At least SCY has unlike WHS a finance arm that makes money
Giving cash back to shareholders - is that a sign more acquisitions off the table.
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Yes the finance company makes money,and the retail does not [or very little],but then retail supplies the finance company's customers.
Cash back to shareholders shows Ron Brierley and others influence.I will reframe from commenting.
Latest acquisition ,Furniture City, has fallen short of expectations,however they are still talking the talk,but walking the walk ,appears to be a very long way off.
Total agreement.. Hold No Retail what so ever.. Never have. The times they are a'changin still rings true in my ears.
Buy the suppliers, suppliers.. Banks..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ
Nudging $2.00 atm, big fall over the last year and a long way from the glory days, it has not been a good investment for the Norman family ( Pascoes/Farmers and a few other companies )
Makes you think doesn't it. Just over 4 years ago I paid $4,000 for a 52 inch Samsung high definition set. On the weekend I pay just a little over one third of that for a bigger 55 inch curved Ultra high definition television. Really makes you wonder about the margin doesn't it...not surprised their net margin is only 2%. They have to pay staff and expensive shopping mall rent / outgoings out of that modest sale.
Of course some people waltz in and must have the latest 2017 model with the latest quantum dot technology or whatever they call it that supposed to be a little bit clearer, (and quite possibly is but I didn't really notice much difference) for three times the price but how many people outlay $5,000+ on a new telly these days when you can get a really good one at such a realistic price ? The hound splashed out and ordered up Sky sport for the America's cup...must admit those boats looked razor sharp on the new telly this morning tearing around at 40 knots. Poor old WHS...caught in a spiral of cheaper and cheaper goods with lower $ margins but increasing leases and staff costs and severe losses on their finance company fisaco...Hmmm... $1.50 next port of call ?
I don't if any/many of you are subscribers to the Australian Intelligent Investor but in the answer to a recent question "Will Amazon affect Trade Me?" the post script was about how expensive and old-fashioned the analyst found a Warehouse store to be, along with the comment "I’d certainly be much more worried about Amazon if I was a Warehouse Group shareholder."
K-Mart keep things relevant, you go into the Red Sheds and u can still pick up 2015 merchandise. WHS needs simplification!!! old methods of doing business isnt working, when will they realise that? They have the locations, they just need innovation and simplicity. Parts of the business that isnt performing as expected get the chop and invest in the parts that are. Crazy that in 2017 they are still making the same decisions.
We can always take the contrary view, Amazon and K-Mart should worry about the Warehouse and think twice about entering the market full force.