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WIKI ANALYSIS
Fossil, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) sells watches and other accessories such as handbags and sunglasses. The company sells goods through its own retail and online stores, as well as in many department stores such as Macy's Inc. (M), J.C. Penney (JCP), and Nordstrom (JWN). The company also operates 127 retail stores and 74 outlet stores in the US.
Fossil earned 33.7% of its sales from licensing the rights to make watches and accessories with brand names such as DKNY, Emporio Armani, and Burberry. Nearly two thirds of net sales came from watches. Due to increased licensing and growing product lines. Licensing has also given Fossil the power to compete at different price points, although its focus is on watches that sell from $55-$195. All of Fossil's licensing agreements will expire in the next five years and the company has started negotiations to renew them.
Although the retail industry is susceptible to economic fluctuations, slightly more than 50% of the company's net sales came from outside the U.S., which helped offset lower US sales. Competitors such as Kenneth Cole Productions (KCP) that have mostly domestic sales have seen their bottom line shrink as a result of economic downturns. For Fossil, international sales contribute to a favorable exchange rate and protection against lower consumer confidence in the United States.
Company Overview
Although primarily a watch company based in the US, Fossil has expanded into international markets and other areas of the fashion and accessories industry. Fossil's products are offered through several different lines including Adidas, Allude, Burberry, Christian Benet, Diesel, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Michelle, Relic, Trophy, and Zodiac; of these, only Fossil, Michele, Relic, and Zodiac are Fossil's own brands, while the rest are licensed.
Products[1]
- Watch Products: Fossil divides its watches into four categories:
- Fine watches can be described as luxury watches as represented by Omega and Rolex. The company competes in this market with its Michele brand. These watches are exclusively made in Switzerland and have retail prices in the range of $1,500 to $20,000.
- Premium branded and designer watches consist of the company's brands like Burberry, Emporio, and Armani. Retail prices for these watches generally range from $300 to $3,000.
- Digital and analog watches are sold under their brands Allude, Callaway, and Trophy. Retail prices range from $7 to $74.
- Contemporary fashion and fashion brand names consist of the company's Fossil and Relic brands. These watches are produced in Japan, China, or Hong Kong and are sold in the price range of $45 to $495.
- Fashion Accessories: this category of products includes items like handbags, belts, eyewear, neckwear, jewelry, gloves, hats, and hosiery. Fossil offers items under the Fossil, Relic, Diesel, and Armani brands.
- Apparel: includes jeans, tee shirts, and vintage-inspired fashion apparel. The line is focused on the casual lifestyle and targets youthful consumers. The company's prices are comparable to those at stores like American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) and J. Crew Group (JCG).
- Footwear: is the most recent addition to the company's product line. Types of shoes include sport sneakers, authentic casuals, and dress classics for men and women.
Business Segments
Fossil breaks its company down into four geographical sales segments:
- European Wholesale (32% of sales)
- Other International Wholesale (32% of sales)
- United States Wholesale (23% of sales)
- Direct to Consumer (59% of sales): Fossil also sells their products through their own retail stores and website.
Business Growth
FY 2009 (ended January 2, 2010)[2]
- Net sales fell 2.2% to $1.55 billion. Europe and international sales were hit the hardest with negative growth of 13.2% and 11.3% respectively. The company attributes the lower sales volume to weakened demand from the sluggish global economy.
- Net income increased 0.8% to $139 million. The slight increase was pushed by slightly lower operating expenses.
- The company plans to open approximately 50 additional FOSSIL branded stores in 2010.
Trends and Forces
Slumping World Economy Hurts Fossil
Watches are non-essential items that can also be seen as luxuries. The sluggish global economy has made consumers more price conscious and more conservative in terms of spending money. In this kind of environment, non-essential items like watches are often one of the things consumers cut from their shopping list. As a result, this weakens the demand for watches. Although half of Fossil's revenues come from overseas, the economic downturn has affected many countries outside the US. A weak global economy means negative effects for Fossil's bottom line. In 2009, Fossil's net sales fell 2.2% due to lower sales volume.
Longevity of Licensing Agreements
Licensing products to companies such as Adidas, Emporio Armani, Burberry, Diesel, DKNY, and Marc by Marc Jacobs contributed to 33.7% of Fossil's sales for the 2007 fiscal year. All of Fossil's licensing agreements are set to expire between prior to 2013.
Fossil plans to negotiate new terms for their licenses as they expire and they have already started talks with some companies such as Emporio Armani. However, royalties are often factors of licensing agreements which take away the profitability of such licenses and threaten their renewal.
Weak Dollar Helps International Sales
Fossil generally pays for products in US dollars and depends on labor and manufacturing in China. The fluctuation of the dollar versus other currencies has an impact on manufacturing costs and sales costs and Fossil uses forward contracts to control exchange risks.
Competitors
Fossil considers the watch market to be divided into four segments based on price points. Due to their many brands and products, Fossil competes in all of these segments to varying degrees, but their primary market is in the $55-$195 watch range. Since Fossil operates in such a broad product category, they compete with many companies whose specialties do not include watches, but are in the fashion apparel/accessories industry as a whole.
Fossil's watch competitors include:
- Anne Klein II is a woman's fashion brand that is part of the Jones Apparel Group (JNY). Although they do sell watches, they are more recognized as an apparel and footwear brand.
- Guess? (GES) is most famous for its jeans and apparel but they also make fashion accessories. Their watch collection has been around for over 23 years. The company's GC watch collection has watches in the $200-$1500 price range.
- Kenneth Cole Productions (KCP) is considered an "affordable luxury" line of apparel, footwear, and accessories. It is essentially a domestic company with 97% of sales income generated in the United States.
- Swatch (The Swatch Group) is a Swiss company that specializes in watches but also sells electronics and other products.
Fossil's DKNY, Diesel, Fossil, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Michael Kors, and Relic lines compete in this segment of the watch market.
References
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