News
« November 2007 | | January 2008 »
December 31, 2007
Huge Spike Seen In Online Holiday Sales
Online holiday sales increased by 19% over last year, according to market researcher ComScore. What’s more, online sales are expected to continue to climb in the week following Christmas, it said.
The research firm predicted that online sales would total almost $30 million for the 2007 holiday season.
Posted by Blacks at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2007
Specialty Stores See Modest Pre-Holiday Gains
Sales picked up for specialty apparel retailers in the week before Christmas, but came nowhere near last year’s gains, according to a survey conducted by Blacks.
Menswear sales increased by 6.8% while sales of women’s wear increased by 2.7% over the same week last year. These results compare to a 13.3% surge in menswear and a 12.2% gain in women’s for the same period in 2006.
“Women’s wear was particularly hard hit by the lack of new fashion to drive sales,” said Blacks Senior Consultant Steve Pruitt.
Posted by Blacks at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2007
Last Minute Shopping Boosts Holiday Sales
Heavy discounting helped spur sales in the last days before Christmas, according to data released by MasterCard SpendingPulse.
In the last weekend before Christmas sales spiked 18.7% over the same period last year. This compares to a relatively small gain over the entire holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and the Monday before Christmas in store and online sales increased by just 3.6%, according to MasterCard.
Posted by Blacks at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2007
Zale Appoints Goldberg As New CEO
Zale Corp. named Neal Goldberg its new president and CEO, replacing Betsy Burton. Goldberg has had experience at Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s and Gap. His most recent position was as president of The Children’s Place.
Zale has been struggling to put some permanent leadership in place, while its financial picture has flagged. The $2.5 billion jewelry retailer reported a loss of $28.4 million in its last quarter, compared to a loss of $26.4 million a year ago.
Posted by Blacks at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2007
Prada Is Planning IPO For 2008
Prada is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in the second-half of next year, aimed at giving it enough cash to expand its retail network.
Prada, which owns the Prada and Miu Miu brands, among others, is expected to let 30% to 40% of the company go public. The Italian company has been valued at around $6 billion to $7 billion.
Posted by Blacks at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2007
Jimmy Choo Opens New Beverly Hills Flagship
Jimmy Choo opened a new flagship on Rodeo Drive as part of a larger West Coast expansion effort. The new Beverly Hills locations boasts 3,000 square feet – enough room for handbags, sunglasses and fragrances, as well as Choo’s signature shoes.
The company plans to open five new West Coast stores over the next two years. New locations include San Diego and Costa Mesa in California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Bellevue, Washington; and Scottsdale, Arizona.
Posted by Blacks at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2007
Report: Slimane In Brand Talks With LVMH, Others
Hedi Slimane is reportedly negotiating with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to launch his own fashion house. The 39-year-old French designer just left Dior Homme earlier this year to start his own brand. At the time he said he wanted freedom over his name and designs.
Now he is reportedly testing the waters with a number of potential backers, including LVMH and Diesel’s Renzo Rosso.
Posted by Blacks at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2007
DKI Makes Moves Into Better Menswear Market
Donna Karan is planning a foray into the better menswear business through a series of licenses. One of which is DKNY Gray label, which has been licensed Phillips-Van Heusen. It consists of shirts and ties retailing for around $50 to $60.
Donna Karan is also reportedly negotiating with Liz Claiborne for a sportswear license and Peerless Clothing for suits. An outerwear license has been snapped up by Collezione SA, according to reports.
Posted by Blacks at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2007
Nov. Retail Sales Outpace Expectations
Sales at apparel and accessories stores outstripped sales at department stores in November, according to a recent report from the U.S. Commerce Department.
Apparel and accessory store sales increased by 2.6% versus department stores’ 1% gain.
Economists were also pleased to see that total retail and food services sales outpaced expectations in November. They grew by 1.2% from October which was nearly double what economists had predicted.
Posted by Blacks at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2007
"Green Monday" Takes The Lead In Online Sales
Forget Cyber Monday – “Green Monday” is now the busiest online shopping day of the year. Online retailers reported a sales surge for the second Monday in December, when the reality of the holiday season apparently set in.
Traffic on Dec.10 jumped 54% over last year, according to shopping comparison site Shopping.com.
Consumers showed strong demand for cashmere, designer handbags, boots, perfume and diamond jewelry, according to Shopping.com, Nordstrom.com and Amazon.com.
Posted by Blacks at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2007
Adrienne Vittadini To Relaunch For Fall '08
Popular nineties brand Adrienne Vittadini is aiming to make a comeback with new better and bridge lines that will distributed for fall ’08 in high-end department stores.
The bridge sportswear line is called Vittadini and will wholesale for $75 to $450 while the better line, dubbed Adrienne Vittadini, will wholesale from $34 to $200.
The company is opening a showroom in Manhattan and will run the brand under a licensing model that includes marketing.
Posted by Blacks at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2007
Blacks Survey: Holiday Sales Start To Slow
Although retailers had a bright start to the holiday shopping season in the week following Thanksgiving, last week’s sales lagged. Blacks survey of specialty retailers showed menswear slipping 6.1% and women’s wear dropping 6.6% compared with the same period last year.
Retailers reported slower traffic, but the shoppers who were out gravitated toward luxury-priced items.
The good news for retailers is that there’s an extra shopping day in the weekend before Christmas this year, since the holiday falls on a Tuesday. We’re expecting sales to pick up again as we get closer to Christmas.
Posted by Blacks at 09:58 AM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2007
Adam Lippes Unvelis His First Retail Shop
Adam Lippes has opened his first store in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district. The contemporary designer is offering a wide selection of his women’s wear and menswear as well as a selection of accessories and home furnishings.
Although the designer’s Adam Adam Lippes brand is available in numerous department stores the new 2,500-square-foot unit is his first freestanding store. The shop, dubbed Adam, is located at 678 Hudson Street.
Posted by Blacks at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2007
November Sales Beat Expectations
November same-store sales came in higher than expected, according to recent reports. Specialty stores saw an average 15.8% gain while department stores saw an increase of 12%, according to WWD.
A survey by MasterCard said that sales of men’s apparel grew 7%, just a hair more than overall apparel increase of 6.9%. Women’s apparel was down by 3.9%, however.
Overall, analysts are cheering the November results, given that the holiday shopping season got off to a late start. It remains to be seen what December will bring, but Blacks expects year-over-year gains in the mid single digits.
Posted by Blacks at 09:58 AM | Comments (0)
December 06, 2007
Online Apparel Sales Continue To Boom
Shoppers looking for contemporary clothing are increasingly turning to the Web, offering a boost to retailers with an online presence. Online sales of clothing, footwear and accessories are expected to top $22.1 billion this year, according to a report by Shop.org. This compares to sales of $18.3 billion last year.
The report predicted that 10% of all apparel sales will be made online this year, compared to 8% last year.
Recognizing this growth, brick and mortar retailers are increasingly turning to the Web to expand their businesses. Some are even launching sites to target overseas markets.
Posted by Blacks at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2007
Lacroix Opens First Manhattan Door
Christian Lacroix has opened his first retail store in Manhattan featuring the designer’s ready-to-wear and couture collections. The store, located at 36 East 57th street, has a bold interior that includes mirrored tiles and sparse, modern furnishings.
The U.S. currently accounts for 10% to 15% of the designer’s total business and Lacroix parent company The Falic Group hopes to grow that number with the addition of the new store.
Posted by Blacks at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
December 04, 2007
PVH Gets Earnings Boost From Calvin Klein
Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. (PVH) got a boost from its Calvin Klein licensing business in the third quarter. The apparel and footwear holding company reported a 20% increase in earnings for the period to $60.9 million.
Sales in the quarter climbed 22% to $611.4 million, compared to $500.2 million a year ago.
Other brands in PVH’s stable include Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole and Michael Kors.
Posted by Blacks at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2007
Tiffany's Third Quarter Sales Shine
Tiffany & Co.’s third-quarter sales surged 18% to $627.3 million while earnings soared to $98.9 million from $29.1 million a year ago.
The company benefitted from the sale of its Tokyo flagship and strong business overseas. Same store sales rose 8% domestically and 10% internationally during the quarter.
The diamond and silver jewelry categories performed particularly well, the company said. Tiffany raised its full-year guidance due to the strong results.
Posted by Blacks at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)
