Kurt Barnard
Kurt Barnard
bloody competing experience hopefully price
Competing on price with Wal-Mart doesn't work. Hopefully they will never do it again. It was a bloody experience for them.
bulk card checks credit debt enormous paying toward
The bulk of the refund checks will go toward paying off the enormous credit card debt which Americans have currently.
gift requires
A Valentine's Day gift requires a lot of thought.
lost market retailers share
All apparel-based retailers got creamed. They lost much of their market share to discounters.
broke clearance department despite discount doors fact people stayed stores strong
Despite the fact that it's a clearance month, we can still see strong trends. People stayed away from department stores and they broke down the doors at discount stores.
buying consumers extra less money people prefer save shows spending stores year
Are consumers buying more? I don't know. I think what Wal-Mart said about people spending less of the rebate money this year in stores is significant. It shows people prefer to save any extra money than spend it.
buying computer consumers dollar generation grown huge retail sales stores web
As consumers become more comfortable with buying from the computer, ... and this new generation that has grown up with the computer comes of age, what we will see is huge dollar amounts of retail sales being transacted on the Web and we will see a lot of stores become increasingly Web stores.
came certainly deal estate looking maybe total
This certainly came as a total surprise, but maybe it shouldn't have. I think we're looking at a real estate deal here.
changes easier ought personnel problem steps takes totally
They ought to go private. It makes it easier to make changes and what is more they will not have the personnel problem that always comes when someone totally new steps in and takes over the company.
economy-and-economics learned lesson operate
They have all learned one lesson -- make yourself more efficient. Operate more economically, and do more with less.
broke longer
They feel they no longer need to go broke when they go shopping,
corn difficult establish failed gave identity reason stand
They failed to establish an identity for themselves, a niche, and that makes it difficult for it to stand out, ... They never gave shoppers a reason for preferring it to any one of its rivals. It was just there, like soaking corn flakes.
add business community fellow grow retail stores suddenly until
The only way to grow in the retail business is to add yet another 100 stores, another 600 stores. Then someone else will see that you are successful. And that other fellow will do the same. And for a while it is fine, until suddenly there are more stores than the community needs.
coming consumers facing gas home major oil price problem target
The problem with Target is a problem facing every retailer. The price of gas is coming down, but home heating oil is going to be a major problem, ... A lot of consumers are worried.