Gap Inc.: How Canada, U.K., Japan and Russia Fare

Not the most orthodox manner in which to learn how the retail environment is in other countries, but it's informative. From Gap Inc.’s FQ308 conference call:

I think Canada is affected to what is going on here but still actually a pretty good retail environment for us. The U.K. is as bad as it is in the U.S. Business there is mostly rooted in London but it is not a good retail environment. I would say the U.K. retailers have shown a level of aggressiveness that is unprecedented.

The Japan business I would say the trading environment there from our perspective is actually not too bad on the trading environment. It feels pretty good to us. Not immune but actually feels good. Had the head of our Japanese business in this week and he gave us an update on the market place in general. Then we trade only in a few other countries with our franchise business and that is really a mixed bag.

The Russian economy which has really come to a quasi screeching halt to some other markets we operate in which to them it seems seamless. So that is a mixed bag.

Comments

[mistermaumau:]

no idea why this article gets linked to the stock CHINA, the word china doesn't even figure in the text, things sure have gone downhill at seekingalpha lately.

2008 Nov 27 02:05 PM

[SA Editor J...:]

Dear Mr. MauMau,

My mistake. I'd corrected the title, but forgot to remove the link. Thanks for pointing it out.

All the best,

Judy Weil.

2008 Nov 27 05:07 PM