bebe stores - Competitors

bebe stores Competition

Now Viewing bebe stores's competition in: Specialty Retail (primary)

Recent Developments

Trade Groups Support Organized Retail Crime Act - The National Retail Federation and numerous other trade organizations laud the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008, legislation that would strongly deter e-fencing, or selling merchandise stolen from retail stores online. If passed, Internet auctioneers would be required to monitor high-volume sellers (more than $12,000 in annual sales). The Act would also mandate that online sellers provide their contact information and a list of all transactions completed in the past three years. The bill also makes organized retail crime, which trade groups claim accounts for $30 billion in annual losses, a federal felony.

Economy Tough on Specialty Retailers - Casual apparel retailer Steve and Barry's is one of the latest specialty retailers to fall victim to a struggling US economy. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2008, blaming tight credit markets and sluggish economic conditions. Other specialty retailers that have recently filed for bankruptcy include Shoe Pavilion, Whitehall Jewelers, and Linens 'n Things. Many more are shuttering shops and shelving expansion plans: The International Council of Shopping Centers estimates 5,770 store closings in 2008, a 25 percent increase year-over-year.

Specialty Retailers Unlikely to Experience Back-to-School Boom - Nielsen forecasts 2.6 percent growth, which equals more than $1.5 billion, in school and office supply sales in the US during the 2008 back-to-school season. Nielsen's research shows that consumers won't skimp on supplies, despite a tough economy, but will shift to one-stop-shops to optimize shopping outings, making grocery stores the predicted sales leaders. Losing out this back-to-school season are specialty retailers, such as office supply stores where distinct trips are required, and apparel retailers, which are heavily skewed to discretionary spending.

Competitive Landscape

Demand for many specialty retail goods is driven by gains in consumer income. Large competitors can offer lower prices because they buy in quantity. Small retailers can compete with large ones by offering different merchandise or providing a higher level of service. Despite the presence of some large chains, specialty retail markets are highly fragmented. Barnes & Noble, for example, with over 900 stores, is the largest US bookseller but has a market share of only about 15 percent.

Full Industry Overview For Specialty Retail

Specialty Retail Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

US personal consumption expenditures for specialty retail items, like toys, dolls, games, cameras, film, film processing, guns, ammunition, sporting equipment, boats, and aircraft, are forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 5 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Spending Growth on Specialty Retail Items Steadies

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.