Word: stores
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...recent weekday in May, Primark's flagship Oxford Street store in London bustled with shoppers snapping up $3.20 T shirts, $1.60 turquoise tank tops and $21 pink chiffon dresses. The fitting rooms were so crammed that some patrons tried on skirts and shirts in front of mirrors on the store floor. Crisis? What crisis? In the six months to February, revenues at Primark, an Ireland-based company that is the U.K.'s second largest clothing retailer, surged 18% to $1.8 billion, with same-store sales up 5%. Operating profits, at $200 million, jumped...
...Sure, discount stores tend to withstand downturns. But since the slowdown began, two of Primark's competitors - MK One and Select - have been restructured under creditor-appointed managers. What makes Primark different - and keeps customers interested - is a keen eye for fashion trends worthy of a more expensive retailer. Devotees call the store Primani or Pradamark in honor of its acute fashion sense. And hot styles are delivered with commendable speed. New products can take as little as six weeks to hit the hangers. Primark has bridged "the gap between sheer value and fast fashion," says Robert Clark of London...
...What's more, Primark in recent years has invested in upgrading its outlets so the shop floor looks as hip as the clothes. "Primark has been moving into big stores that look as good as any middle-market retailer," says Maureen Hinton, lead analyst at U.K. retail consultants Verdict Research. "If you can pick up a dress for GBP 15 [$24] in a place that looks as good as any other High Street store, it makes the value even better." Even in hard times, it pays to keep up appearances...
...will have to compete with Apple's iPhone. Launched two years ago, the iPhone has created nothing less than a new way of doing business. By last January, more than 21 million iPhones had been sold; nearly 50,000 applications are now available for download at its online App Store. Rubinstein, an easygoing guy, smiles when we discuss this and points out that the market is large and expanding; Palm doesn't need to steal any of its competitors' customers to thrive. The smart-phone race is a marathon, not a sprint. "We're only at the beginning...
Apple is taking a "Pre who?" approach so far. But it's doubtless ticked off that the Pre cheekily syncs with Apple's proprietary iTunes software. (Rubinstein claims he's doing Apple a favor by making it easier for Pre owners to buy music from the iTunes store.) Needless to say, Apple is hardly standing still. New iPhones are rumored - perhaps they'll be unveiled at an Apple developers' conference on June 8 - and its operating system will get an upgrade...