StORES Magazine - August 2007 - (Page S16)

HOT1OO 5 earnings) have been pushed by men’s apparel and skating hard goods. Zumiez stores, which have generated sales of approximately $440 per square foot each of the last five years, include active videogame stations to encourage shoppers to linger longer. The company describes its associates as being “high-energy personnel” who are “knowledgeable users” of its merchandise. Rounding out the top five is The Pantry, a $6 billion cstore operator headquartered in Sanford, N.C. The company has grown and prospered via acquisition, adding 113 locations in 2006 and another 150 so far this year. The biggest deal of late, completed in April, was the $100 million purchase of 60-unit Petro Express, which should add $625 million or more to The Pantry’s volume on an annualized basis. Other acquisitions this year have been more typical: the 11-store Fast Phil’s chain in Spartanburg, S.C., run by Willard Oil; 24 Sun Stop Stores from Southwest Georgia Oil; 16 Angler’s Mini-Marts in Charleston, S.C.; eight LeStore units in Gainesville and Ocala, Fla., from Rousseau Enterprises. The Pantry also builds new locations, with approximately 25 either open or under construction. The hectic pace may be slowing, however: Chairman and CEO Peter Sodini recently told investors and anaTop 100 Retailers lysts that, “With everything among the Hot 100 we’ve already done this year, Retailers it’s reasonable to assume that the bar has been raised someBLACK TO RED Eddie Bauer began losing money at the end of fiscal 2005 after a profitable first half. The losses continued throughout 2006, earning the Redmond, Wash.-based company the unenviable distinction of being the retailer showing the largest loss after being in the black the year before. The year-over-year comparisons are complicated by the fact that Eddie Bauer emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in June 2005. The 2006 net loss includes a goodwill impairment charge of $117.6 million and increased tax expenses during the second and third quarters of last year. In addition, $3.3 million of the loss was attributable to professional fees associated with the exploration of strategic alternatives and the company’s proposed sale. In February, Eddie Bauer turned down a buyout offer from investment firms Sun Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital that included $286 million in cash and assumption of $329 million in debt. COMPANY 2006 EARNINGS (000) 2005 EARNINGS (000) Eddie Bauer Holdings Linens ’N Things Borders Group Wilson’s Leather Experts Cost Plus Circuit City Bakers Footwear Kirkland’s All dollar figures in thousands ($212,000) (154,437) (151,300) (33,095) (22,536) (11,800) (1,543) (140) $38,100 35,982 101,000 12,212 16,589 139,700 6,553 229 29 S16 STORES / AUGUST 2007 WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of StORES Magazine - August 2007

Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Upfront NRF News Retail People Concept2Watch Supermarkets Cover Story Online Marketing In-Store Marketing RFID Data Management Payment Systems Software Loss Prevention E-Commerce Risk Management Communications Loyalty Marketing Human Resources Mobile Commerce Loeb Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View Advertising Index Retail Industry Calendar

StORES Magazine - August 2007

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