Off-Price Shopping Centers are changing to Value Centers
see a major change in factory outlet centers. Many of these off-price shopping centers throughout the United States, which are popular with bargain hunting shoppers, now have stores that sell the same merchandise sold in regional malls or Main Street. This marks a change in strategy for shopping center operators like Taubman Centers, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Simon Group. During the recent downturn in business, it was outlet centers that continued to see good customer traffic.
Manufacturers and retailers have taken advantage of the customer acceptance and strong traffic in off-price malls by making their products available. Saks 5th Avenue’s Off Fifth store focuses on designer clothing. It sells about 10% marked down fashion merchandise from full line stores, 25% is private label and the rest is specially bought merchandise at regular prices. Carter’s, the children’s clothing manufacturer, sells its products in all locations at the same price, and The Loft, which was originally only in off-price centers, is today Ann Taylor’s main calling card throughout the United States. Today there are 189 outlet centers in the United States. In the future we should call these off-price shopping centers “Value Centers.” Their low-price appeal is quite distinct from the traditional regional shopping malls and the life-style centers whose focus is to have more restaurants than shops.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Full Euro Breakup Would Hurt Even The Mighty GermansThe deteriorating situation in Europe has dragged down stocks around the globe. And it could get much, much worse, according to an analysis by Fitch Ratings. The bond-rating house recently handicapped a variety of outcomes, from total fiscal and political union – unlikely – to a breakup that would mean total Euro-geddon – also unlikely, but devastating if it happens.
Each scenario has implications for companies doing business in Europe, since even a disorderly exit of Greece from the European Union is likely to knock the Euro economy back into a multiyear recession as deep as the one in 2008-2009, Fitch says. The only consistent losers across all scenarios, however, are big, slow-moving utilities and telecommunications giants. Companies with significant operations outside Europe and anybody selling alcoholic beverages is likely to do just fine under all but the worst conditions. Supply chains would remain broken for several months as companies rework the terms of trade and trade unions in Southern Europe disrupt ports, railroads and trucking lines. Weaker nations would impose capital controls, driving companies with debt denominated in other currencies into default as they run out of Euros, pounds or dollars to pay their bills.
Each scenario has implications for companies doing business in Europe, since even a disorderly exit of Greece from the European Union is likely to knock the Euro economy back into a multiyear recession as deep as the one in 2008-2009, Fitch says. The only consistent losers across all scenarios, however, are big, slow-moving utilities and telecommunications giants. Companies with significant operations outside Europe and anybody selling alcoholic beverages is likely to do just fine under all but the worst conditions. Supply chains would remain broken for several months as companies rework the terms of trade and trade unions in Southern Europe disrupt ports, railroads and trucking lines. Weaker nations would impose capital controls, driving companies with debt denominated in other currencies into default as they run out of Euros, pounds or dollars to pay their bills.
Planes, Trains And Automobiles: The Power Of Real-Time Mobile
The era of mobile computing is going far beyond smart phones and tablets. Just ahead: always-on planes, trains and automobiles. This brave new world of smart, connected systems has implications as profound as the changes driven by land networks and mobile smart phones. Each of these value propositions drives entire industries in land-based networks. They are equally compelling for mobile systems. Air traffic control (ATC) is really an asset management problem. Today’s ATC systems use radars to follow planes, radios to connect pilots to human controllers and strict protocols to ensure that pilots follow the resulting commands. This system works, but is screaming for improvement. Stressed-out ATCs struggle to handle all the traffic. The only way they can cope is to force planes to follow carefully planned traffic patterns. Air spaces are congested, route planning and re-planning is rampant, and any weather or other blip causes massive delays. The system is safe, but it’s hardly efficient.
The era of mobile computing is going far beyond smart phones and tablets. Just ahead: always-on planes, trains and automobiles. This brave new world of smart, connected systems has implications as profound as the changes driven by land networks and mobile smart phones. Each of these value propositions drives entire industries in land-based networks. They are equally compelling for mobile systems. Air traffic control (ATC) is really an asset management problem. Today’s ATC systems use radars to follow planes, radios to connect pilots to human controllers and strict protocols to ensure that pilots follow the resulting commands. This system works, but is screaming for improvement. Stressed-out ATCs struggle to handle all the traffic. The only way they can cope is to force planes to follow carefully planned traffic patterns. Air spaces are congested, route planning and re-planning is rampant, and any weather or other blip causes massive delays. The system is safe, but it’s hardly efficient.
Here's What The Analyst Who Uncovered Enron Thinks About Chesapeake
Secret hedge funds, off-balance-sheet financings, big perks for directors, sweetheart drilling deals and giant non-recourse loans for Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon — it all means that “crony capitalism has been alive and well,” says John Olson. “History seems to be repeating itself in just another way.”
Olson ought to know. He uncovered Enron. Back in the 1990s Olson, a veteran energy industry analyst, was a lonely voice in the wilderness; he was skeptical about Enron for a decade before its collapse. He became a target of Enron‘s Ken Lay, and lost his job at Merrill Lynch because he refused to go bullish on the company. He subsequently worked at Sander Morris Harris, ran a hedge fund, and now, at 69, handles investments for friends and family. So what’s his take on Chesapeake? Olson quotes philosopher Fredrich Hegel, “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.”
Secret hedge funds, off-balance-sheet financings, big perks for directors, sweetheart drilling deals and giant non-recourse loans for Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon — it all means that “crony capitalism has been alive and well,” says John Olson. “History seems to be repeating itself in just another way.”
Olson ought to know. He uncovered Enron. Back in the 1990s Olson, a veteran energy industry analyst, was a lonely voice in the wilderness; he was skeptical about Enron for a decade before its collapse. He became a target of Enron‘s Ken Lay, and lost his job at Merrill Lynch because he refused to go bullish on the company. He subsequently worked at Sander Morris Harris, ran a hedge fund, and now, at 69, handles investments for friends and family. So what’s his take on Chesapeake? Olson quotes philosopher Fredrich Hegel, “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.”
Microsoft Xbox Is Winning The Living Room War.
Cookie Monster wants a snack. Sure, he could have a handful of you-know-whats, but even a Muppet has to watch his waistline. So he decides to grab something healthful. “Maybe if me jump up and down, me can shake fruit out of this tree,” the fuzzy blue monster says to his television viewers. “Okay. Help me jump!”
Muppets have always broken the fourth wall. But for the first time, Cookie can actually tell if kids are responding. When they do, his googly eyes shake wildly and leaves fall from the tree. “Oh boy, oh boy,” Cookie cheers. If the child refuses to budge, he invites his fuchsia friend Telly on-screen to do the jumping instead.
This is Kinect Sesame Street TV, a fully interactive version of the award-winning educational program that goes on sale exclusively for Microsoft' s Xbox game console in September. The Xbox’s Kinect accessory comes with cameras and microphones and can see and hear the kids as they watch and play. “Kids generally learn through play, and this is an opportunity to get them off the couch and involved,” says Terry Fitzpatrick, chief content and distribution officer for Sesame Workshop, which has produced Sesame Street since 1969. “Microsoft recognized the value of it immediately.” I like the idea of interacting with your tv on a physical level. It really shows how far technology has progressed.
Cookie Monster wants a snack. Sure, he could have a handful of you-know-whats, but even a Muppet has to watch his waistline. So he decides to grab something healthful. “Maybe if me jump up and down, me can shake fruit out of this tree,” the fuzzy blue monster says to his television viewers. “Okay. Help me jump!”
Muppets have always broken the fourth wall. But for the first time, Cookie can actually tell if kids are responding. When they do, his googly eyes shake wildly and leaves fall from the tree. “Oh boy, oh boy,” Cookie cheers. If the child refuses to budge, he invites his fuchsia friend Telly on-screen to do the jumping instead.
This is Kinect Sesame Street TV, a fully interactive version of the award-winning educational program that goes on sale exclusively for Microsoft' s Xbox game console in September. The Xbox’s Kinect accessory comes with cameras and microphones and can see and hear the kids as they watch and play. “Kids generally learn through play, and this is an opportunity to get them off the couch and involved,” says Terry Fitzpatrick, chief content and distribution officer for Sesame Workshop, which has produced Sesame Street since 1969. “Microsoft recognized the value of it immediately.” I like the idea of interacting with your tv on a physical level. It really shows how far technology has progressed.
Annan, Clinton to meet about Syria
Global debate over the Syrian crisis is expected to ratchet up this week, with Russian and European Union leaders grappling with the thorny issue and U.N. members reassessing whether to take further action. Kofi Annan, joint envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, will meet Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington to discuss Syria, sources told CNN.
Global debate over the Syrian crisis is expected to ratchet up this week, with Russian and European Union leaders grappling with the thorny issue and U.N. members reassessing whether to take further action. Kofi Annan, joint envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, will meet Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington to discuss Syria, sources told CNN.
The crisis that has killed
thousands over 15 months was expected to dominate the agenda at the EU-Russia
Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday. World leaders have accused Russia
of supporting and selling arms to the Syrian regime -- assertions that Russian
President Vladimir Putin has denied.
Al-Assad's remarks stand in
stark contrast to what the opposition and many world leaders have said for more
than a year: that al-Assad's forces, not "terrorists," are behind a sustained
slaughter stemming from the regime's crackdown on dissidents. As the president spoke, shells
rained on the anti-government bastion of Homs, the LCC said. Thirty-seven people
were killed Sunday in Syria, five of them children, the group said.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Ron Paul: the incredible shrinking candidate
At the risk of annoying supporters of Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who believe and argue fervently that the mainstream news media don't pay attention to their candidate, it must be noted that Twitter and Facebook don't, either.
Accusations that news organizations are ignoring Paul's presidential campaign are an organizing principle of his supporters, who take to Facebook and Twitter to complain that the only reason Paul isn't leading is a "media blackout."
In fact, Paul's rally was covered by the major St. Louis media but never mind that perception matters in politics. And the perception in some quarters is that the media are actively trying to sink Paul's campaign. Pauls best political move right now would be to continue with the race but ask Rommney for Vice Presidency if he wins.
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