attract a larger group of consumers. Today's development shows that competition in the luxury space is being ratcheted up a notch.
advantages arsenal buying chains click compare consumers cost days easier given inherent joint large likely lower money obtaining possible powerful prices recognized reduce saving seems toward weapon
It seems to be that a lot of these large chains are gravitating toward the advantages inherent in joint buying and obtaining lower prices and saving a lot of money in the process, ... ...It is very likely to be a powerful weapon in the retailer's arsenal to reduce the cost of buying and operating. And given the world of the Internet, which makes possible these alliances, it has to be recognized that consumers will find it so much easier these days to compare prices because all they have to do is click away.
convinced core credit deliver devote finally impressive next resources results rid sales six slump stuck true
While it's true that Sears is stuck in a sales slump for a long time, the retailer has also been in a restructuring mode, ... By getting rid of the credit business, it can finally devote all its resources to its core business. I'm convinced Sears will deliver impressive results in the next six to 12 months.
consumer continues department discount shift specialty spending stores strong
There has been, and continues to be, a strong shift of consumer spending away from traditional department stores and specialty stores over to discount stores.
consumer continue future growth last mistake moderate reasonable spending stop suddenly trend
This trend is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. Growth will continue and will be very strong, but it will be more moderate than it was last year, ... Make no mistake about it - this growth will continue. Consumer spending will continue to grow, but it's not going to suddenly stop or go back. It will continue at a more reasonable pace.
attack coming cost decline economy economy-and-economics existed extra gasoline gave gone hasten matter paycheck push retail terms
What Sept. 11 has done to the economy is to accelerate, hasten and deepen the decline, but the decline existed before. The attack gave it the extra push in terms of retail sales. If you don't have a paycheck coming in, it doesn't matter how much cost of gasoline has gone down.
eye market needs pleasant stores toward
What J.C. Penney needs to do is to make the stores they do have palatable, pleasant to shop, and all of this needs to be done with an eye toward recapturing the market they've lost,
burdened car gas looking money news people prices suddenly taking target
With gas prices the way they are and with people suddenly being burdened with monthly car payments, they are looking for bargains. People are taking their money from Bloomingdale's to Penney, Kohl's (NYSE: KSS - news ) and Target (NYSE: TGT - news ).
bought customers good left loyal resist time
Even the most loyal customers won't be able to resist a very good bargain. And by the time the loyal customer has bought all the Wal-Mart bargains, there won't be very much left for Target.
bigger comparable customer improve increasing offers opportunity sales volume
Bigger is better. Bigger offers more opportunities for increasing sales volume and increasing the customer base. It would give them an opportunity to improve their comparable sales performance.
additional chapter credit depend extension possibly tide whether
Everything will depend on whether they can get an extension of their credit and possibly additional credit to tide them over. If they don't get the credit, Chapter 11 (bankruptcy) is probably the only way out.