I’m back from the first combined Outdoor Retailer/Snow Show trade show in Denver. The most impactful thing I brought back from the show was the flu. You guys who had dinner with me Thursday night- let me know if you got it. You know, last year I came home from Denver with what turned out […]
Trade Shows and Scooters Read More »
Back in September of 2013, when Centerbridge and Oaktree invested in Billabong, there was some discussion/consternation about the possibility of Oaktree combining Quiksilver, which it already controlled with Billabong. Quiksilver’s name, as you know, was changed to Boardriders. It owns the Quiksilver, Roxy and DC brands. Billabong’s three largest brands are Billabong, RVCA, and Element.
Speaking of Consolidation- Boardriders’ Acquisition of Billabong Read More »
In the past, I’ve been more than willing to criticize trade shows, suggest changes, and express our mutual uncertainty as to what the role of trade shows should be and how they should perform that role. Even recognizing that the winter Long Beach Agenda typically has lower attendance than summer, I was surprised at the
Agenda Was Kind of Slow Last Week Read More »
This article on CNBC has the title, “GoPro has hired JP Morgan to put itself up for sale.”
Looks Like GoPro Might Be Up for Sale Read More »
Or a brand for that matter. Please find 13 minutes to watch this Ted Talk on the evolution of retail in China. If you can’t do that, at least read the transcript in six minutes or so. The trends she discusses are enabled by the fact that 90% of online sales are controlled by two
“What If You Are a Retailer Thinking of Just a Few Collections a Year?” Read More »
How, when you increase your sales less than half of one percent (compared to the prior year’s quarter) from $152.1 to $152.8 million, do you manage to increase your net income 36.5% from $6.42 to $8.76 million even though tax expense rose by $1.38 million while operating with five less stores (220 total)?
Sales Go Nowhere, But Profits Rise- A Poster Child? Tilly’s Quarter Ended October 28th Read More »
Zumiez increased revenues and profits in their October 29 quarter compared to the same quarter last year. The more interesting strategic question is how (if a single quarter is indicative of longer terms trends) and I’d like to highlight three factors that I see working together, though they are typically discussed separately.
Brands, Staffing, and Stores; Zumiez’s Quarterly Results Read More »
Well, it appears I’ve done it again. After having published just this morning an article in which I said, “Billabong would be better off as a private company, but I don’t see a path to privatization that makes sense to Oaktree,” Billabong has received an offer to have its outstanding shares acquired for $1.00 each
Billabong Receives an Offer to be Taken Private Read More »
A few weeks ago, you no doubt saw the reports that Billabong (which would mean Oaktree Capital Management– the controlling investor in Billabong) was doing due diligence on Rip Curl as a possible acquisition. Oaktree, of course, is also a major investor in Quiksilver. When Oaktree invested in Billabong, there were some rumblings about combining
Personal Note: “Okay Diane [my wife], I give up. We’ve been trying to find a smaller house for two years in this stupid Seattle real estate market. It ain’t happening until next spring and I’m buying the cord of wood we need for our fire place to get through the winter (along with some red
Scooters. Yes, Really. An Article on Scooters Read More »