"We really want to take advantage of the growth in the market out there," he says. Coldwater Creek's stores average 6,000 sf and are found mainly in high-end malls and lifestyle centers.
Among this year's new openings is the company's first Manhattan store in New York City, an 11,000-sf location at 68th Street and 3rd Avenue, in early August. "We have a significant number of customers in Manhattan, Dick says. "There certainly might be the opportunity for additional stores."
One area where Coldwater Creek might temper growth is through a spa concept it launched last year. The company currently has six of those units in operation and is opening three more test locations this year. The spas are generally next door to or above existing Coldwater Creek stores. "We saw it as an opportunity to really leverage our brand," Dick says. "The spas have not performed as well as we would liked."
During its first quarter, which ended April 29, same-store sales shot up 7.3% year over year on a 30.7% total sales increase, reaching $281.3 million. Dick says that traffic is down in the sector but expects the chain to perform better than such competitors as Ann Taylor, Chico's and Talbots.
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