Whats driving the switch to “Sports, Outdoor & More”?
DANIELS: Since 1998, our big increase in activity has been in the footwear and apparel part of the business and it’s now 38 to 40 percent of our mix. At the same time, automotive started declining as a percentage of our sales. People quit working on their cars. It became too technical, and they’d have it done for them. Sporting goods is still 45 percent, and automotive has shrunk down to 14 or 15 percent of our business. OB: What key initiatives have you put in place since the management buyout? DANIELS: The key initiatives were to make our stores a more pleasant place to shop, improve our visual presentation at the store level, continue to upgrade the brands that we sell, and continue to add service at the store level. We wanted the customer to really count on G.I. Joe’s for more than they had in the past [regarding] brand quality and presentation. OB: Can you elaborate on the merchandise upgrades? DANIELS: We have added brands like The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Dakine an
