15 Quotes by Joseph Beaulieu

Having that backlog helped IBM through the worst part of the recession.

I think the Gap had to come up with something new. It's possible they're trying to target the baby boomers next. Old Navy has been driving growth for the Gap Inc. but it's starting to slow. Its namesake Gap stores are facing market saturation, and the higher-priced Banana Republic brand is a niche concept. Banana Republic has been doing great but there's a limited opportunity to expand it further.

The stock right now is very cheap, the company just hasn't done anything to give investors confidence. Investors are going to have to see proof. I do a lot of store visits and it's very disappointing to see how much is on sale.

The stock has really soared since the beginning of October. I think the stock is worth $27 to $28, so I wouldn't be surprised if it gave back a little bit.

The tactic did not expand Gap's customer base. It only served to alienate its more traditional, khaki-wearing crowd. As sales tanked, the company slashed prices to liquidate excess inventory. In the process, Gap gained a reputation as a rampant discounter, and the brand lost some of its cachet.

So this is more of a longer term strategy for Wal-Mart.

Companies that do really well either minimize something like prices, or maximize something like luxury. It's the companies in the middle that are going to be squeezed.

As of the September quarter it didn't appear that things were getting any better.

This is the first that I've heard of Gap actually revealing what their growth plan is for the brand.