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Sears holding financial statements analysis
Financial case study of sears
Financial case study of sears
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Sears Holdings Corporation is a firm with a rich history. Prior to being the Sears Holding Corporation, which came to be due an acquisition by Kmart in 2005, the Sears brand can be traced back to 1886 where it was originally a mail ordering catalog. The first Sears store was opened in 1925. In recent years big box retail has suffered in growth a revenue due to new competitors into the market, ecommerce, and globalization.
With so many options, accessibility, and knowledge it has become a challenge for large retail chains to maintain and grow in this modern era. Since the formation of the Sears Holding Corporation the firm as struggled to remain afloat. As the cost of capital continues to increase the executive decisions have become even more
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What this means is that the market is expecting this firm to not continue business operations in the near future. E-commerce has reshaped the retail landscape. Large chain retailer have to adjust to the changes in the industry quickly or they will face an ill fate such as bankruptcy or quite simply going out of business.
Over the past 5 years Sears Revenue, net profit, cash flow, and more have seen great declines. According to The Wall Street Journal Sears has lost 8.2 billion dollars since 2011. Revenue has fallen nearly 40% (KAPNER, 2017). In order meet the working capital needs required to continue business Sears Holdings has been selling assets, restructuring debt, and closing non profitable locations. Although this strategy may keep the firm afloat in the short run it is not viable in the long run. Like everything else in the world, assets are limited.
Currently Sears Holdings is considering selling off 2 of its brands, Kenmore and Diehard, as well as some of its service businesses. Recently, Sears sold its Craftsman brand, which they owned since 1923, for 900 million dollars (KAPNER, 2017). The firm received over 525 at the deals close from buyer Stanley Black & Decker, and appliance and power tool’s
Sales growth after 2000 were only 9%, which the average annual sale growth rates range from 10% to 30% in their industry. The lack of cash is explained by the current liquidity ratio
With the recent (and seemingly unstoppable) decline of JC Penney and Sears, much internet ink has been spilled lamenting the decline of these companies, while little analysis has been done exploring which retailers, brands, and stores can best profit from this massive outflow of JCPenny’s and Sears’ traditionally-loyal customers. The most obvious contender in this market share version of jump-ball? Kohl’s Corp. After all, Kohl 's, the 4th largest department store in the country, is where we, the consumer, are to “expect great things.” And as a company operating “1,146 stores in 49 states” with a stated “focus on providing excellent value to customers through offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel”, Kohl 's operates
Analyzing Wal-Mart's annual report provides a positive outlook on Wal-Mart's financial health. Given the specific ratios and its comparison to other companies in the same industry, Wal-Mart is leading and more than likely continue its dominance. Though Wal-Mart did not lead in all numbers, its leadership and strong presence of the market cements the ongoing success. The review of the current ratio, quick ratio, inventory turnover ratio, debt ratio, net profit margin ratio, ROI, ROE, and P/E ratio all indicate an upbeat future for the company. The current ratio, which is defined as current assets divided by current liabilities, is a measure of how much liabilities a company has compared to its assets. Wal-Mart in the year of 2007 had a current ratio of .90, and as of January 2008 it had a current ratio of .81. The quick ratio, which is defined as current assets minus inventory divided by current liabilities, is a measure of a company's ability pay short term obligations. Wal-Mart in the year of 2007 had a quick ratio of .25, and as of January 2008 it had a ratio of .21. Both the current ratio and quick ratio are a measure of liquidity. Wal-Mart is not as liquid as its competitors such as Costco or Family Dollar Stores Inc. I believe the reason why Wal-Mart is not too liquid is because they are heavily investing their profits for expansion and growth. Management claims in their financial report that holding their liquid reserves in other currencies have helped Wal-Mart hedge against inflationary pressures of the US dollar. The next ratio to look at is the inventory ratio which is defined as the cost of sales divided by average inventory. In the year of 2007, Wal-Mart’s inventory ratio was 7.68, and as of January 2008 it was 7.96. Wal-Mart has a lot of sales therefore it doesn’t have too much a problem of holding too much inventory. Its competitors have similar ratios though they don’t have as much sales as Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s ability to sell at lower prices for same quality, gives them the edge against its competition. As of the year 2007, Wal-Mart had a debt ratio of .58, and as of January 2008, it had a debt ratio of .59. The debt ratio is calculated by dividing the total debt by its total assets. Wal-Mart has a lot more assets than it does debt so Wal-Mart is not overleveraged.
Kmart is a huge vintage company that had peeked at one time and now is
Some core competencies that must be exploited are: Brand Kmart is an existing well-known and trusted national brand in USA Kmart has private label and designer clothing that is well endorsed Infrastructure Kmart has a large number of well-located, low-cost, leased stores in urban far away from competitors through out the country ( Appendix B ). Staffing Confidence by the market in Kmart is created by the achievements of its staff and management. With the turn-around strategy in place, new blood has been put into the top management structures. In any renewal there will be retrenchment as unprofitable stores are closed. This can be used as an opportunity to retain and move high performing staff to where they are needed and to get rid of non-performing staff. Anderson the chairperson of Kmart is well supported by Wall Street and the board of Directors. These new staff members enter the company with needed skills to address problems in certain areas that previously were poorly managed such as inventory control and merchandising. Store locations, layout and Performance Stores conveniently located away from competitors like Wal-mart and Target therefore less to compete for customers face-to-face. There are 250 non-performing stores who have already been identified as being more cost effective to close than continue with running costs. Expertise exists in-house for the planning of store layout and appearance to meet different customer segments. This concentration of effort will enable focus on key areas Technology Kmart has already invested in good retailing systems. The system can be use to control inventory, supplier payments, track customer buying and monitor income versus profit margins across all stores. Research and Development The planning department is well established and in cross-functional to provide various perspective. The planning department to ensure that strategies at all levels are executed can further use the access to past data and knowledge of changes in buying patterns. Financial Backing JP Morgan Chase has agreed to support Kmart to avert the current threat of closure due to bankruptcy.
Levy, Michael, Barton A. Weitz, and Dhruv Grewal. Retailing Management. ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Print.
The first Kmart store was opened in Garden City, Michigan., in 1962 (the same year that Wal-Mart and Target began operations) by the S.S. Kresge Co., a five-and-dime chain that was founded at the turn of the 20th century in Detroit by Sebastian Spering Kresge. By the end of 1963 Kmart had 63 stores converted from Kresge's. By 1977, Kmart generated nearly all of Kresge's sales, and the company changed its name to Kmart Corp. Kmart sold the remaining Kresge stores in 1987.
Kmart's main weakness was that it had an aspiration to be all things to all people – its dabblings in drug stores, home improvement stores, bookstores, cafeterias and specialty stores in the 1980s and early 1990s seemed to spread the company very thin. This focus on diversification is just one example of how the retailer has often not made the wisest choices when faced with a tight spot. By the 1980s, just before the rise of Wal-Mart, Kmart had become complacent. It believed it would be the king of discount retailing, now and forever.
In 1897 Sebastian Spering Kresge opened five-dime stores in Memphis and Detroit with John McCrorey as his partner. Two years later the partnership broke up and each person kept one city. Mr. Kresge kept the Detroit store and began expanding from there onward. In 1912 the company became incorporated as S.S. Kresge and was the 2nd largest dime store chain with 85 stores and annual sales of more than $10 million. In 1918 S.S Kresge was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Throughout the decades, Kresge rapidly expanded eventually opening the first Kmart store in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. By 1966 there were more 160 Kmart stores in the US and Canada. In 1968 Kmart began airing TV commercials. In the 1970s, Kmart continued to expand opening 270 stores in 1976 alone. In 1977, S.S. Kresge changed its name to Kmart because 95% of its sales were coming from that branch. In the 1980s and early 90s, Kmart diversified by adding other retailers such as Walden Book Company which was the number one bookstore chain in the US. The Sports Authority in 1990, 90% stake in OfficeMax and the Borders bookstore in 1992. Also in 1990 Kmart opened its first Kmart Super Center in Medina, Ohio. Whatever was left of the Kresge locations in the US was sold to S.S. Kresge's former partner's store chain McCrory's. Between 1994 and 1995 earnings began to fall for Kmart causing them to sell off their other operations, OfficeMax, The Sports Authority, PACE, Borders and its US automotive service Centers. Also in that time period, more than 200 US stores were closed. Fast forwarding to the future, Kmart launched www.bluelight.com which is now known as www.kmart.com in 1999. In 2002 Kmart filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy which was the biggest retail bankruptcy i...
Tractors: From Then to Now “The farm implement industry has profoundly shaped both American agriculture and the national economy. Of all farm implements, the tractor has had the greatest impact on rural life” (Robert C. Williams, qtd. in Olmstead). To understand the history of the John Deere company, one must know its origin, development, and its impact on the farming community.
Rondo's Inventory Ratio declined to 9.5 in 2005, down from a ratio of 10 in 2003 and 2004. Rondo's sales improved year-over-year and the decline in inventory turns may be the result of carrying more inventory in response to increased sales. However, Rondo is still carrying too much inventory or the company may have excess obsolete inventory. Rondo needs to utilize just-in-time methods to improve inventory turn over. (Nice catch.) Carrying fewer inventories is required to improve efficiency and reduce cost. Rondo's performance is poor in this area.
Poor organizational management, failure to innovate and adapt to the environment, and an outdated brand image have all contributed to Sears massive decline. By not setting a clear organizational strategy, executives of Sears strayed away from innovation, allowing for competitors to attract Sears loyal customers to their organization. In addition, the outdated brand image of Sears has failed to meet the ever changing customers of today’s society. Overall, there are many reasons that have led to the downfall of a once powerful retail giant.
President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration heralded a new age for businesses in the United States, and allowed many such businesses to find profitability and to compete in the international market again for the first time since George W. Bush left office. However, for some businesses, such as Toys R Us, the pro-business change came too late. Years of poor store performance, combined with a refusal to modernize and stiff competition from Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target have made it impossible for Toys R Us to continue to operate as they once did. In hopes of staving off disaster and insolvency, Toys R US has made the decision to close 20% of its stores. As Toys R Us operates around 900 stores in the United States, that means shutting down a whopping 180 stores.
Should Kmart and Sears keep their own identities and have unique competitive strategies, or should they be combined in some way with a new overall corporate competitive strategy? Please defend your answer.
Sears began as a small retailer but as the years have gone by, they have become