The financial and industry media are abuzz - even gloating a bit - over the recent “misfortunes” of the world’s largest retailer. It seems that the bottoming out of the economy has caused Wal*Mart’s sales to flatten. After over a decade of double-digit annual sales increases, growth has slipped in the last two years. After capturing lots of “trade down” market share, the economic misfortunes finally came to rest in the form of reduced traffic, pressure on average transaction values, … [Read more...]

Footwear is the darling of fashion retailing these days. With sales growth recently outpacing that of apparel, footwear companies and their stocks are outperforming those of other product categories. Retail prices for shoes, boots, sneakers and sandals are rising faster than other soft goods. One company responsible for some of this excitement is Skechers USA Inc. The 18-year-old Manhattan Beach, CA-based casual shoe company set the industry on fire late last year with the introduction of … [Read more...]

With over 4 million potential customers born every year in the US, 30 million “consumers” under the age of 7, and 76 million baby boomers becoming grandparents, the demographic target of Carter’s. Inc., the largest branded manufacturer and marketer in the approximately $25 billion US market for babies’ and young children's’ apparel, is no “small” market. After acquiring Oshkosh five years ago, Carter's had big plans to become even more dominant in the business. Although the … [Read more...]

Despite the significant inroads made by discounters and specialty chains into the apparel market over the past 20 years, department stores still occupy a prominent place in fashion retailing. One of the most talked-about events of the last half-decade was the August 2005 Federated-May merger. It created a $27 billion juggernaut which had the potential to restore the department store business to its past glory. By converting 500 May stores to the Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s brands, selling … [Read more...]

After an impressive performance in 2009, Maidenform will focus on several key growth strategies to help it achieve double-digit sales and earnings increases over the next few years. But will “slow and steady” win the race? … [Read more...]

Over the past few decades, the off-price business has undergone a major transformation. No longer a fragmented channel dominated by regional chains and outlet stores, the segment now has multi-billion dollar companies with thousands of stores across multiple product categories. The unequivocal international leader in this channel is TJX. A Quarter-Century of Leadership Beginning with two successful  TJ Maxx apparel stores in 1977, the concept grew quickly. In 1996 the TJ Maxx chain, which had … [Read more...]

Nordstrom was co-founded in 1901 by a Swedish immigrant who, after working his way from Ellis Island across the country, started a shoe store in Seattle with $13,000 he had earned prospecting for gold in the Yukon. Sound like a Hollywood plot? A Department Store Legend is Born  When John Nordstrom and the other company founder retired, they sold their shares of the business to the next generation of Nordstroms. By 1960 the company, with $12 million in sales, was the largest independent shoe … [Read more...]