Life was simpler when I wrote my first article on trade shows in the mid-90s. We went to trade shows because it was the only place to see, and to make, complete product presentations, and discover new, meaningful, features and products. There were also a lot more specialty retailers. The shows were the only place
Trade Shows: Can’t Live with Them, Can’t Live Without Them Read More »
I’ve reviewed Deckers’ 10Q for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and their conference call. The company earned $41 million on sales of $760 million in the quarter, which isn’t bad. But that’s down from net income of $157 million on revenues of $796 million in the same quarter last year. The problem? I’m
Deckers’ Quarter: More Sanuk Travails and the Public Company Conundrum. Read More »
I’ve been sitting on this for a while trying to figure out whether or not offer it up. It’s certainly not action sports or active outdoor focused. And, in our current environment, it’s inevitably going to be perceived as having a particular bias. I’d say it reaches a solid conclusion based on the data
An Analysis of Free Trade Read More »
Over the last months or maybe a year, I’ve watched the trade show discussion as dates have changed, unchanged, and we’ve all tried to figure out the role of trade shows. We agree, I think, on the following: We need some trade shows Right now, there are too many Face time is a primary benefit
Trade Shows, the Buy/Sell Cycle, and Changing Consumer Habits Read More »
That was the question asked at a meeting last week at the Agenda trade show. The meeting was attended by various invited brands and retailers and by me. This meeting has been going for maybe four shows now and has generally been thoughtful and productive. That’s a welcome improvement from the larger group meetings that
What Will Retail Be Like in Five Years and How Will You Prosper? Read More »
I’ve just finished reading a book called The Methuselah Effect, by Patrick Cox. As I’ve said, I often get intriguing business ideas from non-business books. This is one of those times. I really recommend this book. The trouble is, it doesn’t seem to be on Amazon, which I’ve never seen before. Anyway, the book is
The Impact of Demographics on the Active Outdoor Industry Read More »
I read with some amusement as well as concern this article about an apparently still ongoing and massive online advertising fraud. I imagine you’re all aware of it. Meanwhile, back in this article, I mentioned the increasing use of ad blockers, especially by millennials. And within the last week or so, I questioned, as I
What Is the Value of Advertising? Read More »
During the last couple of weeks, I’ve come across a number of articles that speak to the evolution of retail. Here they are for your consideration in no particular order.
Some Waypoints in the Evolution of Retail Read More »
As I’ve recently written, Tilly’s and Zumiez were kind of caught by surprise by their very positive end of October quarterly results. But because the surprise was of the positive kind, nobody seemed to care. Though perhaps they should. The Buckle, on the other hand, reported a 14.6% decline in revenues from $280 million in
Zumiez’s 10-Q for its quarter ended October 31 reported an increase in sales and profits. I used the word “Too” in the article title because it sounds a bit like the Tilly’s results I reported a few days ago. Zumiez, like Tilly’s, would like to point to all the good things it’s doing as being
Zumiez Has a Good Quarter Too Read More »