3SOF

David, I do not think the market has much downside potential at this level. Compared with globalization, the current finance problem is just a blip.  Why do you change your mind at this point?? Is it because of TA or FA?

Companies use EBITDA when they are not capable of making money.

Ecost may not be a sufficient condition for stock shooting up, but it is a necessary condition.

Horrible reviews:

http://www.bizrate.com/ratings_guide/cust_reviews__mid--18045.html

What is going on at ecost?

http://www.amrresearch.com/Content/View.asp?pmillid=21126


PFSweb and Demandware Form Strategic Partership

PFSweb and Demandware have formed a strategic partnership that will let PFSweb target the enormously growing e-commerce technology market. For the deal, Demandware's software-as-a-service (SaaS) e-commerce platform will supplement PFSweb's own business process outsourcing (BPO) services, which include fulfillment and customer care. The partnership operates more like an OEM. PFSweb is integrating the technology with its existing services, bringing the whole suite to market as a bundled unit and serving as front-line support.

Targeted at organizations with less than $250M in annual online revenue, the complementary combination should give retailers a broad suite of technology and services, while providing flexibility to choose what makes sense or bring certain functions in-house when business dictates.

The opportunity for a comprehensive technology and BPO product is significant. Some 69% of retailers will replace their current e-commerce platform (for order capture, catalog and content management, pricing and promotion management, and order inquiry) by the end of 2008, a recent AMR Research study shows. At the same time, retailers are looking to outsource some of their core online business processes such as call centers and fulfillment. Call centers, an area that often doesn't exist prior to running a direct-to-consumer business, are outsourced to the tune of 36%. And 19% contract with a third-party to manage fulfillment.

This partnership, which will allow PFSweb to provide an embedded technology component to its new end-to-end ecommerce outsourcing offering, was necessary to compete with its largest competitor, GSI Commerce. GSI Commerce, unlike PFSweb, markets its own proprietary e-commerce platform which is bundled with its services. PFSweb sets itself apart by having more flexible components, increased control over merchandising and marketing functions, and the ability to move areas in house if need be.

An interesting read:

http://www.sbnonline.com/Local/Article/13760/71/0/Stepping_up.aspx

It is interesting to notice that GSIC only earns money in the 4th quarter. But the profit of this single quarter is able to truimph over the loss of all other three quarters.

I wish PFSW could do as well as GSIC in the 4th quarter.

U.S. Internet Sales Slow as Consumers Limit Spending (Update1)

By Heather Burke

Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- The growth of U.S. Internet sales slowed to 18 percent this holiday season from the year-ago period as consumers limited spending because of declining home values and higher gasoline prices.

Online spending from Nov. 1 through Dec. 14 was $22.7 billion, Reston, Virginia-based ComScore Inc. said today in a statement. Web sales in November and December may advance only 20 percent, a record low for the industry, and slower than the 26 percent gain made last year.

U.S. retailers may see the worst holiday sales growth since 2002. Customers, grappling with $3-a-gallon gasoline and the first drop in the median home price since the Great Depression, have reduced purchases. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys ``R'' Us Inc. offered discounts of 50 percent or more and free shipping on Web purchases to attract shoppers.

``Many consumers across all income segments are either feeling the pinch this holiday season or are lacking the confidence to spend at the rate they had in the past,'' ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in the statement.

Web sales have increased 17 percent since Nov. 1 among those earning $50,000 to $100,000 and 28 percent among consumers with incomes of more than $100,000, according to an analysis by ComScore. Consumers earning less than $50,000 have spent 10 percent more on online shopping than in 2006, dragging down overall results, ComScore said.

`Green Monday'

U.S. retailers' shares have dropped during the holiday season, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Retailing Index falling 11 percent since the start of November, compared with a 5.3 percent decline on the S&P 500.

Amazon.com Inc., the world's largest online retailer, fell $3.32, or 3.6 percent, to $89.08 on Dec. 14 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. EBay Inc., the largest global auctioneer, dropped $1.39, or 4.1 percent, to $32.70.

A record $881 million was spent Dec. 10, known as ``Green Monday,'' and was the heaviest Web spending day on record, ComScore said. The remainder of the week saw more ``modest spending,'' Fulgoni said in the statement.

Running Late

Toys ``R'' Us, the biggest U.S. toy chain, was offering free shipping on select orders of $49.99 or more through tomorrow. The Wayne, New Jersey-based retailer was also advertising $20 off of toy purchases of $100 or more through EBay's PayPal.

Macy's Inc., the second-largest U.S. department-store chain, is offering free shipping through tomorrow on purchases of $99 or more on select items. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, on Dec. 14 was offering 97-cent-shipping on a $578 Toshiba laptop computer and a $243.34 Garmin GPS system.

In-store sales fell 2.7 percent in the seven days through Dec. 8, following a 4.4 percent decline a week earlier, Chicago- based research firm ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said LAST week. About 12 percent fewer shoppers visited stores last week, compared with the same period a year ago, ShopperTrak said.

Consumers are completing their holiday shopping later than usual, and they're trimming purchases because of higher food and energy costs. The National Retail Federation in Washington forecast a 4 percent increase in holiday sales this year, the smallest since 2002.

Toys ``R'' Us sales did well the weekend after Thanksgiving, and have been ``erratic'' since, Chief Executive Officer Gerald Storch said in a Dec. 13 interview. Sales on Dec. 22, the Saturday before Christmas may rival Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, Storch said.

``We're being more aggressive with promotions but we're not discounting closer to the cost of the product than we did in past years,'' said Storch. ``We have a very aggressive promotional schedule between now and Christmas.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Heather Burke in New York at [email protected] .

Last Updated: December 16, 2007 14:55 EST

http://www.bizrate.com/ratings_guide/cust_reviews__mid--18045.html

Ecost starts to respond to reviews on bizrate, that is interesting.

David, do you know why OSTK went up a lot recently? Thanks.

International version of ecost. (Canada and Europe)

Haha, David, you will be able to buy from ecost next year.

The alleged retailer: tractor supply company.


New (PFSW provided?) site:
http://beta07.tractorsupply.com

From Yahoo msg board:

one thing I found very encouraging is the continued drop in customer acquisition cost for ecost. It was now at $7.08 per customer at Q3 vs. $9.76 at Q2. They are being very selective about their customers and this showed in the improved EBITDA.


I like it very much!

Quote

I thought you didn't own the stock. Triple applaud for your contribution to this thread hyhl.

That is my style. After I buy some shares of a stock, I will try to dig out all bad aspects of the company. I sit tight, but I prepare for the worst.

David. I still think avoiding (big) loss is more important. We always have chance to earn money in the stock market.

Quote from: David Randolph on November 13, 2007, 12:23:42 PM
An interesting chart and idea: