As goes Starbucks and Home Depot, so goes the nation

[EJ]

Starbucks Cuts Earnings Guidance As Per-Store Transactions Fall
November 15, 2007 (JANET ADAMY and MIKE BARRIS - WSJ)

The amount of traffic flowing through Starbucks Corp.'s U.S. stores fell during the fourth quarter for the first time since the company began disclosing the figure three years ago – a sign that the Seattle coffee giant is having a more difficult time attracting customers as it moves into the holiday season. The company also reduced its earnings estimates for the coming year.

AntiSpin: Back before the US economy became a "service" economy, when Dwight Eisenhower was President it was said: “As goes General Motors, so goes the nation.” Now if you're looking for confirmation that the housing sector dependent and service based US economy is slowing hard, you look to the bellwethers of each: Home Depot and Starbucks. Yesterday Home Depot Inc. posted a 27 per cent drop in third-quarter profit and forecast a steeper fall in full-year earnings. Reuters reported, "Results at Home Depot and rival Lowe's Cos. Inc. have weakened as slowing home sales and sliding house prices led consumers to curb big-ticket projects." Today Starbucks says over-priced coffee is getting harder to sell, too. Back in its rapid growth days, a $2 latte Starbucks was competing with $1.50 regular gasoline. Now a $3 latte competes with a $3 gallon of gas. Meanwhile wages have hardly budged. Something's got to give.

Maybe the problem is that Starbucks over-expanded. Service companies tend to do that going into recessions.

[rabot10]

Re: As goes Starbucks and Home Depot, so goes the nation

Starbucks Cuts Earnings Guidance As Per-Store Transactions Fall
November 15, 2007 (JANET ADAMY and MIKE BARRIS - WSJ)

The amount of traffic flowing through Starbucks Corp.'s U.S. stores fell during the fourth quarter for the first time since the company began disclosing the figure three years ago – a sign that the Seattle coffee giant is having a more difficult time attracting customers as it moves into the holiday season. The company also reduced its earnings estimates for the coming year.

AntiSpin: Back before the US economy became a "service" economy, when Dwight Eisenhower was President it was said: “As goes General Motors, so goes the nation.” Now it you're looking for confirmation that the housing sector dependent and service based US economy is slowing hard, you look to the bellwethers of each: Home Depot and Starbucks. Yesterday Home Depot Inc. posted a 27 per cent drop in third-quarter profit and forecast a steeper fall in full-year earnings. Reuters reported, "Results at Home Depot and rival Lowe's Cos. Inc. have weakened as slowing home sales and sliding house prices led consumers to curb big-ticket projects." Today Starbucks says over-priced coffee is getting harder to sell, too. Back in its rapid growth days, a $2 latte Starbucks was competing with $1.50 regular gasoline. Now a $3 latte competes with a $3 gallon of gas. Meanwhile wages have hardly budged. Something's got to give.

Maybe the problem is that Starbucks over-expanded. Service companies tend to do that going into recessions.

(Incomplete. To be continued...)

My wife and I are working on it, they should be OK in the 4th q

[Mega]

Re: As goes Starbucks and Home Depot, so goes the nation

EJ
If i might also add, I watched the 80's bubble burst here in Blighty about late 89. A bloke came on TV and said "Soft landing"......5 months later i was on the dole que.

The Maddness of the 80's suddenly caught up with itself, Art prices crashed but the best example was the Jag XK220.

This was a short number run mid engined Jag, there had been a screeming que just to get their names down for them.........most of these people were simply "Flippers" who made BIG cash by ordering then selling off New model Porsches and BMW's.

Sadly the Jag arrived LATE thus the crash HAD come and the market GONE. I remember reading in "Autocar" the tale of the Bloke who's job it was to sell them.

"We ring up the bloke and say....."Your car's ready sir"........Only to be met with a long pause!"
;))

History WILL repeat
Mega