Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Hi, VS is the largest and most important segment of Limited Brands, and its stock trades as 'LTD'. LTD is doing fine and moving along their retail sales cycle. Go to yahoo finance or bloomberg.com and look around if the subject interests you...this thread is probably not the right place to get information about this. First quarter 2013 results, (may 22, 2013): L Brands Inc.'s (LTD) fiscal first-quarter earnings jumped 14%, topping the retailer's expectations, as revenue continued to strengthen.The company, formerly called Limited Brands Inc., projected second-quarter per-share earnings of 50 cents to 55 cents, bracketing the 53- cent estimate from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. L Brands also lifted its full-year earnings view by three cents, now projecting earnings between $2.95 to $3.15 a share. The company, which owns Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, dominates the intimate-apparel and personal-care markets, and those segments have helped the retailer post same-store sales growth and improved margins. For the period ended May 2, L Brands reported a profit of $142.5 million, or 48 cents a share, up from $124.6 million, or 41 cents a share, a year earlier. The company earlier this month raised its per-share earnings view to 46 cents. Gross margin slipped slightly to 41.5% from 41.9%. The company recently reported that net sales rose 5.3% to $2.27 billion and same-store sales rose 3%, as growth across its retail brands offset a decline at Victoria's Secret direct sales. Shares were up by four cents to $51.51 after hours. The stock has climbed 18% over the past three months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user120 Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 THANKS A LOT!So basically, as suspected, people were reaching with all the talk about business being bad and the reason being because of their model choices? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 ^ I don't know where those stories came from. Besides the usual blips, I have never seen journalists and analysts report a serious strategic and financial setback for LTD on the newswires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prettyphile Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Limited Brands is doing well. VS is on the decline and they've been on a downward spiral since 2010The company recently reported that net sales rose 5.3% to $2.27 billion and same-store sales rose 3%, as growth across its retail brands offset a decline at Victoria's Secret direct sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 downward spiral since 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prettyphile Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 But there have been other reports that come from Newsweek and Market-watch that say other wise. Take it up with VS SpokespersonTammy Myers as she's the one who's passed along info that they're not doing so well lately, and that their bra's are one of the main reasons why. Either way it doesn't matter. If VS is doing crappy, then expect over the top shows to try and garner more interest/sales (dat attention span), or horrible shows because they won't have the budget. And I will stand by it, the bra's a horrible and why anyone would buy them is beyond me. VS is nothing more then hot chicks running around half dressed, craptastic commercials, and a fashion show that's laughable at best. Enjoy it for what it is... entertainment value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clauds Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I have to agree with Pretty, the VS bras are ridiculous these days. The pattern/fabric choices are completely horrible and some are even useless because they're so bright and so full of lace than you can't actually wear them with any clothes same happens with all the embellishment they put on, it's something you'll have in your drawers forever and not use, so it's not worth for a woman to pay $55+ for something you won't wear. And then there's the padding, it's insane how much padding VS is putting on the bras right now, it's very uncomfortable and almost all VS bras nowdays are those shitty "Add two cup sizes" bra and they're not exactly what women want to wear on a daily basis. Also the quality has gone down in the last three years too while the prices have gone up.So as a long-time costumer I personally decided to just stop buying VS underwear and went looking for a different alternative, so now I'm a regular Aerie costumer instead. It's a bit cheaper, it's a lot more wearable and it's also better quality. And from the models standpoint Aerie is also kicking VS' ass when it comes to diversity, while VS is all about hot blondes, Aerie actually represents every girl in their brand and I'm sure that is helping them too because it's a lot easier to relate to their brand.I'm sure there are many other reasons why VS is losing customers in recent times but this is my personal experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 If you want to talk to somebody who really understands VS, you talk to their CFO and their staff. Publicists are strategic liars. I am a trained analyst, Yvette. It's not that simple. I need more. Business strategies can take a year or even three years to really pan out. It's not just public relations statements, same-stores growth- or growth in revenues- that defines a business unit. In fact, if we are talking about financials, there are other metrics that matter more like free cash flow, operating income, and the SEC filings need to be massaged for manipulation and modeled. The financials then must be broken down and adjusted for nonrecurring items. They then must be connected with strategy and operations, and we need to look at a ton of paperwork.....and build an outside-in operational history of the firm. It's a ton of detective work... Even if revenues are falling or exhibiting slower growth, the business could be reporting higher income and cash flow & be more economically viable and thus possess a superior position. Here's something- since you follow VS quite a bit- try doing this for fun (use your intuition of VS's marketing strategy since you've followed it this many years): Collect the press articles you like, Then go to http://www.sec.gov/ and search for LTD's 10K and 10Q's (audited financial statements). They are more accurate and accountable than journalism. Within LTD's statements, you can read the Management, Discussion, & Analysis portions and connect the opinions you formed over the years to stated intent. The filings break down LTD into its constituent components, and you can draw the last 3 years from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katchitup Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Honest I have never had a bad VS buying experiance......They're bras have always lasted me (personally) foreeeeevvvver. Though I agree on the crazy prints and fabrics, nowadays their bras are made for show and not for wearability......still the ones I do buy always last me forever! Also really love their loungewear and yogas........also I'm always super satisfied with their beauty products! So VS has always impressed me as a customer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Begonia Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 VS undies make my itchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phenobarbie Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 VS undies make my itchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILUVAdrianaLima Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Can we also use "priceless" for the case above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkCouture Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 VS undies make my itchy Have you tried applying Preparation H or using TUCKS pads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clauds Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 How about washing your underwear regularly? :Dinah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Customer testimonials. I guess Miss Lima, and Lindsay can be considered typical former and current customers of the company. Thus you guys constitute two slices out of many psycho graphics that constitute their sales strategy. The end of the article noted that international growth is VS' strategic intent.Either way it doesn't matter. If VS is doing crappy, then expect over the top shows to try and garner more interest/sales (dat attention span), or horrible shows because they won't have the budget. And I will stand by it, the bra's a horrible and why anyone would buy them is beyond me. VS is nothing more then hot chicks running around half dressed, craptastic commercials, and a fashion show that's laughable at best. Enjoy it for what it is... entertainment value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Begonia Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 How about washing your underwear regularly? :Dinah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clauds Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 The shows actually are very important in terms of sale. It's been said by everyone over VS that right after the show it's when their sales go higher because women like to wear what they see on the Fashion Show and they get excited again by the brand, that's why the last couple years VS has created especial sections in their website to find the lingerie from the show.More girls watching the show = More girls going to the stores to buy what they see on TV. I think the show alone is the biggest PR move VS has, doesn't matter how terrible the show is, it's still a huge a amount of publicity for the brand that will translate in more girls buying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Begonia Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I am not that happy w/VS merchandise it gives me an itch, only their make up,& lotion, satisfies me. & yes looking at all those gorgeous models wearing the lingerie it makes u want to buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Icon Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I know. It's important to have a show, but for day-day existence of their business which involves mundane and non-sexy things like merchandising, negotiating contracts with suppliers, probing for real estate, hiring, marketing research, and retail operations- the flashy show becomes farther and farther away.If the show was really very, very important, I could see them making several shows a year! I enjoy being on this site and seeing Pretty/Pheno/PC or other enthusiasts upload the pictures every year and would welcome say a seasonal based regime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkCouture Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 How about washing your underwear regularly? :Dinah: I do watch my undies, is only the VS undies that get me itchy, I just need to stop using VS undies PinkCouture I use Desetin Cream If you are looking at them perhaps it is something else that is causing the itching? Or it could be totally psychological? Also, I don't think Destin stops the itch---it just soothes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.