Comments for TrafficCourt

Comment on First Missteps in Canada? by PDMorris

PDMorris — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:28:45 +0000

I can’t comment on the reasons that J Crew would charge a ‘premium’ to its US pricing but will suggest two things for consideration.

On one hand the CDN dollar has traded high than the US greenback for many months. On the other hand duties and tariffs coming into Canada vs the USA also factor into pricing.

Comment on First Missteps in Canada? by CanadianRetail

CanadianRetail — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:30:31 +0000

It’s always been a difficult scenario…American chains know there is an opportunity to target Canadian consumers as Canadians continue to cross the border to shop State’s side…the reality is, it is not only a question of choice rather price as well…especially with the Canadian Dollar almost at par…it makes the trip all the more merrier…but Canadians are conservative consumers…we won’t give up value for name brand…we pay enough taxes and American chains need to understand the the cost of shipping and duty will need to be absorbed by someone…just not the Canadian consumer…it’s the reality behind getting into retail north of the border…what is the true cost of doing business and is it viable for our company…more need to ask themselves that question…

Comment on Centro Portfolio Sale a Done Deal by patluther

patluther — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:39:28 +0000

Just read an article in “King of Capital” about Blackstone’s acquisition of Equity Office Properties. I wonder if they were competing with anyone to buy Centro and what the strategy is for the assets.

Comment on RECon Takeaways by RyanCRE

RyanCRE — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:30:10 +0000

Social Media and QR codes clearly showed a strong presence at ICSC this year. IMO, the Social Media Pavilion was a little weak, but it was still nice to see one there. I thought they had great signage, but the staff could have been a bit more knowledgeable and outgoing. I am sure that there will be exponential improvement at this pavilion next year.

Comment on Quick Takes on the CoStar/Loopnet Deal by Robert Tack

Robert Tack — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:13:57 +0000

We use Costar Showcase and Loopnet’s Looplink product. I would be concerened about a price increase after the merger is completed. We will have to monitor and evaluate the overall value for our business. regardless, it makes us think twice about sharing comps going forward.

Comment on Inside the World’s Largest Ghost Mall by Joshua Bliss

Joshua Bliss — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:15:31 +0000

I find this video no where near as bad as this one – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h7V3Twb-Qk

or as funny as this article – http://www.good.is/post/welcome-to-the-oc/

and in either instance i still find it absurd that anyone believes any economic data released by china. the place is an obvious sham yet people will still buy into it.

Comment on December Sales Miss the Mark, but Overall Holiday Season is Strongest Since 2006 by David Bodamer

David Bodamer — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:34:21 +0000

One thing that’s necessary to keep in mind when looking at the same-store sales figures is that the pool of retailers we’re looking at today is different than in 2007. There used to be more than 70 retailers that provided monthly same-store sales figures. Now only about 30 do it. So the index has a different balance and it’s important to keep that in mind when looking at the figures here.

As for overall retail spending, I think 2011 will be like what you describe. I wouldn’t expect sharp increases. It’s likely to bounce along at their current level barring some major shift in the overall macroeconomic landscape.

Comment on December Sales Miss the Mark, but Overall Holiday Season is Strongest Since 2006 by George H

George H — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:52:33 +0000

Do you think retail sales will at least maintain the current level (above 2007 now) despite choppiness? That is, you don’t think we will drop substantially as in a case of contraction, do you?

Comment on What About Jobs? by David Fleming

David Fleming — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:21:16 +0000

Difficult questions to answer. Regarding jobs, the link below is to a relatively positive story about seasonal hiring, which notes that the Massachusetts Retail Association expects holiday hiring to be up 3 to 5 percent from the previous two years.

The article also covers seasonal hiring at Target and WineNation, both retailers at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, a 790,000sf WS Development center located in Millbury, MA.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20101210/NEWS/12100528/1116

Comment on Breaking Down Black Friday by David Fleming

David Fleming — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:28:12 +0000

Great summary, as usual. Thanks Dave.