PacSun competitors cease monthly reporting

PacSun recently decided to go dark on monthly comps reporting, and they're not alone. The three A’s of teen retailing — Abercrombie & Fitch Co., American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Aéropostale Inc. — just ended their participation. Although the move is part of a larger trend among companies seeking refuge from the spotlight of monthly disclosure, the recent developments could be indicative of precipitous pressure in the teen space.

“Teen has been an overstored segment,” said Weeden & Co. analyst Amy Noblin. “There had been oversupply and underdemand in teen for a while.”

“A lot of management teams have realized that if they are going through business expansion, any strategic changes or a turnaround, doing that out of the limelight…is advantageous,” said Michael Dart, head of private equity at Kurt Salmon. “It diminishes pressure.”

Full article from WWD.

Guys: Costner! Girls: Gibson...

PacSun is ironing out some kinks in its business, from customer service to inventories to real estate. But it's certainly not all doom and gloom.

Check out the commendable rebound performance for Guys in Q2. Their strategy to bolster, collaborate with and celebrate "heritage" brands appears to be paying off. Costner!


For Juniors, the story is not as pretty (Gibson)...but not surprising. Christine Lee has just begun to work her magic, and her impact won't be fully felt until Spring 2011. If Guys is an evolution, Juniors is the revolution.


Post glossary:

• Comps: short for Comparable Store Sales, the standard measurement of retail productivity. It reflects the revenue of 1+ stores today vs. that same set of stores one year ago today.
• Gibson = bad
  
• Costner = good