usell ( otcqb : usel ) is a publicly traded recommerce company with headquarters in new york city .

it operates as an online marketplace where people can sell used cell phones , tablets , video games , textbooks and gift cards to professional buyers .

usell

not only usell is doing this , there are tons of others in this as well . how is usell going to stand out ?
in order to compare gazelles revenue to usell ' s revenue , we need to estimate usell ' s device revenue , because usell reports commission revenue , ( $ 20 ) , and gazelle reports device revenue ( $ 100 ) .
choose usell over ebay and craigslist to sell their next used phone or device .
think usell provides a safer , more secure way to sell devices than craigslist .
disclosure : i am long usell . for complete disclosure and disclaimer information please click more
think usell provides a faster and easier way to sell used phones and devices than ebay .
disclosure : i am long usell . for complete disclosure and disclaimer information please click here .
try googling
sell my iphone
and you will see that usell and gazelle come up on top . since usell generally pays the highest price , the company should ultimately prevail .
en cualquier momento y desde cualquier lugar , usell crm es una solución 100 % móvil . aunque estés en el sitio más remoto , usell ofrece servicio total en online y en offline .
usell buyer getter my phone hen tried to offer me $ 2 . 60 instead of the originally
enciclopèdia catalana y microgestió son dos ejemplos del éxito en la implantación de la app usell crm .
i agree with your analysis that usell would be an ideal acquisition target for ebay . that would of course be the holy grail for usell shareholders . but realistically speaking , has there actually been any chatter about this even being a remote possibility ? though i do think usell is undervalued regardless .
our management believes gmv is useful in evaluating usell ' s overall volume of transactions and in evaluating the spe ' s performance . since all spe revenue is generated by usell ' s management team and employees , our management believes it demonstrates how effective usell ' s business model is and its potential if it had additional capital . investors should recognize that usell will not receive all of the profits from the spe assuming profitability ; usell receives a minority percentage of any distributions until the investor receives an agreed upon preference at which time the profit sharing shifts to usell receiving a majority of the distributions .
usell . com’s 100 percent happiness guarantee ensures our customers are deliriously happy or we’ll make it right .
usell is a recommerce marketplace that helps individuals turn unused items into cash . usell ensures that customers get the highest payouts with the least amount of hassle by facilitating risk - free transactions with professional buyers .
since usell will probably always be able to offer the highest price to device sellers , it ' s logical to conclude that usell will ultimately have the larger market share . i know that if gazelle were publicly traded today , i would buy usell , not gazelle ( except for a quick ipo trade ) .
“usell . com is the leading cash commerce platform that easily and securely turns your electronics into cash . ”
smartphones , ipods , ipads , textbooks , game consoles , gift cards . usell accepts some broken items .
usell . com , inc . : usel ) files an 8 - k creation of a direct financial . .
if usell can continue to improve in these areas , the company ' s inherent value will continue to increase .
bill try googling
sell my iphone
and you will see that usell and gazelle come up on top . there are some other marginal sites , but they are kludgy and do not inspire confidence . since usell generally pays the highest price , usell should ultimately prevail . consumers will figure out fairly quickly were they can get the highest price .
if you ' re getting ready to sell your old phone to buy an iphonex , check out usell . i shopped around to get the most money for my ancient samsung galaxy s4 and usell not only paid me 4x what the next c
as mentioned above , the company makes reference to
gmv ,
a measure of performance not calculated in accordance with gaap . our management believes gmv is useful in evaluating usell ' s overall volume of transactions and in evaluating the spe ' s performance . since all spe revenue is generated by usell ' s management team and employees , our management believes it demonstrates how effective usell ' s business model is and its potential if it had additional capital . investors should recognize that usell will not receive all of the profits from the spe assuming profitability ; usell receives a minority percentage of any distributions until the investor receives an agreed upon preference at which time the profit sharing shifts to usell receiving a majority of the distributions .
usell acts as an intermediary to connect you with its network of buyers . after you choose the offer you want ( they range in price , but the company recommends one ) , usell sends you a prepaid envelope . you can get paid in cash or via paypal . usell says you ' ll get paid within five days of when the buyer receives the phone .
if usell continues its current growth rate and is able to establish itself as the primary
sell it now
website , the long - term potential is staggering . daniel brauser believes he can build usell into a multibillion dollar company . i agree .
usell . com , inc . ( usell ) is a technology - based company . the company focuses on extracting the value from used mobile devices . it acquires products from both individual consumers , on its website , usell . com , and from carriers , retailers and manufacturers through its subsidiary , we sell cellular , llc . these devices are then . . . ( more )
we started usell with the goal of changing the way consumers dispose of their old technology and giving them cash to do so .
usell . com , inc . is a technology based company focused on extracting the maximum value from used mobile devices , at large scale . usell acquires products from both individual consumers , on its website , usell . com , and from major carriers , big box retailers , and manufacturers through its subsidiary , we sell cellular . these devices are then distributed globally , leveraging both a traditional sales force and an online marketplace where professional buyers of used smartphones compete to buy inventory in an on - demand fashion . through participation on usell ' s marketplace platforms and through interaction with usell ' s salesforce , buyers can acquire high volumes of inventory in a cost effective manner , while minimizing risk .
used # usell to get cash for my old iphone 4 with a cracked screen . better than collecting dust in my desk drawer ! -
usell . com , inc . is a large market maker of used smartphones . usell acquires products from both individual sellers , on its website , usell . com , and from major carriers , big box retailers , and manufacturers through its subsidiary , we sell cellular , llc (
we sell cellular
) . the company maximizes the value of these devices by reclassifying them , adding value to them , and moving them throughout the world to those who want them most . in order to serve its global and highly diverse customer base , usell leverages both a traditional sales force and an online marketplace where professional buyers of used smartphones can buy inventory on - demand . through participation on usell ' s online platform and through interaction with usell ' s salesforce , buyers can acquire high volumes of inventory in a cost effective manner , while minimizing risk .
usell . com , inc . is a large market maker of used smartphones . usell acquires products from both individual consumers , on its website , usell . com , and from major carriers , big box retailers , and manufacturers through its subsidiary , we sell cellular , llc (
we sell cellular
) . the company maximizes the value of these devices by reclassifying them , adding value to them , and moving them throughout the world to those who want them most . in order to serve its global and highly diverse customer base , usell leverages both a traditional sales force and an online marketplace where professional buyers of used smartphones can buy inventory on - demand . through participation on usell ' s online platform and through interaction with usell ' s salesforce , buyers can acquire high volumes of inventory in a cost effective manner , while minimizing risk .
mike : i really love the idea behind usell . i mean , i have three or four cell phones laying around myself that i no longer have any use for , and technology is changing faster than i can keep up with it . where did the idea for usell come up ?
would love to know where my phone is . usps said it was delivered 5 days ago and the usell system says its still being delivered .
elimina tareas administrativas , ahorra procesos y reduce costes . usell crm es muy rápido y te ayudará a agilizar la gestión comercial de tu empresa .
however , if gazelle is able to run a successful ipo , that will only help usell , by bringing increased awareness to this sector , and potentially bringing high valuations to all involved . and it won ' t take wall street long to figure out that usell provides the more profitable business model .
although the process of selling on sites like usell might be easier and less hassle , you get far more by selling your phone on ebay . i just did a price comparison of the iphone 5s 16gb , and usell offers a price of $ 260 , while they sell on ebay all day long for over $ 100 more at $ 360 . i am in the uk and this space is already very crowded , exactly the same concept as usell .
¡cuando decimos que es fácil y sencillo de utilizar , lo decimos de verdad ! tengan el conocimiento tecnológico que tengan , tus comerciales utilizarán usell crm fácilmente .
select what you ' re trading in , answer a few questions about its condition , then usell will show you the best offers on its network of professional buyers . once you accept an offer , usell will send you a prepaid shipping kit or let you print a prepaid shipping label to send your item in .
you will notice that michael brauser is well - versed in developing and selling internet companies . he would not be investing his time with usell unless he was confident of the company ' s success . in my opinion , his experience , track record , and guidance will be instrumental in developing usell into a thriving corporation .
in introducing new product categories , usell initially calculated that it could handle a decrease of up to 5 % of its conversion rate on electronics , which it measures as a usell customer placing an order to sell to a merchant , he says . through optimizely’s web - based portal , his team set up an a / b test to compare usell’s previous home page with one featuring five new categories—kids’ clothing , women’s clothing , textbooks , video games and gift cards—along with electronics , he says .
usell crm está diseñado por y para comerciales , buscando cubrir las necesidades y requerimientos . ¡mejora y agiliza el proceso comercial con el crm móvil diseñado especialmente para ti !
unlike other services , there are no selling fees , shipping costs or haggling at usell . as long as you send in the correct device in the condition that you quoted , the price you see on usell is what you ' ll get paid . we require our buyers to initiate payment within 5 business days of receiving your device .
sites like usell . com , which offers sellers a list of user - ranked bids for their used hardware , saw huge increases in activity following the iphone 5 announcement .
number 4 : usell has decreased working capital deficit from $ 1 , 269 , 000 on december 31 , 2013 to $ 256 , 000 on june 30 , 2014 .
chief product officer and co - founder of usell . com . industry stints include social games ( area / code ) , creative agency ( pentagram , etc ) , and ecommerce
with usell ' s $ 23 . 1 million in 2013 device revenue , and using the same 3x multiple , that would give usell a valuation of $ 69 . 3 million , today . some would consider that a very conservative valuation , because a 3x multiple is low for a company with such a high rate of growth in a rapidly expanding segment . many would argue that a 5x or 10x multiple would be more appropriate . but even with a conservative 3x multiple , usell is still worth more than 3 times today’s valuation .
usell . com , inc . ( usell ) , incorporated on november 18 , 2003 , is a technology - based company . the company focuses on extracting the value from used mobile devices . it acquires products from both individual consumers , on its website , usell . com , and from carriers , retailers and manufacturers through its subsidiary , we sell cellular , llc . these devices are then distributed across the world , which leverages an online marketplace where professional buyers of used smartphones compete to buy inventory in an on - demand fashion .
census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your usell ancestors , such as occupation . occupation can tell you about your ancestor ' s social and economic status .
michael brauser ' s presence at usell is extremely important . he is a large shareholder with over a 9 % position . here is a short list of some of his accomplishments :
had a great experience selling my samsung galaxy s4 to @ usell . they were quick & easy to use . no fuss , no muss ! i ' d recommend to anyone . -
census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your r usell ancestors , such as occupation . occupation can tell you about your ancestor ' s social and economic status .
if we look at usell ' s reported revenue for 2012 and 2013 , we see that approximately 66 % of the total revenue for those 2 years was reported in 2013 . this can be confirmed by looking at the relationship between usell ' s reported revenue , ( commission revenue ) for 2012 and 2013 . if 66 % of usell ' s device revenue was generated in 2013 , that would equate to over $ 23 . 1 million in device revenue for 2013 . in other words , 66 % of $ 35 million is $ 23 . 1 million .
ompetitor offered but also made the process painless . payment came via paypal . i didn ' t even have to box up the phone because usell sent me a pre - paid padded mailer .
wow ! say goodbye to carrier subsidies and hello to financing . when it ' s time to upgrade , sell your old phone through usell to offset the cost of that shiny new device . urltoken
usell es el crm móvil que te permitirá mejorar la gestión de tu equipo comercial y el seguimiento de tus clientes . incrementa tus ventas y ahorra en tareas administrativas con la mejor solución tecnológica para comerciales .
robert averick and the fund he manages own more than 10 % of usell and this additional buying is a positive indicator . from what i understand his due diligence has been thorough and all - inclusive .
census records can give you a fascinating window into the day - to - day lives of your usell ancestors - like hours worked per week , level of education , veteran status , employers , and more .
consulta el estado del cliente , tu calendario , los eventos , las tareas que tienes que llevar a cabo y realiza informes de evaluación de las visitas comerciales . consigue un seguimiento mucho más exhaustivo con usell crm .
con usell crm podrás gestionar leads y oportunidades de ventas , y hacer informes / reports de las visitas comerciales . con este crm móvil minimizarás procesos , administrarás mejor las tareas y centrarás los comerciales en vender más .
census records can give you a fascinating window into the day - to - day lives of your r usell ancestors - like hours worked per week , level of education , veteran status , employers , and more .
this $ 100 figure is comparable to what gazelle gets when it sells a device and books revenue , in other words device revenue . our goal is to compare device revenue from usell to device revenue from gazelle .
use census records and voter lists to see where families with the r usell surname lived . within census records , you can often find information like name of household members , ages , birthplaces , residences , and occupations .
from what i can determine , most investors have a cost basis higher than where usell is currently trading so i don’t see much selling pressure at this low level . this should provide a reasonable level of downside protection .
on usell , a 32gb iphone 4 in good condition can fetch $ 130 , and a 32gb 4s can draw in $ 210 . competitor urltoken shows similar price quotes of $ 149 and $ 205 for the two models .
usell crm es totalmente móvil , conéctate desde cualquier plataforma dónde y cuando quieras . incluso si te encuentras sin conexión podrás trabajar , porque en cualquier momento y en cualquier lugar puede presentarse una oportunidad de venta . ¡estate siempre preparado !
i don ' t see any risk of a near - term financing , the company doesn ' t need cash . since i can ' t predict when usell will be profitable , there could be financing risk down the road .
the primary reason usell is undervalued , is that wall street is completely unaware of this company , or the new market usell is serving . investors also know nothing about the staples or tracfone partnerships , because no announcements have been made , probably at the request of the larger companies . most investors are also unaware of dr . frost ' s or michael brauser ' s large positions or the fact that the company has overtaken gazelle in terms of unique visitors to the website .
to complete a sale , sellers on usell mail their electronics via prepaid envelopes to buyers — typically companies that sell through wholesale channels and to overseas markets . once the device has been inspected , the buyer then pays by paypal or check .
the technology’s biggest advantage is its simple toolset and the time it saves usell on engineering and development , croft says . he can set up an experiment in a few hours on optimizely’s web site , then start running it as soon as he adds a snippet of code to the usell web site . previously , usell ran a / b tests with the now - defunct google website optimizer , he says . that tool required at least two weeks of advance planning so developers could set up an experiment , two weeks building it and two more weeks to run a test . because of those limitations , usell conducted far fewer tests each month with the google tool , he says . optimizely also simplifies sharing results , he says , because it provides a shortlink , or a truncated version of what would otherwise be a long , unwieldy url address , that an experimenter can give to anyone on his team to allow them to watch the results as they come in .
you ' re moments away from finding the best prices for your used textbooks . let urltoken help you sell your textbook . usell gives you an instant quote for your book and free shipping , so it ' s the best place to sell textbooks online .
the following table presents an additional operating metric , gross merchandise volume (
gmv
) , which management believes is useful in evaluating usell ' s overall volume of transactions . we define gmv as the total of usell revenue plus revenue generated by the special purpose entity (
spe
) . gmv is a non - gaap financial measure because it includes spe revenue which is not reportable in our financial statements nor is it in accordance with gaap . for information on non - gaap financial measures , see pages 20 of this report :
seeking more information , usell repeated the experiment for another two weeks . this time , optimizely showed no significant change in electronics conversions with the new categories present on the site , croft says . because the test was exactly the same as the last one , his team was reassured that the site changes would , at worst , not be significantly detrimental . on june 15 usell switched over to the new home page for good . two weeks later , it now processes 20 % more orders in total on the site than before , he says .
this press release refers to gmv . the company defines gmv as the total of usell revenue plus revenue from the special purpose entity (
spe
) . gmv is a non - gaap financial measure because it includes spe revenue which is not reportable in usell ' s financial statements nor is it in accordance with gaap . see immediately below for a reconciliation between our revenue under gaap and gmv , which is non - gaap , as well as later in this press release for further discussion of gmv under
non - gaap financial measure - gmv .
usell ' s second method of sourcing devices is through its website , usell . com , where individual sellers can find cash offers for their items based on the make , model , and condition of each item . upon accepting an offer , sellers can ship their devices for free using either a prepaid shipping kit or shipping label , and then track the progress of their orders online from initiation to final payment of their devices . since the acquisition of we sell cellular , only a small percentage of our devices have been sourced in this manner versus through wholesale channels .
gazelle ' s success in the marketplace presents competitive risk , but as daniel brauser stated , at this early stage of the cycle , gazelle ' s success could actually help usell . competitive risk will become more of a factor as this segment of the internet industry becomes more developed .
mike . i have not heard any rumors of a buyout , this is pure speculation on my part . my investment in usell is not based on whether or not a buyout happens , it ' s based entirely on a great business model , extreme undervaluation , and strong fundamentals .
mike . you ' re absolutely right , you can get more on ebay , but when you subtract ebay ' s and paypal ' s commissions , postage and packaging , the profit factor diminishes . when you look at usells 40 % year - over - year growth , and the 70 % month over month increase in orders placed , you can see that a lot of consumers are choosing the easier approach with usell , rather than going through the hassle of dealing with ebay . i ' ve done it both ways , and i will continue to sell items on usell .
sell your mobile phone for cash at usell . com . with our mobile phone trade - in program , you can compare cash offers from hundreds of professional buyers in seconds . we make it easy for you to turn your old and unwanted cell phones into cash , quickly and hassle - free .
an unusually short lifespan might indicate that your usell ancestors lived in harsh conditions . a short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family . the ssdi is a searchable database of more than 70 million names . you can find birthdates , death dates , addresses and more .
on usell . com , we guarantee cash payment within five business days and there is no commission or shipping charge . we send out a pre - addressed , pre - paid and pre - padded container into which you simply insert in your phone , seal it up and drop into the nearest mailbox .
nextworth has tried to enhance its legitimacy by partnering with target , the national retailer ; ipad owners can walk into target stores to sell their tablet to nextworth and get paid on the spot . usell addresses the problem by showing users offers from several resellers , and showing customer - satisfaction ratings for each .
another big problem : if it doesn’t carry an apple or a samsung logo on it , you won’t get much , if you can sell it at all . my old htc radar phone would snag a paltry $ 15 at usell and $ 20 at buymytronics ; gazelle and nextworth wouldn’t even touch it .
an unusually short lifespan might indicate that your r usell ancestors lived in harsh conditions . a short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family . the ssdi is a searchable database of more than 70 million names . you can find birthdates , death dates , addresses and more .
see pages 17 for a discussion of another non - gaap financial measure which is gmv . this financial measure is non - gaap because it combines our actual gaap revenue with the off balance sheet revenue of the spe . we define gmv as the total of usell revenue plus revenue generated by the spe .
in order to calculate usell’s device revenue , we take the 350 , 000 devices sold since 2012 , and multiply it by $ 100 per device , and that gives us a total device revenue of $ 35 million . this $ 100 per device is the device revenue that the end - user ends up paying .
mike : hey , everyone . i’m mike sullivan and thanks for joining us today on mo . com , where we feature small business owners and entrepreneurs and then bring you hints , tips , insights , and perspectives on what it takes to be successful . joining us today is doug feirstein of usell . usell is the leading cash commerce platform that allows consumers to trade in their used or unwanted cell phones for cash . doug , thanks for joining us and as i usually like to kick things off with , can you tell us a little bit about your background and what kind of led you up to where you are today ?
usell has managed the sales of about 350 , 000 devices since the beginning of 2012 at an average price of at least $ 65 per device for a total of nearly $ 23 million paid to sellers . this can be confirmed by going to the bottom of usell ' s homepage , and looking at the ticker count which displays the total number of devices sold and dollar amount paid to sellers . it is important to note this is the price paid to the sellers from the buyers . this is not device revenue . the buyers would then go on to resell this device to an end - user for approximately $ 100 , which would equate to device revenue .
the experience was as desired and expected . i received a fair offer and everything went as promised . no tricky business once my phone was sent in . i received what was offered and i didn ' t have to pay any additional costs . i looked at other services but they didn ' t deliver as promised ; usell did !
technology and operational processes continue to play a key role in limiting the growth of usell ' s fixed costs while increasing capacity , sales velocity , and average selling prices . the company continues to invest in its online platform and has steadily transitioned more of its customer interactions online . usell has also invested resources in optimizing the processes and technology needed to test and grade devices in its warehouse , with the aim of increasing capacity and decreasing processing lead - time . management believes that these investments are important to make now for two reasons : 1 ) they differentiate the company from competitors of similar scale that are looking to purchase from its suppliers , and 2 ) management expects that the new iphone launch late this year will drive substantial trade in volume over the subsequent six months . by adding more value than its competitors and becoming the partner of choice to our suppliers , usell ' s management believes that it will greatly benefit from industry trends as trade - in continues to increase in importance throughout the mobile ecosystem .
urltoken operates by purchasing unwanted , high - value items directly from consumers , providing them fast payment , erasing all personal data , and then either refurbishing or recycling the phone , depending on its condition . convenient and secure , usell helps consumers avoid the hassle and risk of peer - to - peer sales channels such as ebay and craigslist .
according to the last 10 - q , usell had over $ 1 , 000 , 000 in cash , and no significant debt . the company has since raised $ 4 . 65 million in a registered direct offering . but what ' s most important is that in the past 12 months , the company has made progress in the following areas :
but , as usell’s brauser and nextworth’s trachsel both warned , finding a reputable reseller online isn’t always the easiest task . some companies , they say , will offer you a good price for your tablet online , but then claim it’s in worse condition than expected when they receive it , sending you a smaller - than - promised check as a result .
business derived from our urltoken website utilizes an agent commission revenue model , whereby we do not take possession of the devices that are sold to us by sellers , but rather facilitate transactions between these consumers and our network of professional buyers . historically , some of the devices we acquired through our urltoken website utilized our managed by usell service , whereby we partnered with a third party logistics company to inspect and process devices before passing them along to buyers offering the highest prices for each device . through this approach , we took possession of devices for a brief period of time before they were passed on to the ultimate buyer . however , by the end of 2016 , we shut down our managed by usell service and shifted all of our business from urltoken to the agent commission revenue model .
usell pays optimizely roughly $ 359 per month to run tests for up to 200 , 000 site visits , plus $ 5 per each additional 1 , 000 visits , croft says . that’s the third , or gold , tier of the vendor’s pricing model , which starts at $ 17 per month to test up to 2 , 000 site visits , plus $ 9 per each additional 1 , 000 visits .
feirstein , best known for founding usell . com , a technology - resale site , and liveops . com , a crowdsourced call - center company , had built a community of 20 , 000 independent agents into a massive
at home
call - center . he certainly knew something about communications and large - scale human resources . mickiewicz had mastered online auctions . grant knew how to appeal to developers .
as with all early - stage companies , there is risk . even though the future looks bright for usell , there is no guarantee that management will continue to execute . we have all invested in companies that showed tremendous promise but failed because of management ' s inability to deliver . michael brauser ' s involvement as chairman of the board de - risks the situation some , but as with all early - stage micro caps , diligent monitoring is required .
online marketplace usell . com , which allows merchants to bid for consumers’ used smartphones and electronics , wanted to add trade - ins for other types of used products but worried that doing so would hurt conversions in its core category , says chief product officer and co - founder christian croft . after running two experiments with a / b testing vendor optimizely , however , the e - marketplace learned that expanding its offerings would only add incremental revenue , he says .
usell presents a particularly attractive business model , based on scalable software , no inventory expenses , and minimal infrastructure . i expect the company ' s 40 % year - over - year revenue growth to continue and possibly accelerate . with a market cap of just $ 20 million , the company is deeply undervalued considering the multibillion - dollar total addressable market , and the company ' s ability to seamlessly expand into multiple markets . the extreme level of undervaluation and ability to turn profitable at any time , provides significant downside protection
categories : yahoo financeget free summary analysis usell . com , inc . reports financial results for the quarter ended june 30 , 2017 . highlights summary numbers : revenues of usd 24 . 64 million , net earnings of usd - 1 . 15 million . gross margins narrowed from 5 . 58 % to 3 . 18 % compared to the same period last year , operating ( ebitda ) margins now - 1 . 76 % from 1 . 66 % . change in operating cash . . . read more ( read more . . . )
while you probably don’t have quite this much techno - crap in your house , i’ll bet you have some . according to the npd group , the average u . s . household owns nearly six internet - connected devices . a recent survey by used gadget marketplace usell reports that seven out of 10 americans own gizmos they haven’t touched for at least two years . as a species , we generate 20 million to 50 million metric tons of e - waste each year , most of it toxic , the vast majority of which still goes into landfills .
but when a company is addressing multibillion - dollar markets , and growing revenue at 40 % annually , at some point , investors take notice . this is only the 2 nd seeking alpha article on usell , and i would expect more analyst coverage in the near future . as wall street realizes the value of this company , and just how much interest there is in this sector right now , the share price will rise to a more appropriate level . this is the type of opportunity that could develop from undervaluation to overvaluation within a very short time frame .
the downside ? prices vary wildly , and you probably won’t get as much as you want for it . for example , my black , wifi - only , 16 gb ipad 2 , which cost me $ 500 new two years ago , will fetch $ 106 at nextworth . gazelle offered me $ 120 for one in flawless condition . buymytronics offered $ 125 , which was also the top of the price range for ecoatm . usell , which provides a marketplace of buyers rated and ranked by its customers , showed me offers ranging from $ 80 to $ 145 .
caution : you will get ripped of by usell - they will send you a curious looking check - that will bounce . your back will charge you a fee for that little gift . then you will have to wait for another one that when you take it to the issuing bank - they will not honor it . ( my bank eventually got it cashed , but not for almost a month ) . they will also tell you they will repay the bank fee - they will not . i have filed a complaint wilts postal inspectors , because they do this as a business practice .
croft says it’s important to validate the effect of any changes usell considers making to its web site before finalizing them . to that end , it conducts four to six a / b tests each month , he says . though they’re usually for more minor changes than updating the whole home page—for instance changing the text in just one spot—they still ensure that the business is always moving forward , he says . “you could fall into the trap of making changes based on your gut instinct all the time , but you’d never be able to look back and prove that you made progress at each step . ”
the company , through usell . com , allows individual consumers to find cash offers for their items based on the make , model and condition of each item . upon accepting an offer , consumers can ship their devices for free using either a prepaid shipping kit or shipping label , and then track the progress of their orders online from initiation to final payment of their devices . the company sells its devices through utilizing its marketplace bidding platforms where buyers can source devices on demand ; employing its sales force to sell devices to its client base across the world , and leveraging third party e - commerce platforms .
for two weeks in late may , the e - marketplace sent half its desktop traffic to the first version of the home page and the other half to the second , comprising about 140 , 000 site visits altogether . in that test , electronics conversions took a hit , dropping by 3 . 6 % , croft says . although that was in usell’s acceptable range , it still made his team slightly nervous because it was closer to the 5 % drop threshold than to breaking even with the conversion rate , he says . any more of a decrease on electronics sales , and adding the new product categories would not increase net revenue , he says .
doug : so the idea for usell really has been an iterative process , but it started with this initial vision back in 2006 , when i tried to sell some stuff on ebay , but really trying to sell your own stuff is hard . initially , the vision was to make it easier for the general consumer to be able to sell their stuff and get cash for that , without having to deal with all the hassles of sort of the traditional , or at least the ways that existed back then in the peer - to - peer selling , like ebay . at first , we started it was every product , and like with any business , as we sort of hit different challenges head on , we realized that we kind of had to narrow our focus into products and services that we had a clear secondary market and there was high demand . that is sort of how we ended up focused in the consumer electronics vertical , because everybody has phones , like you said , you have three or four phones . virtually everyone i talk to says the same thing , and it was a great way for us to really leverage mass marketing through direct response to drive demand for the service , but there is also a clear secondary market for it . that is really where the idea for usell came from .
usell has two primary means of sourcing devices to satisfy demand from its global base of customers . the first source is through its wholly - owned subsidiary , we sell cellular , which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2015 . we sell cellular is among a handful of top tier wholesalers whose primary business is to buy used smartphones that have been traded in with the major carriers and the big box retailers , fully inspect and grade these devices , and then sell these devices wholesale and retail through its highly experienced sales force . we sell cellular is one of a select group of wholesalers that has qualified for r2 certification , the industry standard for both data destruction and environmental protection .
agent commission revenue increased by $ 139 , 000 , or 993 % , from $ 14 , 000 for the three months ended june 30 , 2016 to $ 153 , 000 for the three months ended june 30 , 2017 . agent commission revenue increased by $ 300 , 000 , or 968 % , from $ 31 , 000 for the six months ended june 30 , 2016 to $ 331 , 000 for the six months ended june 30 , 2017 . the increase in agent commission revenue was due to our decision to shut down our managed by usell service at the end of 2016 and no longer take possession of devices sent in through our urltoken website . payments for devices sent in through urltoken are now made directly from buyers to sellers , and we only recognize a commission on these transactions .
while a minority of our product is sold directly to consumers via third party ecommerce platforms , the majority of our sales are to professional buyers . these buyers include brick and mortar retailers , online retailers , large and small wholesalers , small repair shops , large refurbishing providers , and insurance companies . approximately two - thirds of our customer base is in the united states , with the balance abroad . we are able to provide all of our buyers with a low risk , cost - efficient way to acquire inventory . through participation on usell ' s online marketplace or through interaction with our salesforce , our buyers gain access to the high volume of devices that we acquire through both wholesale and retail means , without taking on the risk and investment involved in marketing directly to consumers or purchasing directly from carriers , big box retailers , and manufacturers .
this was a horrific experience , i was given a quote of about 100 $ for my iphone i thought why not and decided to ship it to them , after almost 2 weeks i got the mailing packet finally and shipped it to them , no email no calls nothing for 2 weeks again , when i contact them myself they told me we sent u a check for 9 $ , i said what is 9 $ i was quoted 100 and got the most vague excuse about the market going up and down and my phone has a scratch here or there basically saying total bs , i demanded my phone back and they said no read the terms and conditions which is longer then the declaration of independence right . . . . people need to be aware of this scam and avoid usell unless you want to send them your valuable phone for free .
sales and marketing expense increased $ 72 , 000 , or 17 % , from $ 414 , 000 during the three months ended june 30 , 2016 to $ 486 , 000 during the three months ended june 30 , 2017 . the increase is primarily attributable to the higher fees paid as a result of the increased ebay sales during the three months ended june 30 , 2017 , compared to the three months ended june 30 , 2016 . with the we sell cellular acquisition and the company ' s newfound ability to source devices directly from the carriers , retailers , and manufacturers , its primary sales and marketing expenses have shifted from consumer marketing to paying out sales commissions and selling fees . because the vast majority of usell ' s sales and marketing expenses are now paid to third party selling platforms , such as ebay and amazon , any increases or decreases in these expenses are directly tied to sales for the period .
sales and marketing expense increased $ 294 , 000 , or 37 % , from $ 791 , 000 during the six months ended june 30 , 2016 to $ 1 , 085 , 000 during the six months ended june 30 , 2017 . the increase is primarily attributable to the higher fees paid as a result of the increased ebay sales during the six months ended june 30 , 2017 , compared to the six months ended june 30 , 2016 . with the we sell cellular acquisition and the company ' s newfound ability to source devices directly from the carriers , retailers , and manufacturers , its primary sales and marketing expenses have shifted from consumer marketing to paying out sales commissions and selling fees . because the vast majority of usell ' s sales and marketing expenses are now paid to third party selling platforms , such as ebay and amazon , any increases or decreases in these expenses are directly tied to sales for the period .
while quarterly revenues dropped slightly from the prior year , the company saw a 15 % increase in gmv for the quarter ended june 30 , 2017 and a 26 % increase in gmv for the six months ended june 30 , 2017 . despite this increase in gmv , industry conditions resulted in suppressed margins for the quarter . margins are driven primarily by supply and demand , but can also be impacted by the company ' s ability to make opportunistic purchases . due to these factors , management cannot predict margins from quarter to quarter . however , management believes that , due to the company ' s scale and supplier relationships , it is able to purchase at prices lower than its customers , which results in low risk of loss on its inventory . usell ' s management therefore believes that increasing gmv is of primary importance , as this should result in increased gross margin dollars in future quarters . management further believes that increasing gmv , coupled with limiting growth in fixed costs , should lead to a positive impact to profitability over the long term .
while there appears to be no moore ' s law equivalent for smartphones , gestation periods continue to hasten with each subsequent generation . while i remain content with my nearly four year old windows phone , my wife and kids all boast near state - of - the - art iphones . . . i dwell in a home where it is almost a moral imperative to never fall behind the latest technological innovation . these recurring upgrade cycles have resulted in quite an inventory buildup of vintage iphones . i located over a half dozen of them , including two iphone 4 models and two iphone 4s models . i am not alone with my collection . there are perhaps hundreds of millions of
end of first life
smartphones sitting in drawers across america that could still live a second life somewhere else .
ebay ( ebay ) , amazon ( amzn ) , and craig ' s list are some of the readily available marketplaces to sell used cell phones , and they currently dominate the resale or
re - commerce
sector for electronics , but i found a very good alternative that i wanted to share . visit the website urltoken , and in three easy steps you can receive multiple , instantaneous bids to sell your smartphone and get cash guaranteed to arrive in a maximum of five business days . i was intrigued enough that i was able to secure an interview with harvard mba and ingenious twenty - something innovator , mr . nik raman , co - founder and chief operating officer of urltoken ( usel ) .
mr . raman : with the speed of improvements in personal technology , from smartphones to personal computers and even televisions , america is already facing a huge problem of electronic waste . millions upon millions of devices lie dormant . many have a useful
next life ,
and this equipment can and should be monetized .
richard : explain why i shouldn ' t just sell my smartphone or ipod on ebay or amazon versus urltoken i did some homework and discovered that i would probably get a little more money selling on ebay and amazon .
richard : ok , so you can work for a slightly higher price if you are willing to jump through a lot of hoops , endure uncertainty , and wait a long time . now how do you compare with the carrier ' s buyback programs , like at & t or verizon ?
mr . raman : they are constantly changing their offers , so an apples to apples comparison is difficult . and keep in mind they don ' t pay cash , they also just give credit for an in - store phone upgrade . they have a lot of room to manipulate numbers based on how long they can lock in a customer on a contract . in general , urltoken is usually a little bit better than the major cellular carriers .
mr . raman : looking on our website urltoken it is easy to see that we have , in limited areas , begun our process of vertically expanding our offerings . we are already aggregating bids for ipad , ipods , game consoles , video games , gift cards and certain women ' s clothing items . the expansion proposition in our business is to find and facilitate re - commerce transactions where the value - to - weight ratio is advantageous , minimizing the effects of bearing round - trip shipping expenses . watches and jewelry are high value and low weight merchandise that will fit our model nicely .
richard : consumers are idly hoarding hundreds of millions of electronic devices . what advice can you give them ?
mr . raman : while they are being left in the closet , money is being lost . a rough rule of thumb is that iphones depreciate 5 % per month while android devices lose value at about twice that rate . another thing to consider is that a damaged iphone 4s may be worth up to $ 100 . damaged often does not translate into worthless .


bob 's stores is a chain of 35 retail stores in the northeastern united states owned by versa capital management .

founded as bob 's surplus in middletown , connecticut , by bob lapidus in 1954 , the chain expanded gradually until it was acquired by tjx in 2003 .

the chain targets moderate-income customers with a selection of footwear , workwear , teamwear , and activewear .

bob ' s stores

owner of bob’s stores , eastern mountain sports files ch . 11 | boston herald
with over 30 stores located conveniently throughout the north east , there ' s sure to be a bob ' s stores near you .
view information on current and former bob ' s stores building locations . find leasing information , previous sales and currently active for sale and lease listings of properties where bob ' s stores is located . research bob ' s stores information , location photos and more .
the owner of eastern mountain sports and bob’s stores filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday with plans to shutter some stores and sell the chains .
copyright bob ' s watches . all rights reserved . bob ' s watches is not affiliated with rolex s . a . , rolex usa , or any of its subsidiaries .
according to the company’s website , bob’s stores was founded by bob lapidus in 1954 and has 35 stores throughout the northeast . each store has an average of 20 , 000 pairs of shoes to choose from , the site says .
— bob’s stores and eastern mountain sports could each close two new hampshire stores as part of a bankruptcy proposal that will be reviewed in court next week .
bob ' s stores has been a past or current tenant within the buildings involved in these sale and lease transactions .
in australia , trade secret stores are converted into t . k . maxx stores .
tjx acquires bob’s stores , a 31 - store , value - oriented retailer of casual family apparel and footwear based in the northeast region of the u . s .
with the old macy’s next door being converted into a major shopping destination , she said it would be wise for bob’s stores to stay put and remain in operation .
that ' s the public bob . there is , however , another bob . this bob is quiet - spoken , self - effacing , reflective , a complete turnaround from the manic television bob . they do dress alike though : open shirt , pullover sweater , jeans , sneakers .
the store manager at bob’s stores in bedford declined to speak to the new hampshire union leader when reached by telephone on friday . he referred all questions to the company’s media spokesman .
local shoppers say they are disappointed about the potential closure of the bob’s stores in bedford — one of the four facilities eyed to shut its doors .
after the parent company for bob ' s and eastern mountain sports filed for bankruptcy , a list of stores that will be closing has been released .
on qualifying products , bob ' s watches will then verify the current price to complete the price match .
hit : the owner of eastern mountain sports , which has 13 stores in massachusetts , and bob’s stores , which has 11 bay state locations , has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy , with debts over $ 500 million .
now about bob and those tv spots . . . - the new york times
horne , who picked up a pair of vans sneakers for her grandson , questioned why the bob’s stores in bedford would close when it was recently remodeled and is part of a vibrant plaza .
' ' it ' s not complicated , ' ' says bob . their studio is an upstairs room in the manchester bob ' s store . they set up an arrangement of furniture , use one camera , some lights , and bob goes into action . that ' s it . occasionally they go on location . a commercial featuring bob with carla berube , a former uconn and now new england blizzard basketball notable , was shot at east catholic high school , also in manchester .
this loopnet bob ' s stores tenant and owner information is organized and aggregated from public records and the millions of historical and current sale and lease listings provided by members of the loopnet commercial real estate marketplace .
it ' s hard for sporting goods stores when their number one brand also becomes their number one competitor .
the locations that would be shuttered include bob’s stores at 73 south river rd . in bedford and 92 cluff crossing in salem , and eastern mountain sports stores at 281 daniel webster highway in nashua and in the mall at rockingham park in salem , according to court documents filed in the u . s . bankruptcy court for the district of delaware .
whoops ! did you mistype ? please re - enter a valid email . example : bob @ urltoken
eastern outfitters llc , the parent company of eastern mountain sports and bob’s stores , is asking a bankruptcy court to allow it to close 48 of its 86 stores — including four in new hampshire — as part of a plan for u . k . retailer sports direct international plc to acquire the company .
but the waterbed craze was ebbing in the early 1990 ' s when bob kaufman and gene rosenberg , who had owned a chain of furniture stores and was considered an expert in special promotions , took over a building in newington where a furniture store had gone into bankruptcy . the building , an early casualty of a growing state recession , became the first bob ' s discount furniture store , with mr . rosenberg owning two - thirds of the business and bob one - third under an agreement that still exists .
the pitchman has become a celebrity of sorts . wherever he goes , someone is sure to yell ' ' hey , that ' s bob , ' ' or sidle up and say , ' ' hi bob ! ' ' as though they have been friends for years .
, dick ' s and modell ' s are interested in taking over former sports authority stores , but it ' s unclear if that will actually happen and also what a takeover could look like . will sports authority exist at all in a few months ?
in the years since , in equally distressing economic times , more stores have been opened and now they total a dozen in connecticut and two more in western massachusetts . last year , bob ' s discount furniture was rated as the 63d largest furniture company in the nation .
they are product generalists rather than product specialists ,
jon schallert , a marketing consultant with longmont told the denver post in february , a few weeks before sports authority ' s bankruptcy filing .
so many consumers these days who are into sports and outdoor activities really want specialized products . just like macy ' s and other generalized stores , they ' ve found themselves in trouble . in reality , it ' s not underperforming stores . it ' s stores that no longer meet the needs of demanding consumers .
the first two t . j . maxx stores open in auburn and worcester , massachusetts .
tjx brings homesense to the u . k . with the opening of its first stores .
tjx acquires trade secret , an off - price retailer that operates 35 stores in australia .
eastern outfitters filed for bankruptcy protection in february , when it listed assets and liabilities in the range of $ 100 million to $ 500 million . private equity firm versa capital management acquired bob’s stores and eastern mountain sports through the bankruptcy last year of vestis retail group , which previously owned the chains .
' ' i became the waterbed king , ' ' he says cheerily . he would lease space in stores to sell waterbeds with a proviso that the stores would be paid only when he had his profits . it was a no - risk deal for him and by the end of the 1980 ' s , he had space in 24 stores in four states .
t . k . maxx continues its expansion in europe , opening stores in austria and the netherlands .
' ' i feel like a fraud sometimes , ' ' said the private bob kaufman . he was relaxing in one of the soft chairs in his orange store and talking about his double identity . ' ' i am rather introverted , ' ' he said . ' ' people who know me say its amazing when they see me on tv . ' ' so why does he do the television commercials that force him to change from introvert bob to extrovert bob ? it ' s simple ; they work .
“i am here a lot . i have adult boys that need a lot of clothes , and bob’s is a great option , ” said carlene horne while exiting the shop on friday afternoon . “it is really sad . ”
t . k . maxx opens stores in germany , introducing the off - price concept to that country .
bob kaufman , who is now 45 , grew up in west hartford and was graduated from the university of connecticut in l974 with a degree in marketing .
bob ' s discount furniture was started modestly in 1991 with one store in newington . the ' ' come on down ' ' and ' ' gotcha ' ' commercials started in 1992 , a disastrous year economically for connecticut in general .
it came to a point where sports authority stores were looking like a mess , while dick ' s was investing in having their merchandise laid out in an attractive presentation ,
says davidowitz .
tjx acquires marshalls , the second largest off - price retailer in the u . s . at this time , marshalls has 496 stores and offers brand name family apparel , including a broad selection of footwear and menswear . combined , t . j . maxx and marshalls operated more than 1 , 000 stores nationwide .
bob ' s watches is an independent watch dealer and is not sponsored by , associated with and / or affiliated with rolex , s . a . bob ' s watches only sells pre - owned rolex watches and provides its own warranties on the watches it sells . rolex , urltoken , is under no obligation to warranty - service watches sold by bob ' s watches . rolex datejust , rolex day date president , submariner , presidential , explorer , sea dweller , super president , gmt master , gmt , yachtmaster , prince , milgaus , masterpiece , air king , cosmograph daytona , and pearlmaster are all registered trademarks of the rolex corporation ( rolex usa , rolex s . a . ) to buy a new rolex watch , please visit urltoken for a list of authorized rolex dealers near you . * sales tax on internet transactions is only collected on orders shipped to addresses in california or as otherwise required by law .
a line at a boston modell ' s . photo : boston globe / getty images
free priority overnight shipping on all orders applies to u . s . orders only .
by 2012 , sports authority was on the road to opening 35 new stores a year , but according to market research company statista , even with all its new stores , sports authority couldn ' t own the sporting goods game . as of 2015 , sports authority didn ' t even make the national retail federation ' s top 100 retailers list .
dick ' s , the country ' s largest sports retailer , decided to take matters into its own hands earlier than sports authority did . in 2014 , it teamed up with country singer carrie underwood to roll out an exclusive fitness collection , calia , in its stores . it also debuted a separate athleisure offshoot , chelsea collective , with two freestanding locations last year . with this new concept , dick ' s was able to play both to more traditional sporting goods shoppers in its stores and a different type of shopper elsewhere .
tjx acquires sierra trading post , a u . s . off - price internet retailer .
kimco realty corporation ' s properties include retail space available in neighborhood and community shopping centers .
bob ' s watches is dedicated to always offering the best value to our customers . we will match the price , at the time of purchase , on a low price guarantee product if you find the same item at a lower price at a designated major online retailer .
sports authority isn ' t alone . last month , vestis retail group , the parent company of eastern mountain sports , bob ' s stores , and sport chalet , filed for bankruptcy . with $ 500 million in liabilities , the company plans to close 56 stores , including all 47 sport chalet locations . six months ago , the east coast - based city sports filed for bankruptcy and closed eight of its 26 stores . although city sports is currently being revived by brent and blake sonnek - schmelz , brothers who own the soccer post retail chain , brent recently admitted to the philadelphia inquirer that the sporting goods industry
is in a state of upheaval .
at age 45 , the off - camera bob is a contented man . ' ' i think i ' m the most blessed man in this state , ' ' he says .
tjx acquires winners apparel of canada , a toronto - based chain of five off - price family apparel stores . over time , tjx grows this chain into canada’s largest off - price retailer of family apparel and home fashions .
bob says he is always amused at the reaction to the stores from people who have seen his antics on television . it ' s a different world . ' ' we don ' t pressure anybody , ' ' he said . ' ' we don ' t have markdown sales . if you buy something today it ' s the same price tomorrow . our salespeople don ' t hover . some people come in for lunch . we don ' t care . they ' ll be back . ' '
grant lavigne ' s transition from high school to professional baseball has been as smooth as marble .
the recession actually helped the business , bob says today . ' ' as we got successful , we started to get calls from owners of buildings that were vacant because other stores had gone bankrupt . they wanted to fill them up . the second store was in windsor , then middletown , then willimantic ' ' and so on .
now you get it . he ' s the guy in the commercials , some 500 a week , over the state ' s network and cable stations , passionately telling , sometimes yelling , about the bargains at bob ' s discount furniture . again , and again and again , day and night , he appears , a skinny guy with a high - pitched voice extolling the virtues of living room sets or bedroom sets , usually ending with an invitation to ' ' come on down ' ' or exulting that he ' s ' ' gotcha ' ' by the low prices and high quality .
the commercials that have fueled the remarkable growth are about as elemental as can be . they are written and produced by bob and two others connected to the company , stan adelstein and andy bricker .
bob has no illusions about the artistic merits of the commercials but he defends them . ' ' who is better to tell about products than someone who believes in them ? ' ' he asks .
258 , 000 square feet power center - neighboring tenants include : kohl ' s , marshall ' s , babies r us , barnes and noble , bed , bath & beyond , best . . .
sierra trading post opens its first two brick - and - mortar stores post - acquisition , bringing this online concept for outdoor apparel to more consumers .
today ' s consumers are looking for specificity , both in terms of function and also aesthetic . the everything - to - everybody nature of huge multi - brand retailers no longer appeals ; department stores across america are struggling with this new reality as well .
“we have all of these health foods in bedford and no men’s clothing stores , ” said horne , of bedford . “i have two adult sons , and i am here two or three times a month . i’ve always been pleased with the prices . ”
dick ' s has taken this to heart by developing stronger partnerships with big brands and rolling out shop - in - shops like a trend - focused
nike field house
and a dedicated
under armour all - american
section in its stores . as a result , the selection at dick ' s has became more enticing , and also more expensive .
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when you go into these sports stores ,
he continues ,
every single store carries the exact same thing , so there really isn ' t anything interesting . there might be best - sellers , but stores can ' t build a future by selling that same , classic black north face fleece . i know sporting good stores tend to stick to fits and products that are old and safe , but there is a new generation is coming .
hermina finds the whole situation sad .
it ' s hard to see a staple of my youth disappear ,
she says , but she ' s optimistic other sports retailers will prevail . so are industry experts .
tjx announces consolidation of the a . j . wright division , with 91 stores converted to t . j . maxx , marshalls , or homegoods banners .
©copyright medianews group no portion of urltoken or its content may be reproduced without the owner ' s written permission .
one , mintel senior research analyst diana smith believes
there ' s definitely more of an overlap today .
there are only so many sporting stores that can survive when every company is growing and expanding , and so right now there ' s a shake out , with the weaker chains failing ,
says kahn .
there was more competition than there were actual purchases .
tjx launches homegoods in the u . s . , offering an eclectic selection of home fashions from around the world .
there are an incredible number of national and regional multi - brand sports retailers in america : dick ' s sporting goods , cabela ' s , champs sports , bass pro shops , rei , academy sports , modell ' s , and big 5 sporting goods corporation , to name a few — and these are just the ones that still exist today .
but chelsea collective is still a multi - brand store , stocking items from the likes of nike , adidas , and under armour — brands that have shifted from being primarily wholesale companies to powerful retail giants . as greg thomsen , the managing director of adidas ' s outdoor division , puts it ,
it ' s hard for sporting goods stores when their number one brand also becomes their number one competitor .
as a result , cities across america were able to sustain multiple sporting goods shops filled with the latest gear . there ' s a laundry list of these local stores : brine sporting goods , which first opened in cambridge , massachusetts in 1867 ; rawlings sporting goods company ( st . louis , missouri in 1887 ) ; oshman ' s dry goods ( richmond , texas in 1919 ) ; maurice ' s sporting goods ( chicago , illinois in 1923 ) ; dunham ' s sports ( waterford , michigan in 1937 ) ; and so on . teen retailer abercrombie & fitch even started out as an elite sporting goods retailer at the end of the 19th century . in 1892 , founder david abercrombie started selling high - end camping gear in new york before expanding into women ' s clothing in 1910 .
cam newton rides around a dick ' s sporting goods for a holiday event in december . photo : charlotte observer / getty images
meriden , conn . - based vestis retail group llc filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in delaware with as much as $ 500 million in debt . the company is closing a third chain , california sporting goods retailer sports chalet , which began liquidation sales at all of its western u . s . stores on saturday .
in canada ) , which will operate the company ' s going - out - of - business sales at all of its locations .
later this month , more auctions for sports authority ' s name , intellectual property , and leases will be held . according to the
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, tells investors to stay away from dick ' s because even though it ' s the current leader in the space ,
its position is just too risky . despite the revenue growth and expansion , this chain could soon be facing the death spiral because of online competition .
t . k . maxx continues its expansion in europe with the opening of stores in poland . t . k . maxx launches its e - commerce site , urltoken , in the u . k .
in reality ,
she continued ,
what they ' re bringing to this experience is not the dick ' s brand , but the knowledge that they have about women and exercise and lifestyle . the advantage is what they know about that shopper from their [ existing ] stores , and how can they translate that into an elevated experience .
retailers in general have a huge advantage over amazon in that they have physical stores and they are able to actually raise an emotional response ,
says sam cinquegrani , the founder and ceo of digital marketing firm objectwave .
these stores need to understand the opportunity and leverage that because they have way more to offer . once they think in those terms , competing with amazon becomes a different type of exercise .
to people who watch television in connecticut - - and that ' s most people - - he ' s like the fly that keeps buzzing around until he seems like part of everyday life and you get the impression that you ' d miss him if he flew away somewhere . or maybe not .
as the chain has expanded , the stores have became fancier , and more dignified : arrangements of furniture in tasteful patterns , coffee for patrons to sip , freshly baked cookies , huge jars of candies for children .
lebenthal agrees , and posits these stores need to become destinations again .
there used to be so much excitement in going to a sporting goods store because there were no other options available , and it was the only place to see the latest merchandise being marketed ,
she says .
these stores have lost their unique appeal , but there are plenty of options to stimulate foot traffic and growth ,
smith of mintel adds .
in 1987 , zayre forms a new entity called the tjx companies , inc . , with t . j . maxx , hit or miss , and chadwick’s of boston as the initial retail banners . following zayre’s reorganization in 1989 , tjx becomes the successor company with ben cammarata serving as chief executive officer and president .
a chain like sport chalet can only carry so many of our items ,
adidas ' s thomsen explains .
we know the walls in their stores can ' t carry every piece of adidas , but a company like zappos can hold every one of our items , and so a new generation of shoppers who wants that kind of selection is just going to go straight there .
i don ' t believe in sales . because it ' s not right to jack up the price of something just so you can put it on sale later .
tjx sells chadwick’s of boston to more closely focus on the synergies between t . j . maxx and marshalls and the successful growth of its various off - price store brands .
a case study for this is modell ' s , whose revenue has grown from $ 698 million in 2012 to $ 765 million in 2015 , according to numbers compiled for racked by privco . modell ' s
markets itself as the ‘hometown sporting good store , '
according to privco , and has established a reputation for building community relationships , making local shoppers more inclined to shop there . among its most successful programs is team weeks , in which local stores donate money to neighborhood teams . as smith explains , other sports retailers can get ahead by following their lead and
going the grassroots way .
outdoor activities such as hunting and skiing were — and still are — a rich part of american tradition as well . many of the sporting goods stores that sold uniforms and equipment for baseball and football also catered to outdoor interests . the great depression played a role , writes david whitten in handbook of american business history , because more than ever before , families were turning to inexpensive hobbies like hiking and fishing . by the late 1960s , whitten writes , annual sales from sporting good stores in america were as high as $ 4 billion .
barnes & noble’s announcement on tuesday that its chief exectutive officer , demos parneros , was being terminated , gave investors some important information : he would not get a severance . his . . .
hermina isn ' t the only once - devoted shopper eschewing her favorite childhood store in favor of other options , judging by sports authority ' s current status . in early march , the 29 - year - old sporting goods retailer revealed it has almost $ 1 . 1 billion in debt and filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection . citing
the changing dynamics in the retail industry ,
ceo michael foss announced the company would close 140 locations — a third of the company ' s 450 stores — as well as two distribution centers . he said the company would use its new status to
streamline and strengthen our business both operationally and financially .
during the late 1960 ' s as well as 1970 ' s the engineers at rolex were critical to the quartz movement technology . rolex collaborated with 16 manufacturers where they were eventually able to produce the beta 21 quartz movement , found in the rolex quartz date reference 5100 . continuing their efforts , within five years the clean - slate 5035 / 5055 movement was produced and used in the rolex oysterquartz .
our company roots date back more than four decades . in 1976 , bernard ( ben ) cammarata , general merchandising manager of marshalls at the time , was recruited by discount retailer , zayre corp . 1 , to develop and spearhead the launch of a new off - price chain selling family apparel and home fashions . under mr . cammarata’s leadership , t . j . maxx was born , with its first stores opening in 1977 . in the late 1980s , zayre was restructured and spun off three of its brands — t . j . maxx , hit or miss , and chadwick’s of boston — which served as the initial retail banners of what would become the tjx companies , inc .
they ' re trying to build a women ' s lifestyle brand retailer ,
retail analyst wendy liebmann told racked in february .
i think they felt , at least at this point in time , it would be better built outside the auspices of the dick ' s brand , which tends to have a much more masculine and also much more mass , popular - priced , utilitarian image .
he is also amused by some of the more affluent people who come to his stores to shop but don ' t tell their neighbors . ' ' you ' d be suprised at how many times someone in avon or farmington asks if we can deliver the furniture in an unmarked truck . ' '
due to all this movement and being firmly and often in the red , says howard davidowitz , chairman of retail consulting firm davidowitz & associates , these companies
were never updating their stores or investing in their business because there wasn ' t enough money to do what had to be done .
after benefitting for years from subsidies supplied by new hampshire ratepayers , three of the state ' s six biomass plants are closing , at least for now , saying they can ' t keep running without even . . .
in the case of sports authority , it was founded in florida in 1987 , and was briefly owned by kmart in the the early ' 90s before it merged in 2003 with gart sports , a denver , colorado business that was founded in 1928 . gart had been through several mergers of its own , including with hagan ' s sports and stevens brown in 1987 , as well as with chicago - based sportmart in 1997 and houston - based oshman ' s in 2001 . in 2006 , sports authority also bought copeland ' s sports , a california business in bankruptcy — the same year it was eventually bought by private equity investment firm leonard green & partners .
the tjx companies , inc . ( nyse : tjx ) , the leading off - price apparel and home fashions retailer in the u . s . and worldwide , is ranked 85 among fortune 500 companies and operates four major divisions : marmaxx , homegoods , tjx canada , and tjx international ( comprised of europe and australia ) . as of february 3 , 2018 ( the end of the fiscal year ) , tjx sales were $ 35 . 9 billion , and the company operated more than 4 , 000 stores in nine countries , across three continents .
when he first decided to appear in the television commercials , one of the least enthusiastic people was his father , leo kaufman , who for decades had run an advertising agency in hartford with many furniture accounts . ' ' ' look at you , ' he said . ' and you ' ve got a voice that sounds like chalk on chalk . ' ' ' today , leo likes to accompany bob when he is invited to speak on his career as an entrepreneur .
plus , as schallert mentioned , there ' s the e - commerce factor to weigh . not only have brand sites from the companies like nike and adidas edged these brick - and - mortar retailers out of the market , so have sites like amazon .
' s hertzman .
there will be consolidation and store closures , but athleisure is less a fad and more a trend that will continue to be a bright spot among brands and retailers .
yoga pants as industry savior ? they just might be .
the history of this country is littered with sportings goods stores because the sporting goods industry has loomed large in the united states for well over a century . while nearly every sports retailer today is part of a larger corporate entity , there was a time when the industry was composed entirely of family - run operations , mom - and - pop shops responding to american hobbies .
he acknowledges that the commercials get a mixed reaction . ' ' some people love them and some people hate them . one time , a guy came up to me and i thought he was going to beat me up . ' i hate those ads , ' he said , ' but i like you . ' ' ' bob says he thinks most people approve of him because of his sincerity about the products he is selling . ' ' if i had to fake it , i couldn ' t do it . ' '
through design studios branded as
labs
and collaborations with celebrities like kanye west , pharrell williams , and rihanna and designers like raf simons and stella mccartney . and they ' ve done all this while cutting out middlemen like dick ' s and sports authority in the process .
tjx launches t . k . maxx , introducing the off - price concept to the u . k . and then to ireland . over time , t . k . maxx becomes europe’s only major brick - and - mortar , off - price retailer of apparel and home fashions .
the lines between wholesale and retail faded from black and white to gray to nonexistent ,
greg baldwin , vice president of merchandising at sporting goods chain schuylkill valley sports , told the philadelphia inquirer .
i now compete with 90 percent of my suppliers via e - commerce , physical stores , or a combination of the two . the importance of the retailer as a pipeline to the consumer has been greatly diminished .
but there ' s a stark gap between an increasing customer base and many sports retailers — a gap that only continues to widen , no matter how many times companies see new ownership or rethink their businesses . as hermina puts it ,
my needs evolved , but in many ways , sports authority hasn ' t .
in their
wayback machine
( thanks sherman & mr . peabody ) . click on the link below for the hamilton stores section . use the ' back ' button on your internet explorer page to return to this page . if you follow the many linkis in my old site , it is possible you may not find your way back here easily , as i have no control over my old site and there are no back - links to this site . don ' t panic - just type
previous to 1931 rolex produced watches that required manual winding . in 1931 , however , a self - winding model was offered called the
bubbleback .
the watch used movement from the wearer ' s arm to drive the self - winding component . the new self - winding technology not only made it more convenient but also made time keeping more reliable .
modell ' s engaging their local communities gives them an advantage by targeting a large portion of their customer base ,
says evan danckwerth , an analyst with privco .
other retailers could certainly use this tactic to engage with their customer base because invoking the team aspect — or any community aspect , like schools or a religious groups — is a big advantage and
tjx has continued to grow steadily over the years , opening stores in new markets , countries , and continents , launching new chains , and acquiring other retailers , to bring its popular off - price model to an even wider network of customers who love brand name apparel and home fashions , all at amazing value . after nearly 40 years of service to the company , mr . cammarata retired from his position as chairman of the board in june 2015 and remains with tjx in an advisory role as founder and executive advisor .
americans were watching sports , as well as playing them . professional and college sports served as
two of the nation ' s most powerful community - building institutions ,
mark naison , a history professor at fordham university writes in the journal history now , because they
provided many americans with more than a much - needed escape from the hardships of their daily lives .
sports authority eventually
became an expert at selling nothing ,
edward hertzman , publisher of apparel trade publication sourcing journal , says of its generic offering .
there was no desire to shop there .
expansion went from an opportunity for growth to a liability , explains barbara kahn , the director of the baker retailing center at the university of pennsylvania ' s wharton school .
. he founded the watch making company in london where they specialized in importing hermann aegler ' s quality movements and then placing them in quality watch cases made by companies such as dennison . the duo distributed the timepieces to jewelers that added their names to the wristwatches . some of the earliest watches produced were often stamped with
w & d
on the inside of the caseback .
from the rise of the casual camper to the boutique fitness boom , it can feel like there have never been more people in the market for sports apparel . as of 2015 , sporting goods stores in the us were bringing in as much as $ 48 billion in annual revenue , according to ibisworld , up from $ 39 . 8 billion in 2012 . sports participation is up , too . according to euromonitor , participation in high school sports has increased from 25 percent to 35 percent over the last 35 years , with nearly double the number of female students playing sports as compared to the 1980s .
before there were big hollywood film studios , before there was television , and way before there was the internet , sports were one of the only means of recreation and entertainment . between the 1870s and the 1920s , sports became
perhaps the most pervasive popular cultural activity in american society ,
steven pope writes in his 1997 book patriotic games : sporting traditions in the american imagination . baseball was
the country ' s official national pastime ,
football was
growing into a national , mass spectator sport ,
and
tennis , golf , and bicycling swept through the middle class .
this period also saw the invention of basketball and the popularization of boxing .
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my monterey sofa table set features a charming rustic style with worn corners and a sheesham gray metallic finished table top .
i ' ve been in business for more than twenty six years and i ' ve developed long - lasting relationships with lots of manufacturers . i work with them to ensure my furniture is designed with you in mind , and made with quality materials like real wood .
i buy more from the manufacturers than anyone else . . . that huge buying power means that i pay less . . . and i don ' t pay for fancy brand name labels . . . i pay less so you pay less . . . simple .
my
white - glove
delivery experience is top notch from the day you schedule your delivery date to the moment my delivery folks set up your furniture .
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he says he is not dismayed if some people reach for the clicker when he appears . ' ' we all watch too much television anyway , ' ' he says . besides , there is much worse on the tube . ' ' i heard a statistic the other day that a kid by 18 has seen 18 , 000 murders on television . ' '
he also well knows that ' ' come on down , ' ' taken shamelessly from the television show ' ' the price is right , ' ' is a cliche of cliches by now . ' ' i hope no one wants to put it on my tombstone . ' '
from the new york times . you may opt - out at any time .
his first job was with radio shack in groton . he enjoyed it , he said , but something happened a few years later that was to change his life dramatically .
he was going to a meeting on his motorcycle when he noticed that the gas in one tank was almost depleted . he bent down to switch to the second tank , lost control , and crashed into a pole . his right leg was badly shattered and for a time in danger of being amputated . the leg is still partially paralyzed . he took months to recuperate and had to give up his job with radio shack .
he worked in other jobs , including a stint as a supervisor in a factory , but eventually decided to try something else . he had been sleeping on a waterbed , relatively new at the time , because it was supportive of his injured leg . so he became an entrepreneur , in waterbeds .
in a way , his good fortune extends to the accident that nearly cost him a leg . ' ' know where i ' d be if is wasn ' t for the accident ? ' ' he said . ' ' i ' d still be at radio shack . ' '
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all coverage within urltoken from the last 14 days remains free of charge . articles do not always include original photos , charts or graphics .
tjx sells the hit or miss chain to members of hit or miss management and outside investors .
tjx launches a . j . wright , an off - price concept similar to t . j . maxx and marshalls , but aimed at a different consumer demographic .
tjx launches homesense in canada , introducing the off - price home fashions concept to that country . similar to homegoods , homesense offers customers a wide selection of off - price home fashions .
marshalls celebrates 20 years with tjx , and opens its 1 , 000 th store .
1 zayre corp . was a public company that began trading on the new york stock exchange in 1962 .
a shopper at a nike underground pop - up shop . photo : rich lam / getty images
sarah hermina is , and always has been , into sports . growing up , if she wasn ' t in a soccer or basketball uniform , she was showing up to school in casual athletic wear ( not to be confused with now - ubiquitous athleisure ) she would get from sports authority .
racked has affiliate partnerships , which do not influence editorial content , though we may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links . we also occasionally accept products for research and reviewing purposes . see our ethics policy
sports apparel was really cool ,
the 23 - year - old columbia university graduate student recalls .
we wore sweats , track pants , you name it . we even had a phase where everyone was wearing these white spandex under armour shorts underneath our regular shorts . my dad was our soccer coach , and he had coach coupons to sports authority , so i loved shopping there . for training , both on and off the field , we subscribed to the idea of ‘look good , feel good , play good , ' and we were always buying things for the new season .
.
i ' m a big nike person now ,
she says .
sports authority always had older styles , and its prices are more or less the same as a nike
, so i ' m more likely to shop where i have more options from the brand .
sports authority is in liquidation mode as of this month . photo : kathryn scott osler / getty images
it was
pursuing a sale of some or all of the business .
on monday , the sports giant began auctioning off its assets . the winning bid belonged to a trio of liquidators ( hilco global , gordon brothers , and tiger capital group ; tiger capital is also
my needs evolved , but in many ways , sports authority hasn ' t .
boy scouts in the window of the original abercrombie & fitch for a recruitment drive , 1923 . photo : underwood archives / getty images
between the 1870s and the 1920s , sports became
perhaps the most pervasive popular cultural activity in american society .
growing by means of acquisition saddled these companies with debt , and lots of it . in addition to the $ 1 billion of debt sports authority has , vestis revealed in its own bankruptcy filing last month that it had as much as $ 35 million of debt and would be taking $ 125 million worth of bankruptcy financing from wells fargo in order to keep store doors open during the dealings .
the writing has been on the wall for these sports retailers for quite some time ,
says davidowitz . the landscape previously allowed struggling brands to stay afloat , but now , says nomura securities analyst simeon siegel ,
companies that managed to hold onto a lifeline , even after outliving their relevance , are accepting reality .
the current state of teen retailers demonstrates this as well .
customers line up for a sale at gart bros . , which later merged with sports authority , in 1970 . photo : bill peters / getty images
) is getting involved , eager to capitalize on a trend that shows no signs of slowing . while a typical sports authority shopper might be different from a
brands like lululemon and athleta have completely changed your mind about what you can wear when you work out and play sports ,
echoes claudia lebenthal , 52 , a self - described lifelong athlete and the writer behind the blog style of sport .
five years ago , companies like the sports authority and eastern mountain sports were in a position to capitalize on this , smith says , by either stocking up - and - coming fitness brands or creating lines of their own . instead , sports authority thought it could win the sporting goods category simply through store expansion .
sports authority eventually
became an expert at selling nothing . there was no desire to shop there .
sports authority did eventually start stocking merchandise that catered to a more casual athlete , but the damage was already done : consumers were primed to go elsewhere for design - focused activewear .
the real key to survival lies in offering shoppers something e - commerce can ' t .
smith points to companies like lululemon , athleta , and nike that have started to offer free in - store classes and trainings . these experiences help create community , something most big - box retailers are sorely lacking .
is the best way for large and impersonal corporations to connect with their customers .
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in order to expedite the construction of this website , i have decided to link some of these pages to my former geocities website that was taken down several years ago . the whole site has been archived by the nice folks at
in the address bar to return to my current home page . i offer no guarantees that all of the images or links will still work , but all the text should offer you good reading . happy trails and thanks for visiting my site !
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authorities are investigating the death of a 49 - year - old man who neighbors said was found tied up and beaten in a downtown nashua home .
many startup companies wish oracle would buy them , just as the silicon valley giant acquired millyard - based dyn in late 2016 . several organizations around the state work to nurture startup successes .
gun control advocates , and some gun rights supporters , are upset at the recommendations of school safety task force commissioned by gov . chris sununu .
just about the only area in which donald trump has acted like a traditional republican president has been judicial nominations .
when he was a moderator for rochester elections , republican state sen . jim gray noticed the political parties were not always taking advantage of their opportunity to provide what are called . . .
eastern outfitters received court approval this week for an expedited hearing to approve the plan , which will be considered april 13 . a joint venture comprised of hilco merchant resources llc and gordon brothers retail partners llc would conduct store closing sales to liquidate the 48 locations , according to a court filing .
a superior court judge has reversed a decision by the meredith zoning board of adjustment and granted a local man the needed variance to use his property for outside boat storage .
the nashua farmers market , which is now about 30 years old , is being held in a new location in downtown nashua every sunday this season : it is on main street itself between temple and pearl streets . . .
as the nation grapples with a historically low level of unemployment , trucking companies are doing what economists have said firms need to do to attract and retain workers : they ' re hiking pay . . .
if you find a qualifying lower price online , call 1 - 800 - 494 - 3708 and direct a customer service agent to the web site with the lower price .
purchase price shown is the cash wire price , and any payment method fees such as credit card fees , paypal fees , amazon fees , etc , will be added to the transaction total . prices may be higher if other payment methods are selected . some exclusions apply . see the list of designated major online retailers and full details .
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rolex sa is the leading luxury watch manufacturer in the world producing over 2 , 000 watches per day that generate sales of over $ 7 billion dollars each year . the swiss based company manufactures , services and distributes wristwatches under the rolex and tudor brand through authorized dealers . it was founded in 1905 by hans wilsdorf and alfred davis in london , england and was recently ranked 57 on the worlds most powerful brands . the original name of the company was wilsdorf and davis . in 1919 , operations were relocated to geneva , switzerland . the brand today competes with other leading luxury watch companies like patek philippe , omega , and panerai and sponsors many major sports events in tennis , golf , yachting , and racing .