Posts Tagged ‘retail’
by Veronica Stone on May 27th, 2009
By MIGUEL BUSTILLO
Some regional appliance and electronics retailers are flourishing despite intense competition from national chains, thanks in part to a retro retail concept: commissioned sales staff, trained to explain increasingly complex televisions and washing machines to customers.
These smaller retailers such as publicly traded hhgregg Inc. of Indianapolis and Conn’s Inc. of Beaumont, Texas, as well as closely held P.C. Richard & Son of Farmingdale, N.Y., are pursuing ambitious store expansion plans. They are aiming to capitalize on the slumping commercial real estate market and the collapse this spring of Circuit City Stores Inc., once the nation’s second-largest... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on March 27th, 2009
Los Angeles Fashion Market at the California Market Center (CMC) is the premier source for apparel, accessories, and lifestyle collections on the West Coast.
From premium contemporary labels…to emerging designers & artist-driven lines…to the industry’s largest kids & maternity showcase…to fine accessories, stylish gifts, and home décor…find it all under one roof at the CMC.
Read more »
by Rebecca Button on March 27th, 2009
Twice a year, the LOS ANGELES MAJORS MARKET presents hundreds of the industry’s hottest labels and trends for the department and chain store buyer. Featuring the most sought-after name brands from kids and tweens to denim and contemporary, the LA MAJORS MARKET is the primary West Coast destination for major retailers from around the globe.
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by Christina Lee on March 9th, 2009
In its 111-year history, GENCO has become a well-known name in third-party logistics, then business-to-business liquidation of electronics, furniture, sporting goods and more.
But the company hopes to soon observe a growing association between it and direct-to-consumer selling, as it offers select secondary market goods through NoBetterDeal.com.
Once the company’s Marketplace Direct, which sold goods in smaller quantities than its typical truckload, NoBetterDeal.com is the end result of a brainstorming session that Bob Auray, president and CEO of the GENCO Marketplace, had with summer interns.
“Maybe rename the site to something catchier,” one had suggested.
The prices, low since the... Read more »
by Christina Lee on February 17th, 2009
Wholesale inventories dropped further than expected by economists, continuing a streak of declines that has not been seen in seven years.
Inventories in December 2008, totaling $427.5 billion, fell by 1.4 percent from the previous month, according to the Commerce Department. Analysts predicted a decline only about half as big, with predictions ranging from 0.7 to 0.9 percent, according to the Associated Press and Wall Street Journal.
“This is the latest evidence of the difficult environment for business spending in the fourth quarter,” said Tim Quinlan, economic analyst at Wachovia in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Reuters.
Even as overall inventories... Read more »
by Christina Lee on January 30th, 2009
Consumers are planning for another low-key Valentine’s Day this year, as they plan to spend an average of $20 less than they did in 2008.
Total spending may also reach up to $14.7 billion this year, compared to $17.02 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Last year, consumers spent slightly less money on traditional gifts than in years past, opting instead for a night out. But now, with the current economy in mind, these couples simply just want to save, as president and CEO Tracy Mullin realized.
“A bad economy won’t stop Cupid this Valentine’s Day, but... Read more »
by Christina Lee on November 24th, 2008
For nearly 40 years, the Schurman family business in Cold Spring, Minn. consisted of just one retail location stocked with cakes, cookies, and other pastries.
But with its second-generation ownership came a wholesale line now bringing in more than half of its current business, in addition to Modern Baking’s 2004 “Bakery of the Year” title.
Founded in 1946, the Cold Spring Bakery began offering a wholesale line in the late 1980s. At the time, the economy seemed to favor small family-owned businesses, giving owners Dale and Lynn Schurman reason to plan an expansion.
Between adding more retail locations and a... Read more »
by Christina Lee on October 6th, 2008
Even with the holiday season drawing near, store owners are continuing to brace themselves for slow sales with smaller inventories, according to National Retail Federation reports.
In addition, the trade group expects a 6 percent drop in yearly retail cargo traffic – 2 percent more than its prediction made less than two months ago.
For U.S. ports, October is traditionally the busiest time of the year, as store owners stock up for the holiday months. It is also when the National Retail Federation usually expects to see year-to-year growth. The D.C.-based trade group even predicted in August that October traffic... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on September 10th, 2008
Every year Shop.org hosts an annual summit where the retail industry’s top movers and shakers get together to share and discuss practices and ideas that shape the future of retail. The grandness of this gathering is consistently impressive and provides everyone from the newbie entrepreneur to the old pro, insights and better tools with which to run their business (not to mention networking opportunities galore!).
This year will be no exception to the rule but there IS one crucial difference with this year’s show. Shop.org is introducing a new event called Critic’s Corner which features "two speakers in a Siskel... Read more »
by Rebecca Button on June 10th, 2008
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. The recession-proof shopper is here and she’s here to stay. A new study commissioned and soon to be published by Elle magazine concludes that 8% of U.S. women are still shopping up a storm and show no signs of slowing down. (for full stats check out this article)
So what do you think? Do you think these ladies have what it takes to keep the economy (and businesses) afloat this year? I for one think that it certainly won’t hurt…but it’s not going to come anywhere close to how well those stimulus checks worked-wait….
If... Read more »