Tiffany Poised to Continue Fall
Posted: May 27, 2012 at 6:13 pm
By Tom Gibbs - May 27, 2012 | Tickers: COH, LVMUY.PK, RL, TIF | 0 Comments
Tom is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.
The luxury goods sector has been a rather mixed bag since the industry initiated its rebound from post-2009 trough levels. Top lines in most of the industrys niches leather goods, watches/jewelry, upscale apparel, etc. have generally increased year-over-year, yet continued spending on operational rightsizing, rather volatile prices in raw material markets, and a slight pull back in consumer confidence levels have translated into a less-than-robust jump in company profits.
Undoubtedly one of the most disappointing performers as of late has been jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), which hit a new 52 week price low following the release of its Q1 2012 filing. Coming off a relatively weak performance in Q4 2011, the corporation posted:
The saving grace for the jewelry retailer was its increased penetration into emerging markets, yet despite the continually increasing sales in Asia/Pacific and Japan (sales increased 17% and 15%, respectively, for both markets in the quarter), Tiffany has released weakened full year 2012 sales and earnings guidance.
Even with the correction in price during trading on Thursday the stock closed down 7.7% but fell by as much as 10.7% in intraday trading there are several signs that Tiffanys has not yet reached the bottom.
Jewelry Market is Slowing
It would be one thing to say that tweaking Tiffanys own operations amongst a generally improving jewelry market will yield improved performance in the near future. It is more troubling to note the reality: stagnated growth in Tiffanys industry, following a swift rebound from mid-recessionary lows, implies that most performance improvement will come from market share gains in an extremely fragmented competitive landscape.
MasterCards recently released SpendingPulse report, which tracks retail sales across all payment forms, has shown that the jewelry market has taken the largest hit among all generally slowing luxury good sales. Following a meaningful 13.0% and 6.7% jump in Q4 2011 and Q1 2012, respectively, luxury sales as a whole slowed to a more manageable 1.8% increase in April. Sales in the jewelry category experienced much less robust improvements in each of the comparable periods: 7.4% increase in Q4 2011, 5.3% increase in Q1 2012, and a 3.7% decrease this past April.
The data holds up when comparing Tiffanys recent performance with other players in the broader luxury goods industry:
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Tiffany Poised to Continue Fall
Hatfield swim talent Walton on road to success
Posted: at 6:12 pm
Martyn Walton
HATFIELD Swimming Clubs Martyn Walton insisted he was delighted to not only break a personal record but come away with an added gold bonus at the Sainsburys School Games.
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The 14-year-old swam a time of 1:57.38 minutes in the 200m freestyle at the London Aquatics Centre to come top of the podium before coming fourth in the 400m individual medley later in the day.
To add to the gold medal, Walton also went below 1:58 in the 200m freestyle for the first time to claim a new personal best.
And the John Henry Newman School pupil could barely hide his delight at what was a very successful day in the water.
I feel really good actually, obviously getting a gold medal is really nice but to also get a personal best is a really good thing for me, he said.
Pairing with Google for a snapshot of success
Posted: at 6:12 pm
Matthew 25: Ministries ships food, medical supplies and personal care items to more than 11 million poor people or disaster victims each year from its sprawling facility in Blue Ash.
Now the entire world will get a peek at how thats done.
The nonprofit charity will become the next local operation to have its inner workings featured in Google Business Photos. The new program offers 360-degree visual interior tours that can be found in Google Maps, Google Places and Google Search when customers search for a business.
Alias 360 Photos, a division of downtown commercial photographer Alias Imaging, will begin shooting at Matthew 25: Ministries on Friday. Alias is the first local photographer to become a certified Google Trusted Photographer, debuting with a 360-degree shoot of historic Arnolds Bar & Grill earlier this month.
My first thought was, from a business perspective, this is a gold mine, said Chris Breeden, general manager of Arnolds. We have customers ask about the tub room (featuring an antique bathtub). They can go to our website and virtually walk into the room. They get to tour our restaurant before stepping foot inside.
In February, Breeden approached Alias Imaging, his next-door neighbors on Eighth Street downtown, about becoming a Google Trusted Photographer and making Arnolds the companys first subject.
I knew they would make it happen, Breeden said. The response has been great. Our hits are up on the web site. (The 360-degree tour) went completely viral on Twitter.
Google Business Photos also represents a huge opportunity for Alias Imaging, founded in 2003 by photographers Adam Henry, a former Procter & Gamble employee and mechanical engineering graduate from Purdue University, and John Carrico, an ex-freelance photographer with Frontgate.
Alias had built a robust client base including P&G, Macys, LensCrafters and Kroger when the recession resulted in a 40-percent drop in business. But business is booming ever since Alias completed the three-month process to become a Google Trusted Photographer.
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Pairing with Google for a snapshot of success
Spiritual journey tour programme on May 28
Posted: at 6:12 pm
Posted on May 27, 2012, Sunday
BINTULU: Islamic Information Centre (IIC) will be holding the IIC spiritual journey tour 2012 programme at BDA Auditorium, Wisma Bintulu from 7.30am on May 28.
It will be held in collaboration with Badan Harakah Islamiah (Baharis), Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) and Bintulu branch of Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (Macma).
Its next destination is Miri.
Among the lectures to be delivered is the Miracle of Heart by Prof Mohd Ali Izuddin, better known as Professor Izzi, who conducts lectures and motivational courses on public speaking, personal development, teamwork, leadership, communication, learning and parenting skills.
In the meantime, the tour programme is in line with the IIC to promote and deliver information on Islam.
In addition the programme promotes understanding and appreciation of Islam among people of all races and religions in the state.
All those interested are welcome to take part in the programme.
For enquiries call Muhamad Zakaria or Rohaiza (IIC) at 082-420798 or 082-420799 or fax 082-420628.
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Spiritual journey tour programme on May 28
EL5006-5 Online Higher Education Misconceptions – Video
Posted: at 6:11 pm
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EL5006-5 Online Higher Education Misconceptions - Video
Fitga Toronto-Client Testimonials-Great Personal Training Success Stories! @www.fitga.ca – Video
Posted: at 5:12 am
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Fitga Toronto-Client Testimonials-Great Personal Training Success Stories! @www.fitga.ca - Video
Paralympic hope Simon eyeing a Swiss success
Posted: at 5:12 am
Last updated at 12:14, Saturday, 26 May 2012
Wheelchair racer Simon Lawson hopes to tie up a place in the Paralympics next week by setting a new personal best for the marathon in Switzerland.
Simon Lawson
The Maryport ace planned to already have secured a place in the Games this summer but had to miss his chance of posting a fast time in the London Marathon after falling ill ahead of the race.
And instead he watched on TV as British No 1 David Weir, the only man ahead of him in the domestic rankings, bagged his place in the Great Britain team.
You need a time of 1 hour 40 to be eligible for selection and I have done that, Lawson said. If I go 1 hour 35 or quicker I should be okay.
I did 1 hour 36 last year, and if conditions are all right I should be okay on the day.
Switzerland is pretty hilly, but it should be fairly flat as the race is around a lake.
If weather conditions are really bad and everyone has a slow time, they will take in to consideration your position in the race. I think I should be all right for a good time.
The 29-year-old, paralysed 11 years ago when he came off his moto-cross bike during a practice session, had his first wheelchair race in September 2009 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport. I just did it to keep fit and active at first, he said.
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Paralympic hope Simon eyeing a Swiss success
Cumbrian Paralympics hope Simon Lawson eyeing Swiss success
Posted: at 5:12 am
Last updated at 12:14, Saturday, 26 May 2012
Wheelchair racer Simon Lawson hopes to tie up a place in the Paralympics next week by setting a new personal best for the marathon in Switzerland.
Simon Lawson
The Maryport ace planned to already have secured a place in the Games this summer but had to miss his chance of posting a fast time in the London Marathon after falling ill ahead of the race.
And instead he watched on TV as British No 1 David Weir, the only man ahead of him in the domestic rankings, bagged his place in the Great Britain team.
You need a time of 1 hour 40 to be eligible for selection and I have done that, Lawson said. If I go 1 hour 35 or quicker I should be okay.
I did 1 hour 36 last year, and if conditions are all right I should be okay on the day.
Switzerland is pretty hilly, but it should be fairly flat as the race is around a lake.
If weather conditions are really bad and everyone has a slow time, they will take in to consideration your position in the race. I think I should be all right for a good time.
The 29-year-old, paralysed 11 years ago when he came off his moto-cross bike during a practice session, had his first wheelchair race in September 2009 and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport. I just did it to keep fit and active at first, he said.
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Cumbrian Paralympics hope Simon Lawson eyeing Swiss success
Is success worth it?
Posted: at 5:12 am
Quality time! There is no better way to get it than on a road trip. For me it was a three-hour drive from Lake Worth to Orlando, with my youngest daughter at the wheel of her trusty Honda.
Interstate 95, which can take you from South Miami to as far north as the Canadian border, was wide open, with only a few container giants to watch out for. We stopped for brunch at Cracker Barrel. Their pancakes with warm maple syrup are to die for.
The country-style restaurant has a wonderful surprise-filled little shop. It is pricey but irresistible. After poking around for a pasalubong for our hosts, I found and bought a wooden sign that read: Wherever you go, there you are. They only had one, or I would have bought several to give away to a few choice friends and to hang over my own door as a reminder.
We discussed many things. She told me about her unforgettable high school years at Assumption San Lorenzo, a culture shock for a girl who grew up in public school, USA. We talked about her two daughters. She knows them so well. It made me wonder if I ever knew my own children that closely.
Just when she was getting into my personal business, the lady with an English accent (on our GPS) announced we had arrived at our destination. Our friends met us at their front door.
I remember visiting them many years ago in this same house. My children were very young then and were straining at the bit, eager to get to the land of fantasy called Disney World, 30 minutes away.
Panic-stricken
My days for theme parks have long been over. But I remember the excitement of getting the children there, of lining up for scary rides, of being panic-stricken thinking we had lost one child, and how two days of paying homage to Mickey, Snow White and Peter Pan could put a huge dent on our budget.
That was in the 70s, when entrance was about $4.95 and premium rides cost a dollar. Today I dont know how anyone can afford it. I hear it takes close to a hundred dollars just to enter, whether you get on the rides or not.
This time my visit was unrushed. We sat around and feasted on grapes, cheese and crackers, and stoked our never-ending treasure of old memories. We relived old times with lifetime friends. We pored over old photographs, a 3D wedding album by Bobs Studio, complete with a viewer. And in an old musty box, among love notes and newspapers clippings, we found a letter I wrote in 1954. Talk about flashbacks.
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Is success worth it?
Taxing strip clubs for rape
Posted: at 5:11 am
Most parents loathe talking to their kids about the birds and the bees, let alone pubic hair grooming, faked orgasms and water sports but most parents are not legendary sexpert Susie Bright.
Better than talking about these things, she penned an advice column in 2009 with her daughter, Aretha, then 19, for the ladyblog Jezebel. Their answers to questions about everything from porn to Paxil were unflinching but playful, and at times controversial. Now the pair have collected those columns into a new e-book, Mother/Daughter Sex Advice. Together, they read as an irreverent version of Our Bodies, Ourselves for the Internet age. The mother-daughter team also reflect on what the experience of writing the column was like, and it turns out it wasnt as weird as many would think: For the most part, it was just a continuation of conversations they had been having throughout Arethas life.
I spoke with them both by phone about sex-positive parenting, where they draw the TMI line with each other, and their tips for making the sex talk less awkward.
Aretha, this might be an annoying question, because Im sure youve gotten it for most of your life, but: Whats it like having a sexpert for a mom? Aretha: Ive been getting this question since second grade. Kids brought it up in the line at the cafeteria. I remember being way more defensive about it then, because just saying the word sex, it was like a four-letter word.
But now? Its the same answer I always give, which is that it was pretty cool. I was the envy of all of my friends throughout puberty and high school. Its interesting because now that Im college-aged, I can see differences in how kids were brought up and, you know, I can see how my upbringing has affected me.
Did you have friends in high school who desperately wanted to come over and ask your mom for advice? Aretha: I started community college when I was 13, so I had college friends who were in their 20s and late teens, and they felt really comfortable talking to my mom. Sometimes I got really jealous because theyd want to have alone time with her to talk about their relationship problems. With my high school friends, they felt too shy and inhibited. It was more that theyd come to me with a crisis and then Id bring it to my mom.
Were you ever uncomfortable talking to your mom about sex when you were younger? Aretha: No. Never. From age zero to now, I dont think its ever been uncomfortable.
Susie: Theres an important distinction between Do you feel comfortable talking about your personal sex life with your parents? and Do you feel comfortable talking about other peoples sex lives and sex in general, sex in the news and what if sex, where you say, I have a friend All of that were very comfortable with. I think anybody would be shy when you feel like you need a little distance between you and your parents.
Sometimes I talk to kids and they tell me, I have the opposite problem. My parents confide to me as if I was their little friend. For me, that isnt a healthy, sex-positive parental frame any more than being uptight and refusing to let a single word be said about it. Somehow, its the opposite but the same thing. A good parent says, You can talk to me about anything and it can be in general terms. If youve got a physical problem and youre uncomfortable talking, can I help get you to a clinic or a doctor that you would feel comfortable talking to? Dont get all hurt that they dont want to tell you, just help them find someone that they can talk to instead of getting all sulky about it and saying, You have to tell me everything or else I wont help you!
Aretha: I think weve always been sensitive about talking about each others sex lives. Except for when it comes to things that happened earlier in her life. I remember being really curious about how my mom lost her virginity. I could hear that story a million times.
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Taxing strip clubs for rape