Posts Tagged ‘sales’

As Seen on the Web… Girl Scouts Get Serious

Friday, February 11th, 2011

It’s hard to imagine Girl Scout cookies not selling themselves. (I mean, Thin Mints?!) But tomorrow’s captains of industry are today’s cookie-pushers, and everybody’s got to learn how to pitch sometime.

This will probably be the cutest little girl/ consultant interaction you see all day.

BMW Remains On Top

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Second-quarter profits indicate that BMW is still the best when it comes to luxury cars makers.

  • BMW’s net profit for the 2nd quarter rose to $1.1 billion, and sales rose 12.5%.
  • Although the luxury car market was hit hard by the economic downturn, there has been a faster-than-expected rebound.
  • The new generation 5-Series is expected to boost sales even further.

Facts & Figures

  • BMW is the world’s best-selling luxury car maker, ahead of Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
  • In the first 6 months of 2010, 696,026 BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce cars were sold.
  • BMW now expects sales to rise by approximately 10% (to more than 1.4 million cars) in 2010, which is significantly more than expected at the beginning of the year.

Best Quote

“Sharp sales volume growth on major markets and a high-value model mix are the main reasons for the strong second-quarter performance. [BMW] improved efficiency significantly in all areas of the company.” – Norbert Reithofer, Cheif Executive, BMW

Cool Electronics Move Ahead Of Clothes And Appliances

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Second-quarter reports indicate that Americans have changed their spending priorities from appliances to new and improved electronics.

  • Rather than purchasing appliances and clothing, Americans now tend to put their money toward new electronics and in their savings.
  • Electronics are constantly evolving to become newer, cooler and better–causing an incentive to buy the latest items.
  • Some clothing retailers, such as American Eagle Outfitters and Macy’s, are giving consumers electronic incentives to buy apparel (like giving away smartphones).

Facts & Figures

  • Sales of televisions, computers, video and telephone equipment grew 1.8% in the first six months of 2010.
  • Spending on appliances decreased 3.6% and spending on furniture decreased 11%.
  • The U.S. savings rate increased to 6.4% from May to June.
  • In the first 6 months of 2010, Americans spent $534 billion on durable goods, up 5.9% from last year.

Best Quote

“But who needs to buy more ties? I mean, come on, I have a great computer.” -Spence Witten, 27-year-old consumer

Best Buy Not So Hot First Quarter

Monday, June 21st, 2010
Best Buy quarterly results show that Best Buy sales fell short of predictions.
  • Best Buy’s stock fell 6% after disappointing quarterly results were released on Tuesday.
  • While sales of notebook computers, cell phones, and appliances were strong, sales of games, music, movies, and televisions fell short.
  • Executives are optimistic that customers will continue spending, though, and pull the company out of this rut.

Facts and Figures

  • First quarter net earnings were 36 cents per share (less than predicted 50 cents per share)
  • Reported sales for this quarter were $10.8 billion (less than predicted $10.9 billion)
  • Retail sales fell by 1.2% in May 2010 (they were expected to rise 0.2%)

Black Friday 2009 In Review

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Shoppers showed up the day after Thanksgiving, but their cash went to bargains, sales and less expensive items.

  • More shoppers hit the stores this holiday weekend than last year, but this time they were in search of sales and small appliances.
  • Department stores were a big hit, with just over half of all shoppers visiting at least one during the weekend (a 13% increase from last year!)
  • Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, attracts many shoppers to the Internet for large sales on items that did not sell as well during the weekend. Cyber Monday is an important day in sales for many e-commerce sites, but projections are lower based on the fact that many people who would normally shop during their lunch hours at work are too worried about job security to do so.

Facts & Figures

  • 195 million shoppers ventured into stores during the holiday weekend, as compared with 172 million last year.
  • Average spending, per consumer, dropped to $343.31 per person, down from $372.57 a year ago.
  • 63.8% of shoppers shopped for themselves this year (though Black Friday is traditionally popular among gift shoppers). Also, 31.2% of shoppers were in line for stores at or before 5:00 am.

Best Quote

“During a more robust economy, people may be inclined to hit the snooze button on Black Friday, but high unemployment and a focus on price caused shoppers to visit stores early in anticipation of the best deals.” – Phil Rist, Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at BIGresearch

Discount Fever Breaks at High-End Retailers

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Expensive retail stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus are retraining customers to paying high prices for exclusive goods this holiday season…

  • Retailers have driven prices up and maintained sales during this fall by keeping inventory low and promoting a sense of exclusivity.
  • Over the past year, consumers became accustomed to seeing large discounts not only at “big-box retailers” such as Walmart, but also at high-end stores such as Saks.
  • Earnings are improving for large stores because they are selling more items at full price, as opposed to same amount of items at discounted prices (as in Fall / Winter 2008).

Facts & Figures

  • In the fall and winter of 2008, merchandise in luxury stores was discounded as much as 50-70% off full price
  • Inventory at Saks is down by double digit percentage points compared to last year
  • By keeping inventory low this holiday season and playing up the exclusivity factor, retailers can keep items at their full price

Best Quote

“What’s luxury retailing about? It is about a scarcity of supply.” – Stephen I. Sadove, Chairman and Chief Executive of Saks Fifth Avenue

David Beckham May Be the King of Retail… In Madrid Anyway

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer’s most expensive athlete, did not trigger a merchandising monster sale on the same scale as David Beckham did when he started playing for Real Madrid.

  • David Beckham, former English soccer team captain and Manchester United star, came to Real Madrid in 2003 with a large contract in hand and with high merchandising expectations. Basically, he sold a lot of jerseys!
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugese star forward, was the 2008 FIFA world player of the year and also came from Manchester United to Real Madrid.
  • The lack of jersey sales is somewhat being blamed on the economy, but perhaps it also indicates that Ronaldo is just not as popular as Beckham.

Facts & Figures

  • Ronaldo signed a new $133 million contract with Real Madrid in June, which is approximately three times more than Beckham received when he joined the club.
  • When Beckham joined Real Madrid, team income soared 27%. With the addition of Ronaldo in 2010, team income is expected to rise 3.5%.
  • Real Madrid jersey sales are roughly 20% lower now than they were during the Beckham era.

Best Quote

“There was a spike when Cristiano Ronaldo signed in the summer but there’s not such a big demand now. The economic crisis is taking its toll.” – Eugino Martinez, Shop Owner in Madrid, Spain

Buying Shoes Apparently The Thing To Do In A Recession

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Shoes have been selling increasingly well despite the recession, due to what analysts are calling “frugal fatigue.”

  • While other retail sales have faltered, shoes are increasingly weathering the economic storm.
  • According to analysts, shoes cost less than other items of clothing (even in a good economy), so more people can afford to spend on shoes regardless of their size or economic situation.
  • Shoes are considered more of a necessity than handbags, beautiful dresses or nice suits. And shoes wear down and need to be replaced more quickly than most articles of clothing.

Facts & Figures

  • Shoe sales were at $1.5 billion in October 2009, highest since October 2006.
  • Sales increased 7.9% compared to one year ago.
  • J.C Penney, Dillard’s, and other major retailers cite shoes as one of their best-selling product categories.

Best Quote

“Shoes democratize fashion. You probably can’t buy a Zac Posen dress if you wear a size 14, but you can buy a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.” – Kathryn Finney, Writer for the Budget Fashionista blog

Plunging Prices Follow The Crash

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Times are good for bargain-hunters, but a price-slashing culture could be disastrous for retailers and their employees.

  • Prices around the country are dropping in a retail campaign to win back buyers who put their wallets away when the stock market crashed and thriftiness became the norm.
  • Shoppers are staying away primarily because they’re broke, but also because the consumer culture has changed since 2007: conspicuous consumption just isn’t as okay as it used to be.
  • Because consumers are now holding out for the discounts they know desperate retailers will offer, companies are forced to cut prices even as their profit margins shrink. Lower prices mean lower profits, which often translates to hiring freezes and layoffs. This is the same cycle that affects the Japanese economy, which has been battling deflation for decades.

Facts & Figures

  • 70% of the U.S. economy is made up of consumer spending, but following the stock market crash in 2008, total household wealth decreased by 11% in less than six months.
  • On average, prices have decreased by about 20% in the hotel industry and more than 30% in the real estate market.
  • The Consumer Price Index dropped 1.5% between September 2008 and September 2009 – the largest decrease since 1950.

Best Quote

“This is the new normal. We aren’t going back.” – Donald Keprta, President of Dominick’s (a supermarket chain in the Midwest)