Preview

Urban Outfitters Inc Analysis

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3773 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Urban Outfitters Inc Analysis
Apparel Stores: Industry Analysis through Urban Outfitters, Inc.

The apparel store industry within the USA is a highly competitive market, consisting of number of companies that are willing to fight for their share of the market. To remain afloat in this business, corporations must be highly innovative, price-conscious, knowing the trend, and with great responses to consumer needs. Each company within this industry must be aware of the competitors’ move, trying to match every trends and benefits offered by another, in order to steal the average consumers. Market-alertness is the key to survival; each company must balance marketing strategies and customer-service, responding to consumer demands within the shortest processing time possible. This paper shall provide an analysis of the apparel store industry through Urban Outfitters, Inc.
Urban Outfitters, Inc.: About the Company Urban Outfitters, Inc.(hereinafter referred to as Urban Outfitters or the “Company” for brevity) is a company that has brought to the world brands such as Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People , Leifsdottir and Terrain.The company is selling to the US, Canada and Europe through brick and mortar stores, specialty stores, department stores as well as websites and catalogs. Further from its website, each brand has its own target market and each caters to this market by offering “an eclectic mix of merchandise in which hard and soft goods are cross merchandised; and construct unique product displays that incorporate found objects into creative selling vignettes.” Additionally, from the Company’s website, the emphasis is on creativity; it wants to create a powerful connection with its target market through the arts the merchandise convey that the customers are persuaded to buy. The Company has been in operation since 1970, selling inexpensive clothing to college and graduate school students in Pennsylvania. Free People was opened first to big success. By 1976, the name was changed



Bibliography: 1. Urban Outfitters, Inc. “Company Overview.” 2010. http://investor.urbn.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=115825&p=irol-irhome (accessed 9 November 2010) 2 3. Reference for Business “Urban Outfitters, Inc.” Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd. Ed. 2010. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history/Ul-Vi/Urban-Outfitters-Inc.html (accessed 9 November 2010) 4 5. Yahoo! Finance. “Industry Browser – Services – Apparel Stores – Company List” 2010. http://biz.yahoo.com/p/730mktd.html (accessed 9 November 2010) 6 7. Plunkett Research, Ltd. “Apparel & Textiles Industry Overview.” n.d. http://www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/ApparelTextilesFashions/ApparelTextilesFashionsTrends/tabid/158/Default.aspx (accessed 9 November 2010) 8 9. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Unemployment in October 2010.” http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/ (accessed 9 November 2010) 10 11. Yahoo Finance! “Competitors.” 2010. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=URBN+Competitors (accessed 9 November 2010) 12 [ 2 ]. Urban Outfitters, Inc. “Company Overview.” 2010. http://www.urbn.com/profile/ (accessed 9 November 2010) [ 3 ] [ 4 ]. Yahoo! Finance. “Industry: Apparel Stores.” 2010. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/in?s=URBN+Industry (accessed 9 November 2010) [ 5 ] [ 6 ]. CBS News Web Site. “United States of Snow.” 12 Feb. 2010. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/12/national/main6202529.shtml (accessed 9 November 2010) [ 7 ] [ 8 ]. David Barboza. “Gap, Its U.S. Sales Tepid, Joins the Rush to China.” The New York Times. 10 November 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/business/global/11gap.html?partner=yahoofinance (accessed 9 November 2010) [ 9 ] [ 10 ]. RetailMeNot.com. “Urban Outfitters.” 2010. http://www.retailmenot.com/view/urbanoutfitters.com (accessed 9 November 2010) [ 11 ] [ 12 ]. MSN Money. “Urban Outfitters, Inc.: Financial Statements.” 2010. http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statemnt.aspx?Symbol=urbn (accessed 9 November 2010)

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Essay On Urban Outfitters

    • 1455 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Urban Outfitters was founded by Richard Hayne, Scott Belair, and Gabriel Tham-Morrobel in 1970. They originated as “The Free People’s…

    • 1455 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Urban Outfitters has been a favorite among the teen to early thirties set since their inception in 1970. Today it focuses on all that is hip and trendy without completely breaking the bank. Urban Outfitters also owns the Anthropologie stores which caters to an older and more sophisticated crowd, as well as Free People, an even higher end brand. Urban Outfitters now has over 150+ namesake stores located in the United States and Canada.…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Wet Seal Analysis

    • 3205 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Personal income and fashion trends drive demand for clothing. The profitability of individual companies depends heavily on effective merchandising and marketing. Large companies offer wide selections of clothing and have advantages in purchasing, distribution, and marketing. Small stores compete by offering unique merchandise, targeting a specific demographic, providing superior customer service, or serving a local market. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 65 percent of industry revenue. Competition for the clothing store industry includes department stores, discount stores, and Internet and catalog retailers.…

    • 3205 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The economic crisis that started in 2007 affected the business of upscale department stores countrywide. Upscale department stores understand that the items they sell are considered discretionary items, so when there is an economic downturn, they are one of the first industries to be hit. When looking over the Nordstrom Annual Reports from the last few years, there are two things evident: this company has a lasting strategy and they work hard to continuously evolve this strategy. Their strategy includes constantly evaluating risks in the market such as economic conditions, competitive market forces, availability of merchandise, and growth. With an incredible sense to stay ahead of the trends, minimize turnover time, and serve their customers with an uncanny ability, they have easily become one of the top department stores in the country. Nordstrom’s core strength revolves around their customer-first attitude, customer loyalty and their aptitude for merchandising. “Going forward we want to be more than just customer focused. Instead, we’re working to become a truly customer-driven organization.”[1]…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Le Chateau

    • 5240 Words
    • 21 Pages

    Canada 's textiles and apparel industry (2011, May). In Canadian industrial profile: Spring 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2012, from http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=4143…

    • 5240 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Best Buy Analysis

    • 12713 Words
    • 51 Pages

    25. Labus, Peter. “The Supply Chain of Best Buy” google, 31 Mar. 2008. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.…

    • 12713 Words
    • 51 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Urban Outfitters

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Urban Outfitters started out as a small shop with unique products and escalated to a very successful company. The original name was The Free People’s Store and was owned by Richard Haynes, his wife (whom he later divorced), and Scott Belair (whom later ventured off to Wall Street).…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    |Commercial |Next Retail Chain |Their products are fashion related, such as clothes, shoes and |…

    • 4379 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Under Armour. (2009). SEC Form10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2009. Retrieved on June 1, 2010 from: http://www.uabiz.com/annual-proxy.cfm…

    • 5144 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    clothing, and equipment, has enjoyed unparalleled worldwide growth for many years. Consumers around the world…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The following financial report is generated from the Financial Statements of the department stores and Internet Websites that sell a range of merchandise, including men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel; and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods. Macy's, Inc. The figures stated above we’re taken or consequent from the Balance Sheets of Jan 31st, 2009 and Jan 30th, 2010 and the 52-week periods Income Statement from those dates.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macy’s Inc. has established itself as a strong player in the retail industry, with over 850 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores in 45 states. Macy’s competes against retail giants like Nordstrom, Kohl’s, JC penny and Saks Fifth Avenue for market share in the increasingly competitive department store industry. This financial report will choose Nordstrom as the major competitor, and serves as the comparison company.…

    • 4037 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Founded in 1977, American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) is a retailer that designs and develops fashionable girls’ and boys’ apparel and accessories. The company’s target audience is boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 25 years old. The target audience seeks trendy and fashionable apparel product that meets a high standard of quality at an affordable price point. As of the most recent fiscal year, ended January 30, 2010, American Eagle held 1,103 retail stores in total, operating under the “American Eagle”, “Aerie”, and “Martin+Osa” brand names respectively. In addition to the retail stores, American Eagle also operates an online store in which customers can ship product from all AEO brand names direct to their home or to a specified retail store. The various brand names used by AEO are segregated by the intended target market. For example “Aerie” is the brand name, which supplies underwear and fragrance products to the female market whereas Martin+Osa is the brand name which supplies apparel for men aged 25+. The main operating name “American Eagle Outfitters” is the brand name most of the retail stores operates under which supplies apparel and accessories to boys and girls age 15-25.…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Eagle Outfitters clothing company was founded in 1977. This company has a brand recognition of the bald eagle above their name, they also go by “AEO”. Their primary focus is apparel sales to the younger generations. They have expanded their market to include a product line call “Aerie” which produces lingerie, bras, and panties; furthermore, this line meets the demands for all sizes and shapes of females today (Bethel University, 2017). Through due diligence and market research, they have created an accessories line that includes purses, watches, jewelry, hats, key chains, and temporary tattoos. Additionally, they have developed a personal care line for men and women (American Eagle Outfitters,…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Macy's Financial Analysis

    • 2670 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Macy’s, Inc. is known as the Great American Department Store was established in 1858 and now has 810 stores operating in the United States, coast-to-coast. Macy’s stores nationwide are grouped into 69 geographic districts that average ten to twelve stores each. Most stores are located at urban or suburban areas. As of January 30, 2010, the Company’s operations were conducted through four retail operating divisions – Macy’s, macys.com, Bloomingdale’s, and bloomingdales.com. The Company is a retail organization operating retail stores and Internet websites under two brands (Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s) that sell a wide range of merchandise, including men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods. Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s branded operations are located primarily in New York which involve central buying, merchandising planning, stores senior management and marketing functions. The business functions, such as finance, human resources, law, property development and supply purchasing are located primarily in Cincinnati.…

    • 2670 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays