Buckle (store)

The Buckle, Inc. (nyse|BKE) is an upscale retailer selling apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women. [www.myspace.com/buckledotcom Buckle on MySpace]

Infobox Company
name = The Buckle, Inc.
Also Known As = Brass Buckle / The Buckle / Buckle
company_
type = Public (Nyse|BKE)
foundation = 1948
location_city = Kearney, Nebraska
locations = Over 370 Store Locations in 39 States
key_people = Daniel Hirschfeld,
Founder and Chairman
Dennis Nelson,
President and CEO
area_served = Domestic
industry = Retail
products = Apparel, footwear, accessories
services = Clothing Retail, Free Alterations, Easy Layaway, Free Gift Wrap (physical store)
revenue =
operating_income =
net_sales = $619,888,000USD (2007)http://www.buckle.com/static/pdf/2007_annual_report.pdf]
num_employees = Called "Teammates" 6,700(2007)
slogan = "Live Aloud."
homepage = [http://www.buckle.com/ www.buckle.com]
footnotes =

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".

Buckle Leadership

* Dan Hirschfeld has been with the company since 1965 and leads the company as Chairman of the Board.

~ 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 28 years.

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

BKE Jeans are made in Mexico.

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 [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=BKE Buckle on NYSEe]

Merchandise

Buckle markets a wide selection of brand names and private label casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, fashion tops, sportswear, outerwear, Fashion accessory|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, Reebok Freestyle|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.

ervice

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. Most stores are located in upscale malls across the country and have an online store at buckle.com. Buckle carries limited designs by Ed Hardy and many brands such as Diesel and Converse. [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=BKE Buckle on NYS]

creen Printing Service

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

References

External links

* [http://www.buckle.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=BKE Buckle on NYSE]
* [http://www.buckle.com/product/product.jsp?N=145 Buckle Private Label BKE]
* [https://storefront.kenexa.com/buckle/cc/Home.ss/ Apply for a Job]
* [http://www.buckle.com/stores/all.jsp Store locations]
* [https://www.buckle.com/cheetah/join.jsp Join Buckle Email List]
* [http://www.buckle.com/static/bscene/b_scene.html Buckle Lifestyle Content]
* [http://www.myspace.com/buckledotcom Buckle on MySpace]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/BuckleVideos Buckle on YouTube]

Citing Sources

[Buckle 2007 Annual Report]
[Buckle Corporate Website, www.buckle.com]
[Buckle Corporate Office, Lydia Pierson]