Word: retailing
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...brutal time in retail - sales dropped 2.7% in December, the sixth straight month of declines, and 0.1% for 2008, the first annual dip on government records dating back to 1992. It was the worst holiday shopping season in 40 years. Name outlets like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things have gone bankrupt. Who's next? Predicting which companies will go under is a notoriously tricky business, and we won't try that. But here are five struggling retailers whose futures are definitely cloudy, with a look at how they hope to survive. (See the top 10 financial collapses...
Talbots The specialty clothing retailer, which targets women over 35, has run out of steam over the past year. Talbots' same-store sales were down 13.9% in the third quarter of 2008, and the chain lost $14.8 million during that time. "They look dead in the water," says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail-consulting and investment-banking firm...
...company's ill-fated $400 million purchase of women's apparel shop J. Jill in 2006 burdened its debt load. "What's hurting them more than anything is that they've got lots of debt on their balance sheet," says Betty Chen, a retail analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. Talbots has shuttered its men's, kids and U.K. businesses, and is shopping for a buyer for J. Jill. Good luck finding one in today's market. Earlier this month, investors received some encouragement when the company secured a $150 million credit line from three Japanese banks. In 2008 Talbots also...
...situation is less dire than Pier 1 Imports, they are certainly on the ropes as well," says Chukumba. Office Depot's less capital-intensive contract business - which involves making deals with companies and governments to supply them with paper, pens and staplers - somewhat shields it from the more dire retail shocks. But the company is still in a dangerous spot. "With their leases and off-balance-sheet leverage, Office Depot's financial risk is undoubtedly high," says Stephen Chick, an equity analyst at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey...
...large number of other industries are facing similar problems. The retail industry is the most obvious. Beyond that, airlines are back in trouble. All of the merger plans that carriers were looking at last summer can be dusted off. Traffic is falling sharply as consumers and businesses cut back on travel. In a related sector, the hospitality industry is in it worst period in decades. Some hotels are nearly empty...