The Channel Checkers » 2009 » July

iPhone Continues to Dominate at AT&T Wireless

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:17:10 +0000

During the past few weeks, we asked 14 AT&T locations across the country to gauge trends in the sales of cell phones. We asked the following questions.

What is the best selling phone model right now?
What is the best device to get for e-mail?
What is the best music device?
Has there been an increase in the number of people opening new accounts or buying the iPhone in the past 3 weeks?

The Apple iPhone was seen as the best selling phone with 64% of the respondents reporting so. The new Apple iPhone was reported as the best by 21% of the respondents. This suggests the great amount of popularity the iPhone has.
The Apple iPhone was also seen as the best device to receive email as reported by 39% of the locations. The Blackberry was close behind with 32% of the respondents reporting that it was better than the iPhone. The Blackberry is a phone for business so this is a little surprising that the iPhone is considered to be better in terms of receiving emails.
86% of the respondents reported that the iPhone is a better phone for music than the other phones. Only 2 respondents reported something different. One said the Sony phone was better and the other stated the AT&T Quickfire was the best.
An increase in the number of people opening new accounts or buying the iPhone in the past three weeks was seen by 79% of the respondents. 14% AT&T locations saw no growth.

Conclusion of Channel Check: In these AT&T locations, the Apple iPhone is very popular. The top two selling phones in these stores are both iPhone’s, with the new one model still behind the older one. Even when the survey turned to the email question, the business phone, the Blackberry, was shown to be slightly behind the iPhone. Of course, in the music question, nearly all the respondents said the versatile iPhone was best. The results suggest that there is an increase in the number of new accounts or purchases of the iPhone. The most popular phone in the market looks to be gaining even more sales in the recent times. All in all the iPhone looks to continue its strong trend of success and looks to be having more sales with AT&T also opening more accounts.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Abercrombie Business Ticks up in July

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:16:12 +0000

In July we have asked 29 different Abercrombie and Fitch locations several questions in order to gauge sales trends. Here are the questions that we asked.

Has this location been open for more than one year?
Which of the following ‘Key Looks’(Women’s) categories is the most popular this spring?
Which of the following Women’s products people have been buying the most of?
Are there enough of the most popular item in-stock right now?
Will it be hard to get more of the most popular product if they need to get more for the holiday season?
Is business increasing / decreasing / flat since last month?

All of the respondents said that the location was open for more than a year.
Knit Tanks, Lexi, and Dresses were all stated to be the top ‘Key Looks’ by 10% of the respondents.
28% of the respondents reported that the Emma Low Rise Boot Jean was the top selling women’s product, while 24% of the respondents said that the Margaret top was the top selling women product.
All of the respondents reported that there is enough of the most popular item in stock now.
17% of the respondents reported that there would be difficulty getting the most popular product if they needed it during the holiday season. 83% said that there would be no difficulty getting the items during the holiday season.
45% of the respondents reported that business is increasing since last month, with 31% reporting no change in business in the last month, and 24% of the respondents reporting a loss in business the last month.

Conclusion of Channel Check: The survey suggests that there was not a large increase in sales during the last month. There also does not seem to be a dominant new women’s product or a dominant women’s ‘Key Look’ out right now. The stocks of their most popular items are full, furthering the point that there is not a large craze for a clothing item at this point. However, during the holiday season, there could be difficulty getting the most popular product if they needed it. Overall Abercrombie looks to be seeing a small increase in business, with no new items driving sales by itself.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Dell Competes Aggressively with HP at Retail

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:07:23 +0000

In July, we asked fifteen computer sales locations (Mostly Wal-Mart and Best Buy) to approximate sales trends in Dell computers. The survey asked the following questions.

What is the best selling brand and model desktop?
Which model series does that brand belong to?
What brand of microprocessors does that desktop use?
What is the name of this microprocessor in the desktop?
What is the speed of the microprocessor?

Dell was seen as the best selling brand by 44% of the respondents, with 33% of the respondents reporting that HP was the top selling brand.
The model series that the brand belonged to was said to be Inspiron by 33% of the respondents, also Pavillion was seen to be the top model series by 33% of the respondents too.
Intel was seen to be the top brand for speed and performance by 53% of the respondents, while 40% of the respondents said AMD was the top brand.
The Intel Core 2 Duo was seen as the top microprocessor in terms of speed and performance by 20% of the respondents. The AMD Phenom, AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core, Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium Dual Core were all seen as the best microprocessor by 13% of the respondents respectively.
The microprocessor speeds were said to be 3 GHz or more by 27% of the respondents and 2.4-2.6 GHz by 47% of the respondents. 27% also said that the speeds of the microprocessors were less than 2.3 GHz.

Conclusion of Channel Check: For a time, Dell used to be the largest computer providing company in the world. In 2008, it was the second largest behind HP. Now however, it was seen at the top by 44% of the respondents with HP right behind with 33%. Inspiron was tied with Pavillion for the model series that the brand belonged to. When the questions asked about speed and performance, the best brand was Intel at 60%. 40% reported with AMD chips, which is interesting considering that Dell used to have an Intel only policy, until Alienware was acquired. The speeds were mostly in the 2.4-2.6 GHz range. Overall, Dell still seems to be doing very well in sales beating out HP in our survey.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Target On Track for Solid July

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:43:45 +0000

This month we surveyed Target stores around the US to gauge trends in performance. We asked the following questions:

On a Scale of 1-5(1 being the worst and 5 being the best) how well would you say business is at your store?
Do you have excess inventory of any particular product or brand the will go on discount soon?
Do you believe that the weak housing and economy is hurting business at your store?
What is the top selling brand of women’s clothes right now?

43% of respondents replied business was below average. 47% of respondents replied business was average. 42% of respondents replied business was above average. 8% of respondents replied business was very strong.
44% of respondents replied they have excess inventory and it will go on sale. 44% of respondents replied they have no excess inventory.
53% of respondents replied the weak housing market and economy is not affecting business. 28% of respondents replied the weak housing market and economy is affecting business.
39% of respondents replied that Merona is the most popular women’s clothing brand right now. 33% of respondents replied that Mossimo is the most popular women’s clothing brand right now. 6% of respondents replied that Lucky Brand Collection is the most popular women’s clothing brand right now.

Conclusion of the Channel Checkers: For Target business is doing great right now. Most targets are doing average or above average right now in sales. Target has some excess inventory but should not affect business to much. Target is not being hurt as much as other retailers by the weak housing market and economy. The most popular women’s clothing right now is Merona with Mossimo very close behind. Target is doing well right now during this weak economy.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Under Armour Seen as Best for Comfort When Working Out

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:14:58 +0000

Over the past week, we surveyed various Dicks Sporting Goods stores and Big 5 locations to gauge trends in the sales of work out clothes. We asked the following questions:

What is the most comfortable brand of work out clothes you sell?
Why?
Do you sell Under Armour (if not mentioned in Q1 or Q2)?

63% of respondents said that Under Armour was the most comfortable brand of work out gear. 22% said Nike. Champion, North Face, Reebok, Life is Good were brands also mentioned.
Comfort and “drawing sweat away from the body” were the primary attributes cited about Under Armour.
100% of locations claimed to have had sold Under Armour work out gears.

Conclusion of Channel Check: Based on the survey, Under Armour seems to be a popular choice for consumers in terms of work out clothes. Its comfort and dry fit material beat their competing brands such as Nike, Champion, and Reebok. Overall, Under Armour is a demanding preference for work out gears.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Sears Sales Losing Lustre in July? Inventories Look Well Managed

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:03:49 +0000

Over the past few weeks we surveyed Sears stores around the US to gauge trends in performance. We asked the following questions:

Are there any sales going on right now? Any sales coming up in the next few weeks?
How busy was your store last month compared to the last few months? Same month last year?
Which product categories are selling the best? Which are selling the worst?
What is the average bill for a customer at your store?
Do you have any excess inventory right now?

72% of the respondents replied there was a sale going on right now and another one in a few weeks. 11% replied there were no sales going on right now and none upcoming in a few weeks. 11% replied there was no sale right now but were going to have one in a few weeks. 6% of respondents replied there was a sale going on right now but no new sale in a few weeks.
28% of the respondents replied last month was busier then the last few months. 33% of the respondents replied last month was busier then the last few months but slower the same month last year. 6% of respondents relied last month slower then the last few months but busier then the same month last year. 6% of respondents replied last month was slower the last few months. 28% of respondents replied last month was the same as the previous months as well as the same last year.
33% replied appliances as the best selling product in the store, while 22% of respondents replied appliances as the worst selling product in the store. 28% replied apparel as the best selling product in the store, while 11% of respondents replied apparel as the worst selling product in the store. 11% replied electronics as the best selling product in the store, while 17% of respondents replied electronics the worst selling product in the store.
28% of respondents replied the average bill was above $200. 11% of respondents replied the average bill was between $150-$199. 22% of respondents replied the average bill was between $ 100-$149. 33% of respondents replied the average bill was below $99.
44% of respondents replied yes they have excess inventory. 56% of respondents replied no they don’t have excess inventory.

Conclusion of the Channel Checkers: For Sears business has either slowed down over the last few months or stayed the same as well for last year. The majority of Sears are having a sale right now or one in the next few weeks. The best-selling product in the store were appliances as well as the worst selling products replied respondents. The average bill for sears customers was roughly $150 when averaging the top bill and bottom bill. More then half of the respondents do not report any excess inventory.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Pre Appears to Boost Upgrades, New Accounts

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:52:50 +0000

Over the past few weeks we have surveyed Sprint stores around the US to gauge trends in performance. We asked the following questions:

What is the best selling phone model right now?
What is the best device to get for email?
What is the best music device?
Has there been a increase in people upgrading their phones or opening new accounts in the past few months?

 54% of respondents replied the Palm Pre as the best selling phone right now. 21% of respondents replied the Blackberry as the best selling phone right now. 8% of respondents replied the SCP 2700 Sanyo as the best selling phone right now.

 42% of respondents replied the Palm Pre as the best selling phone for music. 29% of respondents replied the Blackberry as the best selling phone for music. 17% of respondents replied the Samsung as the best selling phone for music.

 17% of respondents replied the Palm Pre as the best selling phone for email. 21% of respondents replied the Blackberry as the best selling phone for email. 38% of respondents replied the Samsung as the best selling phone for email

 92% of respondents replied they have seen an increase in people upgrading there phones or opening new accounts over the past few months. 8% of respondents replied they have not seen an increase in people upgrading there phones or opening new accounts over the past few months.

Conclusion of the Channel Checkers: For Sprint, business appears to be doing well. The new hot phone for Sprint is the Palm Pre, which exclusively contracts with Sprint only. The best phone for music is also said to be the Palm Pre according to respondents. The best phone for email is a Samsung device. There has been a huge increase in upgrading phones or new plans for Sprint. With the introduction of the Palm Pre, Sprint should be able to capitalize of it.

Small Cars, Trucks Lead as Sales Slow in July for Ford

Casey — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:42:27 +0000

Over the past week, we surveyed 23 Ford dealerships across the United States to gauge trends in the sales of cars and trucks. We asked the following questions:

What is the best selling vehicle right now?
Are you offering any deals right now?
Do you offer XM radio for free?
Has there been an increase in business in the last few months?

20% of respondents reported that the Ford Fusion and the Ford F-150 was the best selling model at their dealership right now. 17% reported that the Ford Focus was the top seller. 13% said Ford Mustang while 9% of respondents said Ford F-350 was the best selling vehicle.
70% reported special deals at their location. 26% said there were not.
74% of dealers reported offering free XM radio while 26% said they were not.
39% of respondents said that there had not been an increase in business the past few months, while 30% reported that there had been. 26% said it has been the same.

Conclusion of Channel Check: Based on the survey, Ford dealership’s business seems to be slower compared to the last few months, despite the special deals and free XM radio they have been offering to their customers. The barbell phenomenon with sales continues as trucks one end and small, low cast, fuel efficient cars leads sales at the other end. We do not know gross margin contributions but we suspect Ford would like to sell mid-priced feature cars like the Mustang in greater quantities moving forward.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Game Platform Parity Arrives, No Major Games Anticipated

Casey — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:48:10 +0000

Over the past week, we surveyed Gamestop and EB Games stores across the United States to track sales trends of gaming consoles and video games. We asked the following questions:

What is the best selling video game right now?
What is the best selling game platform?
What will be the next big game released over the next 3 months?

17% of respondents saw Fight Night Round as the top selling game. 13% said Halo 3 and Aion, while 9% said Tiger Woods 2010.
Nintendo Wii was seen as the top selling console by 35% of respondents. 30% saw the X-BOX 360 as the top console. 26% cited the PS3 as the top console.
Madden 2010 was seen as the most anticipated new game coming out according to 30% of respondents. 22% of respondents cited Halo 3: ODST as the most exciting new game coming out. 13% cited Harry Potter, while 9% said G-force.

Conclusion of Channel Check: The Nintendo Wii was seen as the top console by 35% of respondents. It dominated the response to this question in 2008 and still continues to. Despite the lead in responses, all three major platforms are holding onto 1/3 of the market appears according to our respondents, a sharp divergence from the days of Wii dominance in 2007 and 2008. When asked what will be the next big game coming out over the next 3 months, 30% of respondents said Madden 2010. The result of the survey shows that Nintendo Wii will continue to be a popular gaming console compared to the X-BOX and the PS3. However, there doesn’t seem to be any new major title coming come out in the next couple of month besides Madden 2010.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com

Kohl’s Business Trending Stronger in July

Casey — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:38:40 +0000

Over the past week, we surveyed various Kohl locations to track sales of and business levels in July. We asked the following questions:

On a scale of 1-5 (1 being worst and 5 being best) how well would you say business is at your store?
Do you have excess inventory of any particular product or brand that will go on discount soon?
Do you believe that the weak housing market and economy are hurting business at your store?
What is the top selling brand of women’s clothing right now?

48% of respondents said business was “above average”, 44% said business was average while 4% said business was “very strong”. Another 4% said business was below average.
59% of respondents said they did have excess inventory that would be put on sale soon. 41% of respondents said they did not have any excess inventory.
44% of respondents thought housing and economic issues were hurting sales. 30% said no while 26% said they were not sure.
Croft & Barrow was seen as the top selling brand of women’s clothing according to 15% of respondents. 11% said Sonoma was the top brand. 7% said Elle and Apt. 9 as the top selling brand.

Conclusion of Channel Check: Business looks strong at Kohl’s in July with 48% reporting business as above average and only 4% saying it was below average. Inventory is creeping into a potentially dangerous level and could impact margins in 3Q. Weak economic trends appear to be a factor for Kohl’s but not overwhelmingly.

For access to the underlying survey or for more information, please contact Jason Katz at 415.867.0959 or jason@thechannelcheckers.com