Retail Industry Archive

February 2009

New Season Will Test Hot Topic's Fire

By Mike Duff | Feb 4, 2009

Hot Topic isn’t feeling the chill winds of recession, as its teenage customers have warmed to its edgy fashions, and in the span from December to January the company actually turned up the heat, which suggests the economy can’t smother all of the other factors that drive retail. Comparable store sales in January increased by six percent, an improvement on Hot Topic’s stellar December...

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Costco Surrenders Profits To Make a Point

By Mike Duff | Feb 4, 2009

Although its earnings guidance may alarm Wall Street, Costco’s aggressive pricing in the latest quarter may put it in a better position to withstand the recession. Costco’s first quarter opened just as November ended, and aggressive pricing the company instituted then and through December made sense for a couple of reasons. Driving holiday sales is one, but a big question warehouse...

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Macy's Grasping for Relevance, Not Just Cleaning House

By Mike Duff | Feb 3, 2009

Macy’s announcement about centralizing its administrative and buying organization, and the accompanying the layoff of 7,000 workers, is drawing a lot of attention but getting lost in the ensuing discussion is the creation of regional merchandising districts, one designed to refocus the company’s attention on local customer preferences. The company has faced a big problem as it bought up...

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Delhaize, Ahold Tripped by Slipping Food Inflation

By Mike Duff | Feb 2, 2009

Food inflation is ending, and J.P. Morgan has downgraded Ahold and Delhaize after determining that supermarkets may find it tougher to cope with the competitive environment as a result. Food inflation gained 6.6% in 2008. For food retailers, that brough two benefits. First, it gave them cover to raise prices. Because the media extensively discussed the reasons, increased fuel costs and problems...

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BNET Retail provides daily industry trends and news coverage with insights for managers and executives about the key players in the consumer retail industry. In addition to detailed retail company profiles, we bring you industry analysis on new retailers, products, mergers and acquisitions, consumer spending figures, and a host of other important issues pertinent to the retail sector.