Kurt Barnard
Kurt Barnard
bargain cautious discount hunting money saving seeing spending stores stretching
What we are seeing is that consumers' cautious spending is now stretching to the low-priced discount stores as well as to the other stores. ...Today, saving money is chic. Bargain hunting is fashionable.
apple biting clear create exciting looking market necessary needed order path sour steps strong terribly
What we are looking at is very strong and very necessary steps as the first installment of a Kmart turnaround, ... What he's doing right now is terribly important. It needed to be done, biting into the sour apple so to speak, in order to create a clear path for the future. I think Kmart is going to be customer-centric in the future, competitive in the market place and exciting to shop.
gap time
What the Gap is doing is not only what it must be doing, but what it should have done a long time ago.
consumer continues department discount shift specialty spending stores strong
There has been, and continues to be, a strong shift of consumer spending away from traditional department stores and specialty stores over to discount stores.
afternoon hit last lots minds people retail sales taken thursday
Retail sales will have taken a hit Thursday afternoon and then on Friday, when lots of people can't get around and the last thing on their minds would be going shopping.
martha needs people products retail sales selling suffer terminal
Retail sales of Martha Stewart products won't suffer in a terminal way because right now Kmart needs Martha more than Martha needs Kmart. Her products are selling well because people really like them.
christmas decisions developing foundation jamming people trying
People will be jamming the stores, trying things on, ... and developing their Christmas lists. While many (gift) decisions will not be made, the foundation for many decisions will be made.
buy buying exposed food lady might people pet store
Pet food is something that a lot of people need. Clearly, you are exposed to a lot of other things that are in the store. Let's put it this way: the lady might come into the store to buy pet food and might end up buying pet food and some lipstick.
consumer economic exposure marriage power preferred shelf space wants
Shelf space is diamond-encrusted gold. It's exposure to the consumer and everyone wants exposure to the consumer. They each had a lot of economic power before, but with the marriage they'll have a lot more power, power to get shelf space, preferred positions, all of that.
economic forces high jobs level low money people rate spending work year
There are two conflicting forces at work on the consumer. One is people have jobs, they have money, the unemployment rate is still at a 30-year low of 3.9 percent, a lot of economic circumstances are very, very favorable. A lot of economic circumstances are very, very favorable, people have money and jobs, but they don't have as high a discretionary spending level as they did a year ago.
absolutely acquire bit dealing directly extremely hand order places rather remote seems strong
On the one hand he's extremely capable, a very strong manager, administrator and visionary. On the other hand he seems a bit remote from the field, ... He must absolutely acquire the sense of dealing directly with Mr. and Mrs. Consumer. Can he deal with someone who places an order for $10 rather than $10,000 or $10 million?
reasons stores
One of the reasons why stores did not do better than they did is because there were not enough new designs, not enough new fashions.
cost customers good job offering value
Sears is on the way back to health. They're doing a good job (of cost cutting) and they are offering customers a good, recognizable value and customers are responding.
evidence giving marketing slogan strategy work
Sears is now giving evidence that its new marketing strategy and new slogan work very effectively.