Howard Davidowitz Store Quotations

There is no loyalty to a store -- that's what Federated has gone to school and found out. The place with the best product at the right time and at the right price, that's where the customer loyalty is.

Furniture doesn't typically spell romance. A sporting goods store is another off-beat destination. I mean, what would you get? A paddle, a tennis racquet?

There is a high likelihood of lower prices, ... The department store segment is a supplier's worst nightmare. Department stores demand more allowances from vendors, they want to be able to return inventory if it doesn't sell well. A Federated-May merger could be an even worse scenario for the suppliers.

Wal-Mart has been losing same-store sales momentum due to store cannibalization and it's stock has been dead money for over five years compared to Target,

We've had an astronomical number of store closings.

The most important people who have to be motivated are the store employees; they're your life blood. Federated knows this.

This deal is a classic Wall Street creation, ... Sears' store sales are down for 22 consecutive months. The company is in a crisis. It had to find a way to pump up its stock and reward its shareholders. Wait until the smoke clears.

I had a conversation with Terry this morning and I told him that I don't support a decision to make a huge investment in another department store when many more consumers are shopping at off-mall retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and Kohl's,

The jewel that Federated would want is the Marshall Field's flagship State Street store in Chicago.