The one fashion trend that never dies is consumers love for denim jeans. Ever since blue jeans were first introduced, jeans have become part of the fabric of American culture. The trend started in the 1950s when James Dean wore them in Rebel Without A Cause. Jeans are now more popular than ever and cover all price points. Retailers that sell jeans have a multi-billion dollar market to capture. The retailers that identify the latest trends in jeans are worth investing in.
This buckle will do more than hold your pants up
The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) operates over 440 retail stores in 43 states. Its mission is to be America’s favorite destination for denim jeans. Buckle markets a wide selection of brand names and private-label casual apparel. In its stores, you’ll find denims, casual bottoms and tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories and footwear. Buckle emphasizes personal attention from its sales staff and provides individual services, such as free alterations, layaway plans and a frequent-shopper punch card. The company sell its apparel online as well.
The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) has strong margins in its business. In the first quarter, gross margin rose 10 basis points to 43.4%. Merchandise margins increased 35 basis points, but were offset by higher occupancy, buying and distribution costs. The operating margin remained the same as the year-ago period at 22%.
The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) plans to open 13 new stores this year. The company also plans to substantially remodel seven stores to reflect the new format. So far, 329 of its stores have the new format.
In terms of sales mix, 60% of its customers are women. The company is building up two of its own labels in women’s jeans, Day Trip and BKE. The company has been working to increase and rebuild inventories of those brands as well as increase brand selection.
In the first quarter of this year, Buckle didn’t have some styles in its stores as it changed certain makers on its private-label jeans for women. That is now corrected and explains the sales increases seen in May and June.
The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) still has room to grow. In the 43 states that the company operates in, most of its stores are in rural and smaller urban areas. For instance, the closest location to Los Angeles is in neighboring San Bernardino County. In New York, there are no stores south of Albany, N.Y. Financing an expansion is not an issue for the company, as it has $144 million in cash, no debt and operating cash flow of $204 million.
Competition
Two of The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE)’s competitors are American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) and Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES). Both competitors target the same customer as Buckle and offer many of the same styles and items. American Eagle Outfitters operates more than 1,000 stores in North America and 49 international franchise stores in 13 countries. The company’s website ships to more than 81 countries. Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) sells its clothing at its own retail stores globally as well as in department stores and also in specialty stores, such as Buckle.
