Coldwater Creek's (Nasdaq: CWTR) share price plunged into the icy depths today, after it revealed a shocking piece of news for its shareholders.
The retailer now expects a third-quarter loss of $0.14 to $0.19 per share, when it previously guided for earnings of $0.01 to $0.04. Even worse, revenue has been off badly; third-quarter same-store sales are expected to plunge by a nauseating 18% to 21% compared to the third quarter of last year.
Coldwater Creek's press release offered up a "mea culpa" for a fall lineup that didn't resonate with shoppers, forcing the company to change up its merchandise and offer promotions to clear out the inventory ahead of the fast-approaching holiday season.
Still, Coldwater and its ilk could face a problem far larger than one quarter's worth of merchandise misfires: the so-called "boomer bust." The baby boomer demographic now faces serious financial challenges, which means that retailers catering to Boomer women have an uphill battle ahead. Such stocks include Boomer-oriented retailers like Talbots (NYSE: TLB), Chico's (NYSE: CHS), and Liz Claiborne (NYSE: LIZ). You could also include Boomer-oriented consumer brands such as Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) on the danger list.
Coldwater Creek should be included in this risky grouping, since it targets an older customer demographic; it strives to appeal to female shoppers 35 years and older. The youngest baby boomers are 46 years old.
Investors should seek safer havens by focusing on more generalized retailers such as Target (NYSE: TGT), or consumer-products companies that cross generational lines like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). It's not impossible for a company that has historically catered to the baby boomer demographic to reach out to other age groups, but suffice it to say it's no easy task.
Even with more than a 30% plunge in share price today, Coldwater Creek shares probably aren't a bargain, given the uphill battle facing both the company and its target demographic.
What do you think of Coldwater's chilly news? Is this a company-specific fashion issue that can be quickly addressed, or a foreboding sign for many retailers, especially boomer-centric ones? Sound off in the comment box below.
