Buckle (store)

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The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE: BKE) is a retailer of medium- to high-priced casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women.

The Buckle, Inc.
Type Public (NYSE: BKE)
Founded 1948
Headquarters Kearney, Nebraska
No. of locations Over 370 Store Locations in 39 States
Area served Domestic
Key people Daniel Hirschfeld,
Founder and Chairman
Dennis Nelson,
President and CEO
Industry Retail
Products Apparel, footwear, accessories
Services Clothing Retail, Free Alterations, Easy Layaway, Free Gift Wrap (physical store)
Employees Called "Teammates" 6,700(2007)[1]
Website www.buckle.com


Contents

[edit] History

Buckle began as a men's clothing store in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska. The first store was founded by David Hirschfeld and operated under the name "Mills Clothing". His son Dan took over the operations in 1965 and has been a leader in the company since. In 1967 a second store was purchased and operated under the name "Brass Buckle". At that point the company began selling more casual men's clothing and by the early 1970's Brass Buckle had developed into a denim based store. In 1977 the company introduced women's apparel and has since evolved into the store you shop today. Brass Buckle changed its' name in 1991 to The Buckle and in 1992 the company went public on the NASDAQ and traded as BKLE. In 1997 The Buckle moved to the New York Stock Exchange where it now trades under the symbol BKE.

Buckle Mission Statement: "to create the most enjoyable shopping experience possible for our guests".

[edit] Buckle Leadership

~ Dennis Nelson is the President and Chief Executive Officer and has been with the company for over 30 years. He began as a part-time salesman while he was a college student and continued full time after graduation.

~ Executive Vice President, Jim Shada has been with the company 25 years.

~ Kari Smith, Vice-President of Sales, has been with the company for 25 years.

[edit] 2007 Highlights

~ Opened 20 new stores and completed 7 remodels; closed 1 store in February 2007 and 1 store in January 2008 to end the fiscal year with 368 stores in 38 states

~ Achieved average sales per store of $1.67 million, up from $1.49 million in fiscal 2006

~ Average sales per square foot were $335, up from $302 in fiscal 2006

~ Total denim sales increased for the eighth consecutive year, with the category representing approximately 43% of fiscal 2007 net sales

~ Gross margin improved as a percentage of net sales for the fifth consecutive year, rising to 41.1% from 39.1% in fiscal 2006

~ Average transaction value increased 3.5% to $82.00 and average price point increased 2.5% to $41.30

[edit] Merchandise

Buckle markets a wide selection of brand names and private label casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, fashion tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories and footwear.

Men and Women's Brands: BKE Jeans, Big Star Jeans, Blue 2 Jeans, Guess?, !It Jeans, Lucky Brand Jeans, MEK Denim, Miss Me, B.B. Dakota, Blue Tattoo Jeans, Freestyle, Gossip, Local Motion, See Thru Soul Jeans, Yanuk Jeans, Zoo York, 7 Diamonds, Truth T-shirts, Manchester Escapes, Silver Jeans, Roxy, BC Footwear, Bullboxer, Dr. Martens, Billabong, Mia Shoes, O'Neill Swimwear, Hurley Clothing, Obey Clothing, Fossil Watches, Rocket Dog Shoes, Rampage Swimwear, Report Shoes, Puma Shoes, Steve Madden Shoes, Yellow Box Shoes, Raisins Swimwear, Reef Shoes, Becca Swimsuits, Sinful Clothing, Jedidiah Clothing, Volcom Clothing, Flojos, Sanuk Shoes, Filter Clothing, Naughty Monkey, Affliction Clothing, Mavi Jeans, Von Zipper, Ed Hardy, Archaic Clothing, DC Shoes, Division E, Marc Ecko, Pop Icon T Shirts, Projek Raw, RVCA, RZST, Converse Shoes, Paper Denim & Cloth, K-Swiss Shoes, Bed Stu, Bullboxer Shoes, Diesel Shoes, English Laundry Shirts, Kenneth Cole Watches, Roar Shirts, Zoo York Clothing, 7 Diamonds Shirts, Xtreme Couture, ReClaim, and Five Four Jeans.

[edit] Service

The Company emphasizes personalized attention to its guests (customers) and provides individual customer services such as free alterations, free gift–wrapping, layaways and a frequent shopper program.

[edit] Screen Printing Service

Buckle Screen printing is a full-service solution offering a selection of promotional merchandise to outside athletic teams, organizations, clubs and individuals.

[edit] External links

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[edit] Citing Sources

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