jeff | Jeff Harbaugh

More on Winter Resorts Targeting Baby Boomers: I’m Not the Only One Who’s Worried

You may recall (or not) that about a month ago I wrote an article expressing some concern that winter resorts were targeting baby boomers. My point was that dependence on high income baby boomers couldn’t be an exclusive, long term strategy because, inconveniently, those people are going to get older sooner and stop snow sliding. When that […]

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Trade Show Season or, “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off to Sell We Go!”

Trade Shows

My list this year includes Agenda, The KNOWSHOW in Vancouver, and SIA in Denver. Part of me would like to go to others, especially Surf Expo, part of me wouldn’t and, like all of you, I figure it out based on schedule, resources, expected results and, frankly, my tolerance for travel. I liked Agenda as usual. Also

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Abercrombie & Fitch’s Quarter and Some Consistencies with Other Retailers

Abercrombie & Fitch (Hollister)

I haven’t followed A & F as closely as I probably should. Too many companies (especially now that our market is something broader than action sports), not enough time. But A & E is the owner and originator of that iconic surf brand Hollister (heavy sarcasm). And especially after my recent post on cosmetics and skateboarding where I

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My Wife’s Cosmetics and Skateboarding

Skateboarding

My wife uses Bobbi Brown cosmetics and I doubt most of you really care. Like me (and I’m guessing all the guys who read this), until right now, you’ve probably never heard of Bobbi Brown. Maybe some of my women readers know it. I care that my wife looks great but not what brand she chooses.

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Tilly’s Quarter and Their Business Approach

Tilly's

Just for fun, let’s jump right to some comments in the conference call for Tilly’s quarter ended October 27, 2012. In discussing the quarter’s results, CEO Daniel Griesemer notes that, “While our third quarter comparable store sales growth of 1.9% [They were 8.5% in the same quarter last year] was below our expectations, this represents high

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Pacific Sunwear’s Quarter; Look! It’s a Profit!

Pacific Sunwear (PacSun)

PacSun earned $948,000 in the quarter ended October 27 compared to a loss of $17.6 million in the same quarter last year. Their comparable store sales rose 1%. It’s the first time that’s happened since the third quarter of 2007. Their loss for nine months is $32.2 million compared to a loss of $68.3 million in nine months

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Zumiez’s October 29 Quarter and a Strategic Observation

Zumiez

Zumiez reported sales growth during the quarter of 16.9% from $154 million to $180 million. Without the Blue Tomato acquisition, sales would have risen 11.7%. The gross profit margin fell from 38.9% to 37.3%. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose from $37.1 million to $45.7 million, or by 23.2%. As a percentage of sales, they rose from 24.1% to

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Paul Naude Offers AUD 1.10, Billabong Reduces Full Year Forecast

Billabong

This is just intriguing. There is so much happening and it’s going on so fast (at least in corporate terms). It’s like a novel you can’t put down or a soap opera where waiting for the next episode to find out who does what to whom is excruciating. Like you, I’m working from the Billabong announcement and

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Winter Resorts Targeting Baby Boomers: I’m a Little Worried.

Resorts

Well, you know me. I’m always a little worried about something. But hopefully, the fact that I have a tendency to bring up issues people wish would just go away is part of the reason you read me. We’ve all known that winter resorts tend to be dependent on the baby boomers for a big chunk of

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Decker’s Quarter: The Issue is Not with Sanuk

Deckers (Sanuk)

The September 30 quarter (here’s the link to the 10Q) was not one of great happiness for Decker, the owner of UGG, Teva and, of special interest to us, Sanuk. But perhaps we should be interested in their other brands as well. Most of you who sell shoes and sandals are competing directly in the broader casual

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