USA:Gridiron completes acquisition of Van Dyke's Taxidermy

 

Gridiron Capital, LLC and Cabela's Inc announced they have closed on the sale of Van Dyke's Taxidermy, a division of Cabela's Inc., to McKenzie Sports Products, LLC, a Gridiron portfolio company.

Van Dyke's Taxidermy is a leading supplier of taxidermy products and supplies and has built a solid reputation of quality, innovation, breadth of product selection and great customer service with individual taxidermists, taxidermy studios and taxidermy schools over its 60 years of operation. Van Dyke's Taxidermy will continue to operate out of its current manufacturing facility in Woonsocket, South Dakota.

"Van Dyke's Taxidermy is a great addition to McKenzie," said Gridiron Capital's Managing Partner, Tom Burger. "Van Dyke's has a long-standing reputation for quality products and top-notch customer service in its niche market. We look forward to partnering with Van Dyke's senior leadership team to improve customer service and grow the industry."

Van Dyke's offers more than 14,000 items across a wide array of taxidermy products, tools and supplies and is one of the leading manufacturers of glass eyes in the world. The Company employs an in-house sculptor and contracts with other sculptors to produce many of the foam manikins it sells. Van Dyke's also produces many of the chemicals used throughout the taxidermy process and maintains on-site wood-working and welding shops. Customers can purchase Van Dyke's taxidermy products through the catalog and on the brand's Web site (www.vandykestaxidermy.com).

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to add a brand such as Van Dyke's to McKenzie's business," said McKenzie's Chairman, Kevin McKenzie. "We are excited by the opportunity to work with the team at Van Dyke's and to continue to expand its footprint in the taxidermy market."

"We have been very proud to have had Van Dyke's taxidermy business as part of the Cabela's family for more than a decade," said Tommy Millner, Chief Executive Officer of Cabela's. "When the prospect of this sale first came up, we knew McKenzie would be the perfect home for this great company. The opportunities McKenzie brings are exciting for Van Dyke's loyal employees and customers, as well as for the taxidermy industry as a whole."

"As it relates to our third-quarter results, we do not expect the cash proceeds from the sale or the resulting gain to have a material impact," Millner added.

McKenzie Sports Products, LLC, headquartered in Granite Quarry, North Carolina, is the premier designer and manufacturer of taxidermy forms and supplies used to mount trophies harvested by hunters and fishermen.

Gridiron Capital, LLC, headquartered in New Canaan, Connecticut, is a private equity firm focused on creating value by acquiring and building middle-market manufacturing, service and specialty consumer companies in the United States and Canada.

Cabela's Incorporated, headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska, is a leading specialty retailer, and the world's largest direct marketer, of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.

 

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Russia:Payless ShoeSource to enter Russia next year

 

Collective Brands Inc. and its Payless ShoeSource unit announced plans for additional international expansion for the Payless retail chain.

Russia will be the next country in Payless' strategic global growth initiative and through a new agreement with franchisee partner M.H. Alshaya Company, the two companies will franchise Payless stores in the country beginning next year.

Alshaya is currently Payless' franchisee partner in the Middle East region with whom the retailer has successfully opened the market with stores in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait with stores also planned in other countries in the region including Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

Alshaya's Russian subsidiary has been operating as a retail franchisee in Russia for nearly a decade with more than 100 stores representing international brands.

The two companies said they expect to start opening new Payless stores in 2010 and that Russia -- the largest land-mass country in the world with 140 million people with rising household incomes and families attracted to affordable fashion -- appears to be a strong fit for the Payless offering and brand promise. About five stores will open in Russia late next year; Payless and Alshaya said that they expect a minimum of 90 stores in the country in about five years and at least 300 stores in the long term. This is a multi-year transaction; additional terms were not disclosed.

"The franchise model is proving to be the most efficient way to reach more international markets with the Payless brand and all it has to offer -- great fashion, well-recognized brands and quality all at a great price," said Matthew Rubel, chief executive officer and chairman of Collective Brands,Inc. "Paylessbrings the know how in footwear specialty retailing, and Alshaya brings its strong infrastructure and local experience in Russia. Like many people across the globe, Russian people love to shop and have a strong appetite for fashion and footwear and accessories. Together we are truly excited to bring the Payless brand to Russia and to affordably serve the footwear and accessory needs of families in the country."

Through the franchise arrangement, Payless provides Alshaya with seasonal product assortments, as well as expertise in retail operations, merchandising, marketing and brand strategy. Alshaya provides retail location strategy, construction, logistics, and store training and staffing. Alshaya will utilize Payless' neweststore format, referred to as the "Hot Zone" layout, and will purchases Payless product directly from Payless' seasonal assortment.

Like the Payless stores in the U.S., the stores in the Russia will feature a wide assortment of shoes and accessories for the family including branded products for women, men and children covering a range of wearing occasions. Payless is well known as a "House of Brands" retailer with an expanded portfolio of well-recognized brands including designer labels alice + olivia for Payless, Lela Rose for Payless and the much-anticipated designer line Christian Siriano for Payless, as well as the newest brands to hit Payless stores such as STPLxAirwalk and Zoe & Zac, the first-ever affordable green shoes that offer "Fresh Green Fashion" for the eco-fashionista.
 

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Ireland:Futura fair exceeds expectations

 

The mood was upbeat at the recent Futura Fair which took place at the RDS, Main Hall Complex, August 16-18 with buyers and exhibitors reporting that they were looking ahead to 2010 with an open and positive frame of mind.

Ladieswear exhibitors reported a constant stream of quality Buyers attending with John Dunne of John Bentley commenting that Г”there was a steady flow of customers at the Fair, Buyers that we contacted to see us there all came to our stand and placed orders.

Gina Bacconi, Libra, John Charles and Pomodoro reported a great response from Buyers to their respective collections and werevery satisfied with the orders taken.

Menswear was re-launched at Futura this season much to the delight of retailers who travelled from all over Ireland as was experienced by Brian Fox of Regatta. "The Regatta Group of brands had a super response from retailers who attended Futura Fair. A full RDS created a buzz on Sunday and Monday and we had a relaxed atmosphere on our stand in which buyers were able to view our ranges with ease".

He added "We were pleasantly surprised by the number of potentialnew customers who travelled from the 4 corners of Ireland-Belfast, Donegal, Cork and Kerry were well represented. Naill Gleeson of Menswear brand Olymp added. The show was beyond our expectations. We not only opened a couple of new accounts but we also took some very large orders".

There was no talk of a recession as buyers placed orders and were optimistic that even in a difficult economic environment, business can continue.

Accessory exhibitors were encouraged by the quality of buyers at Futura and featured lots of new brands including Jia Jewellery and Bardot. Buyers welcomed the return of Claire Garnett who said "The fair exceeded my expectations, reason being, we opened some very significant new accounts and saw some of our existing clients. This means that all being well for next year, I will definitely be showing at Futura as this is the type of venue we should be seen at".

Arlene Nee, director of Absolute Jewellery also said that the response was excellent "we had a great response to the collectionwith both new and existing accounts on the stand so overall, we were very pleased with the Fair".

Footwear exhibitors were happy with the attendance with new brands Diavolina, Sachelle Couture, Olga Berg and Lotus exhibiting for the first time. Kevin Cooke of Jacobson Footwear reported that he had a very successful Fair and Chris Dagless of Vanilla Moon was very happy with the overall quality of buyers and their willingness to write orders. The consensus was that next seasonГ•s February 28/2, 2010 dates will ensure strong growth for Footwear at Futura Fair.

Futura Fair 2010 February edition will take place consecutive weekends after Pure and Moda and will feature a new lingerie and swimwear pavillion which will add a new flavour to Futura Fair and ensure that buyers requirements are well catered for.

Futura Fair taking place February 28/Mar 2, 2010 in the RDS, Main Hall Complex, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. 

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USA:Saint Louis Fashion Week Press Conference on Sept 9

 

Join St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, models, sponsors, partners and St. Louis designers for the announcement of this season's designers.

With a lineup that includes some of fashion's biggest names, top emerging designers and a growing list of local fashion houses, St. Louis is attracting national and international attention as a showcase for the world's biggest brands to reach their valuableMidwest fans and talented new designers to launch their careers.

Details:
Date of Conerence: September 9th 2009
Press Conference: 10am
Location: Four Seasons Hotel SkyDeck
LumiГЁre Place, Downtown

 

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UAE:Marco Bicego captures style of day-to-day luxury living

 

Marco Bicego, the world renowned Italian jewellery house, now presents its sophisticated and attractive signature collection – Marrakech.

The highly imaginative array of jewels includes graduated strand necklaces, strand bracelets, bangle bracelets, graduated earrings, medium hoop earrings, oval earrings in 18k yellow and white gold, and diamonds, which have been fashioned from hand-finished strands of gold, reveling in a rich combination of textures. The collection displays its master designer's brilliant and inimitable style, which has made the brand one of the most sought-after names in fine jewellery today.

Commenting on his new collection Marco Bicego said: “As everyday luxury accessories, the Marrakech hoop earrings and layered bracelets perfectly capture the taste and style of day-to-day luxury living. For the more discerning clientele, we have the Marrakech Couture collection which offers different sizes of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds which stylish women of the region would love to own.”

The Marrakech collection portrays the golden and cascading sculpture at its finest. Immediately recognised for its timeless elegance and contemporary flavour, these precious jewels are capable of catching the eye of every woman from all walks of life. Carefully hand-hammered and twisted, these 18kt golden coils are intertwined to create sensual and uniquely modern jewellery.

The new collection is a tactile delight for the wearer and is crafted in one-of-a-kind styling that sets these jewels apart from the rest. Having debuted just 7 years ago, this designer has shot into the top rank of international jewellers whose collections are much awaited the world over! This sophisticated and glamorous collection can be worn anytime and with any dress due to their casual grace and chic appeal.

Discover Marco Bicego’s new Marrakech collection now available at select Damas boutiques in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 

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USA:Bontrager introduces Cadence cycling shoe

 

Bontrager is excited to announce a new offering in its growing family of inForm cycling shoes, the brand new Cadence. Designed with all-day comfort, off-bike versatility, and everyday fashion in mind, the women's specific Cadence is the ideal shoe for the active bike commuter who wants the performance benefits of a cycling shoe combined with the go-anywhere fashion of a street shoe.

We designed the Cadence for the woman who wants one shoe that does it all, noted Natascha Grief, Bontrager Brand Manager. "It's the perfect shoe for when you want some of the performance benefits of a cycling shoe without looking like you're wearing one."

As with all in Form shoes, in developing the new Cadence Bontrager focused on four crucial aspects of shoe design: the Construction, Cut, Cup, and Customization -- what Bontrager calls the four "C"s of inForm shoe technology.

Construction: Cadence construction starts with Bontrager's inForm WSD Performance last -- a women's specific last that cradles the foot in a comfortable, performance-oriented position. Around that form, Bontrager employs a Strobel construction method that gives the Cadence a good blend of stability and comfort. The Cadence also features a molded Phylon foam midsole that conforms to the specific curvature of the inForm last, providing additional cushioning and flexibility for off-bike activities. When it comes to on-bike efficiency and comfort, pedal cleats for the Cadence mount directly to a molded nylon internal plate under the uppers, bypassing the Phylon midsole. As a result, there's no energy loss when riding.

Cut: The Cadence features non-stretch synthetic uppers chosen specifically for their ability to provide the support needed for on-bike efficiency and the suppleness associated with street-shoe comfort. Bontrager joins these materials using superior pattern engineering, ensuring optimal internal volumes that conform to the inForm WSD Performance last.

Cup: The Cadence uses an internal heel cup that gives it the secure fit and support today's active woman needs without the bulky look and feel of an external cup.

Customization: Like all Bontrager inForm shoes, the Cadence is specifically designed to accommodate custom or customizable insoles.

Available starting in October through authorized Bontrager dealers. 

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USA:вЂWe remain optimistic about sales trends for Q3’ - Shoe Carnivals

 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. a leading retailer of value-priced footwear and accessories, announced sales and earnings for the second quarter ended August 1, 2009.

Sales for the second quarter of 2009 were $152.8 million, compared to sales of $158.5 million for the prior year second quarter. Comparable store sales declined 6.4 percent.

Net earnings for the thirteen-week second quarter were $982,000, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $977,000, or $0.08 per diluted share, for the thirteen-week second quarter ended August 2, 2008.

The gross profit margin for the second quarter increased 0.2 percent to 26.8 percent compared to 26.6 percent for the second quarter of the prior year. The merchandise margin increased 0.4 percent, primarily due to better inventory control. As a percentage of sales, buying, distribution and occupancy costs increased 0.2 percent due primarily to the deleveraging effect of lower sales on occupancy costs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the second quarter decreased $1.7 million to $39.0 million, or 25.6 percent of sales, compared to $40.7 million, or 25.7 percent of sales, for the second quarter of 2008.

Speaking on the results, Mark Lemond, chief executive officer and president said, "We are pleased to report that we met or exceeded the majority of our internal goals for the second quarter of 2009. While consumer spending and the overall economic environment remained challenging in the second quarter, we were able to improve our year-over-year gross and operating margins and, therefore, record earnings per share equal to last year. We believe the absence of government stimulus checks, which were provided to the consumer during the second quarter of last year, had a negative impact on our second quarter comparablestore sales and traffic.In addition, the sales-tax-free holidays in nine of our states shifted from the second quarter last year into the third quarter this year, which accounted for approximately two percent of the comparable store sales decline for the quarter."

Mr. Lemond continued, "For the first three weeks of August, our comparable stores sales have increased approximately 11 percent, as consumers are responding well to both our athletic and non-athletic product assortments. Only about 5 percent of the 11 percent increase is due to the shift of sales-tax-free holidays out of fiscal July and into fiscal August. While there is considerable uncertainty regarding consumer discretionary spending after back-to-school, we remain optimistic about the sales trends for the remainder of the third quarter. Therefore, due to these improved trends early in the third quarter, we expect to record positive comparable store sales for the quarter."

Net income for the first half of 2009 was $5.1 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, compared with net income of $5.8 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, in the first half of last year. Net sales for the first six months were $320.1 million compared to net sales of $320.6 million for the same period last year. Comparable store sales for the twenty-six week period ended August 1, 2009 decreased 3.3 percent, compared to the twenty-six week period ended August 2, 2008. The gross profit margin for the first six months of 2009 was 27.4 percent compared to 27.8 percent last year. Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, were 24.7 percent for the first six months of 2009 as compared to 24.9 percent last year.

Store Growth
Currently, the Company expects to open approximately 16 new stores in fiscal 2009 and close eight stores. Click here for

For more details of Store openings and closings by quarter and for the fiscal year are currently planned Click here : 

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