The Fall Of Guess?, Inc. (GES)?

The change might be too little, too late, as Fifth & Pacific Companies Inc (NYSE:FNP) is also pressing for an intimates line attached to its sluggish Juicy Couture line in early 2014. Outside of that market, Guess? is trying to make a play on fashion by jumping on board with cultural trends — it has a Fast & Furious 6 line coming out — but it still hasn’t figured out a way to make its core competency more competitive.

In terms of that core, The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) has made a comeback with its denim line, and has been able to use that strength to draw new customers in. Comparable sales rose at The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS), as Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) watched its comparable sales fall. If Guess? is going to be anything other than a cycle of flashes in the pan followed by burnouts, it needs to focus more on its core lineup, and use that to grow its business. For now, things don’t look good.

The article Guess? Takes 1 Step Forward, 2 Back originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Andrew Marder.

Fool contributor Andrew Marder has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Guess?. The Motley Fool owns shares of Guess?.

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