Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) has added 25 new stores in 2009 and intends to open 32 to 34 new stores for the full year as its growth plans remain intact despite the difficult economic environment.

If retail has been struggling, you couldn't tell from Urban Outfitters third quarter results. The company reported on Nov 12 that it saw record earnings for the quarter ending Oct 31, 2009. Earnings per share were 36 cents, or 1 cent better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Net sales rose 6% over the year ago period to $506 million.

Comparable store sales rose at all three of its segments. Anthropologie climbed 3%, Free People increased 13% and Urban Outfitters grew 5%. The Wholesale segment net sales declined 10% while direct-to-consumer net sales rose 21%.

Urban Outfitters has successfully been cutting inventories which has boosted the bottom line. Inventories decreased by 8%, or $18 million,

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For Immediate Release

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Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) is planning to enter India within two years. The company has not yet finalized the sites for setting up a local unit. However, Nikkei, the Japanese business daily, reported that the company had already begun picking cafe sites.

Starbucks, like many other U.S. restaurant companies, has been facing the brunt of the current economic turmoil. With prices of milk and coffee beans now subdued, another concern affecting the company is the drift in consumer discretionary spending, which may lead to lower sales at the company’s specialty coffeehouses, and drive consumers to competitors such as McDonald's (MCD), which began offering premium coffee in 2006 at a lower price.

Another concern for Starbucks is its own dominance in core U.S. markets, where the company is experiencing competition from its existing locations. The company is now resorting to closure of underperforming locations. The company plans to close 560 U.S. restaurants

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Despite the recessionary environment, demand for specialty coffee has been rising. According to the data provided by the National Coffee Association's (NCA) 2009 National Coffee Drinking Trends market research survey, coffee consumption has remained steady at 59% so far in 2009, and the NCA also stated that the at home consumption has hit the highest levels in 2009 since 2003 increasing by 5%.

Further, Andrew Hetzel, President and Founder of Cafemakers, states that, a smaller-sized coffee with strong flavors provides more satisfaction to the consumer and therefore customers are also willing to pay more. Customers choose specialty coffee brands based on the total value proposition that includes quality, variety, convenience, and price. Therefore, companies such as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET), Kraft Foods (KFT), Sara Lee (SLE)

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Highlights include McDonald's Corporation (MCD), Burger King Holdings Inc (BKC), Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN), Jack in the Box Inc (JACK), CKE Restaurants Inc (CKR) and Yum! Brands Inc (YUM).MCD: April Sales Take Bite Out of Competitors' LunchIt appears that McDonald's Corporation (MCD) is not only taking share from casual dining restaurants, it's taking share from its fast-food competitors as well.McDonald's announced today that global same-restaurant sales jumped 6.9% in April, with strength in all territories. Comps surged 6.1% in the U.S., 8.4% in Europe and 6.5% in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.Although McDonald's quick service competitors -- including Burger King Holdings Inc (BKC), Wendy's/Arby's Group (WEN), Jack in the Box Inc (JACK) and CKE Restaurants Inc (CKR) -- haven't announced April sales yet, recent results suggested they were losing share, with comps ...

Earlier today, Starbucks Corporation's (SBUX) Chief Financial Officer announced the company will not meet estimates for its 1st quarter of fiscal 2009 earnings results (ending December), as same-store sales have declined 9% since the credit crisis his the U.S. economy hard this quarter. The Zacks consensus estimate for the quarter had been 20 cents per share, with 3 downward revisions in the past month. In fact, almost none of the estimate revisions have gone up over the past 30 days, and as many as 7 analysts expected a worse fiscal 2009 -- even before today's announcement. According to this morning's AP report, "[CEO Howard] Schultz had told analysts that the company would emerge from an environment in which consumers are no longer as willing to spend on small luxuries like $4 lattes as a stronger, leaner and more socially conscious company." The market has ...

A glance at the most recent balance sheet for Starbucks (SBUX) reveals a company with virtually no debt offsetting its $5 billion in assets and $21 billion market valuation. That, however, is now old news. Today the company disclosed a large debt offering in an SEC 8K Filing: