Filed under Another Tech Takedown: From Zero Hedge: Movie Gallery’s Chapter 22 just turned into a 7. The WSJ reports that the firm has decided to shutter all of its 2,415 stores and liquidate completely. Previously, the bankrupt movie rental chain had hoped to continue operating with a trimmed down asset base, and close just [...]
Apr
12
12 Amazing Walmart Stats
I just got this email and had to share. There are some pretty amazing facts about Walmart here (assuming all are true). 1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day. 2. This works out to $20,928 in profit every minute! 3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1st to St. Patrick’s Day [...]
Apr
08
Walmart Growth Visualized
This is a cool visualization showing the growth of Walmart from the opening of its first store in 1962 to present. The graphic does not show international growth but based on past history, world domination should not be far off. I’m pretty sure Walmart has already announced plans to enrich uranium and build centrifuges.
Mar
01
Another CREOBA Post
I have been receiving numerous emails from CREOBA every single day for a very long time and just archiving them for some future post or action that I have yet to think of. Today’s email does require a quick mention though. Apparently, CREOBA has decided to start offering their hugely valuable (ha!) courses via webinar! [...]
Mar
01
Sale/Leaseback Article from Phoenix Business Journal
This article published on Friday, February 26th, 2010 is quite possibly one of the worst articles you will ever read discussing the merits of a sale/leaseback transaction. I feel sorry for the brokers quoted in the publication. It feels like the author chopped up their quotes and used them where she thought best rather than [...]
Jan
19
Fresh & Easy Real Estate Director Making Empty Threats
I just had to post this. I just closed a Fresh & Easy ground lease that was purchased by Fresh & Easy on 12/31/09. Earlier today, we sent out an email blast announcing the sale of the property. I received the following email (with his attorney cc’d as well) from UK transplant Tom Scorer, Real [...]
Nov
25
New “Green” McDonald’s Logo
Just found this interesting tidbit online: McDonald’s is apparently changing its logo in Europe, eliminating the red background and replacing it with a “deep hunter green” background to tout their environmental credentials. You can read the article on greenbiz.com here.
Oct
29
First Look: Microsoft Retail Store Grand Opening
So today I decided to go check out the grand opening of the Microsoft retail store at Simon’s Shops at Mission Viejo. I must say the store is impressive but the design does remind me of another retail store but I just can’t quite put my finger on which store that might be….. The store [...]
Oct
28
Vitamin Shoppe Completes I.P.O.
Vitamin Shoppe has just completed an IPO, raising about $155 million. You can read more about it at DealBook. What I thought was most interesting was the fact that this was first I.P.O. by a traditional retailer since December 2007! The proceeds from the offering are being used to pay down debt and to pad [...]
Oct
23
Fresh & Easy Display Ad Spotted in the Wild
This is just a quick follow-up post about Fresh & Easy. I mentioned in my last post about Fresh & Easy that I had recently heard radio advertisements for F&E. Well coincidentally, I spotted a Fresh & Easy skyscraper ad on the home page of 89.9 KCRW while looking up the name of a song [...]
Oct
08
Interesting Fresh & Easy Article
Below is an interesting article published by the Arizona Republic on Tuesday. Based on the published numbers of $267 million in first half sales from 130 stores, Fresh & Easy’s full year sales should be approximately $534 million or $4.1 million per unit. The average Fresh & Easy store is 14,000 square feet so their [...]
Oct
02
Never Mind, No Green Shoots for Retail
It looks like retailers are not faring so well after all. From an article published today at DallasNews.com titled “Speakers at Retailing Summit in Dallas offer sobering assessment” (emphasis mine): Retailers shouldn’t expect to see the pre-recession shopper in this economic recovery, and a shakeout with store closings is still ahead, speakers said Thursday at [...]
Oct
02
Staying Alive – Blockbuster Gets a Lift
Blockbuster has secured $675 million in new debt (due in 2014) which will be used to pay off old debt. The loan is nice and cheap at an 11.75% interest rate and represents 94% of par value. Blockbuster is continuing its aggressive cost-cutting strategy in hopes that people will stop using the internet and go [...]
Oct
02
Overpriced Deal of the Week
For those of you who have been reading this blog lately you will know that the overpriced deal of the week was already announced on Tuesday. To call Moreno Beach Plaza overpriced would be like saying Fresh & Easy is underperforming. So in honor of this new and (potentially) recurring post, I present you with [...]
Oct
01
Green Shoots in Retail?
I just read a post on the CRE blog Net Lease Nation talking about the upcoming holiday season. Apparently, Fitch Ratings is bullish on the retail sector: “Many companies across Fitch’s U.S. retail coverage have been managing inventory positions well. Gross margins have rebounded for those companies in the discretionary categories that were hit particularly [...]