Professional Documents
Culture Documents
, 2005
BAM 479
1/30/07
Liz Claiborne Inc., 2
Mission Statement
Liz Claiborne does not have a companywide mission statement in place. From company
information, a mission statement for Liz Claiborne may read as follows:
Liz Claiborne is an international company (markets) committed to designing and manufacturing
the best apparel and accessories (products) for the fashionable person (customer), from a diverse
portfolio of brands. (selfconcept) We believe wholeheartedly in ethical and uplifting working
condition (employees & philosophy) and charitable giving through the Liz Claiborne Foundation.
(public image) We use the latest in design and fashion technology to create to stay on top of the
fashion world. (selfconcept) Through diversification and acquisitions we will remain the top
fashion company in the world. (growth)
Case Statement
Liz Claiborne Inc.’s major challenge is to remain profitable and growing, while they face aspects
of globalization, brand performance, and strong competition.
Critical Milestones
1976 Liz Claiborne Incorporated, New York City
Mid1976 Establishes Hong Kong Production Control Office
1981 Liz Claiborne Incorporated goes Public
1985 Men’s Clothing Introduced
1986 Cosmetics Introduced with Avon Joint Venture
Late 1980s Introduced Women’s Plus Sizes, Knit Sportswear, and HigherPriced
Sportswear
1990s Acquired Crazy Horse, Russ Togs, Villager, Red Horse, Podell Industries,
Segrets, and Lucky Brand Dungarees
2000 Acquired Fashion Jeweler Monet and Licensed Liz Claiborne Kids
2000s Acquired Mexx Group, Ellen Tracy, Travis Jeans, and Enyce Holdings
Liz Claiborne Inc., 3
Trend Statement
Liz Claiborne Incorporated’s growth can be attributed to its international manufacturing presence,
product diversification, and acquiring of established brands.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 4
Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix
Weight Rating Weighted Score
Strengths
1. Strong Fashions .21 4 .84
2. Strong Brand Recognition .15 4 .60
3. Almost all brands have a niche focus .08 3 .24
4. Decentralized Management .06 3 .18
5. Diverse Brand Portfolio .03 3 .09
Weaknesses
1. No Mission Statement .18 1 .18
2. No Vision Statement .16 1 .16
3. Brand Cannibalization .05 2 .10
4. Lack of Focus .04 2 .08
5. Lack of Brand Idea Sharing .04 2 .08
1.00 2.55
Explanations if Needed
Strengths
1. Strong Fashions – Within any fashion company, the right fashion styles is key to their
success.
2. Strong Brand Recognition
3. Almost all brands have a niche focus – Almost all brand units with Liz Claiborne focus their
efforts in one niche market to minimize brand cannibalization.
4. Decentralized Management – Liz Claiborne is able to make decision extremely fast.
Business units make their own decisions.
5. Diverse Brand Portfolio
Weaknesses
1. No Mission Statement – Liz Claiborne has no companywide mission.
2. No Vision Statement – Liz Claiborne has no companywide vision.
3. Brand Cannibalization Each brand taking away sales from one another.
4. Lack of Focus – Liz Claiborne as a company is not focused on one particular area of the
fashion apparel market.
5. Lack of Brand Idea Sharing – Business units with Liz Claiborne are slow to share ideas.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 5
Liz Claiborne seems to be doing fine with respect to its internal strengths and weaknesses.
Key areas that need to be addressed are the lack of a mission and vision statement.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 6
External Factor Evaluation Matrix
Threats
1. Competitors .15 3 .45
2. Lose Fashion Edge .12 3 .36
3. Politics/ Trade Agreements of Countries .10 4 .40
4. International Economies .08 3 .24
5. Brand Cannibalization .05 2 .10
1.00 3.11
Explanations if Needed
Opportunities
1. Expand into Emerging Economies
2. Enter New Product Markets
3. Acquire More Companies
4. Ecommerce Sales – Increase Liz Claiborne’s online ecommerce presence.
5. Expand Standalone Stores – Add new stores for Liz Claiborne’s existing brands that have
stores and those that do not.
Threats
1. Competitors
2. Lose Fashion Edge – Since fashion is the key to a fashion business, there are always the
threats that Liz Claiborne will lose its fashion edge.
3. Politics/ Trade Agreements of Countries – Changes in the world economy and politics
could hamper Liz Claiborne’s company strategies. E.g. tariffs, quotas, wars, embargos, etc.
4. International Economies – Liz Claiborne’s international presence could stumbled with the
economies of those particular regions that they are involved in.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 7
5. Brand Cannibalization – Individual business units could take sales away from one another.
Liz Claiborne is doing well over in their external environment. There a few areas that need to
be addressed such as the threat of brand cannibalization within all of the brands that they
own, and the lack of a true ecommerce presence that is rich in profits.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 8
Financial Analysis
Financial Ratios *Using 2005 Data
LIZ Industry (RMA, SIC 2331, 2335, 2337)
For every dollar of current debt or liability, Liz Claiborne has $2.37 of current assets to pay for
that debt. This number is above the industry average of 1.7, which indicates that Liz Claiborne
is doing a great job of managing its assets.
For every dollar of current debt or liability, Liz Claiborne has $1.52 of current assets without its
inventory to pay for that debt. This number is above the industry averages of .9, which
indicates that Liz Claiborne is doing a great job of managing its very liquid assets.
DebttoAssets .18
For every dollar of assets, Liz Claiborne has $.18 of debt issued.
For every dollar of equity, Liz Claiborne has $.30 of debt issued.
LongTerm DebttoEquity .27
For every dollar of equity, Liz Claiborne has $.27 of longterm debt issued. In comparison to
the previous ratio, the majority of debt issued to Liz Claiborne is in the form of longterm debt.
For every dollar of interested that Liz Claiborne is liable for, there is $15.64 of profit to pay for
the interest. Compared to the industry average of 5.7, Liz Claiborne is excelling in this area by
a wide margin. This could be in part from the extensive use of longterm debt (lower interest
Liz Claiborne Inc., 9
rates) compared to shortterm debt.
For every dollar in inventory, Liz Claiborne generates $8.56 in sales. Compared to the
industry average of 7.6, Liz Claiborne is slightly above average indicating a good inventory
turnaround.
For every dollar of fixed assets, Liz Claiborne is able to generate $4.48 in sales. The industry
numbers seem to be skewed, or fixed asset turnover numbers weren’t placed in the proper
place in this document. If the industry numbers are correct then Liz Claiborne’s $4.48 is far
below the industry average of 94.5.
For every dollar of assets, Liz Claiborne is able to generate $1.53 in sales. The industry
average is 3.8 which is far greater that Liz Claiborne. Compared to the previous ratio, Liz
Claiborne must have a much greater amount of cash, inventory and nonfixed assets.
Capital Intensity Ratio .65
Liz Claiborne needs $.65 of assets to generate a dollar in sales. This number indicates that
Liz Claiborne is not growing as fast as a startup, and that the industry is not capital intensive.
Gross Profit Margin 46.25%
For every dollar of sales, 46.25% of the sale goes into Liz Claiborne’s gross profit.
Net Profit Margin 6.77%
For every dollar of sales, 6.77% of the sale goes into Liz Claiborne’s net profit, profits after
taxes and interest.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 10
For every dollar of assets, Liz Claiborne is able to generate $.10 of net income. The industry
numbers seem to be skewed, or return on total assets numbers weren’t placed in the proper
place in this document. If the industry numbers are correct then Liz Claiborne is far below the
industry average of 10 and this needs to be addressed.
For every dollar of equity, Liz Claiborne is able to generate $.17 of net income. The industry
numbers seem to be skewed, or return on stockholders’ equity numbers weren’t placed in the
proper place in this document. If the industry numbers are correct then Liz Claiborne is far
below the industry average of 16.9 and this needs to be addressed.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 11
Vertical Analysis (Income Statement)
In Millions of USD (except for
per share items)
Net Income per Commom
Share:
Basic $2.90 $2.60 $2.19
Diluted $2.85 $2.55 $2.16
Dividends Paid per Common
Share $0.23 $0.23 $0.23
Liz Claiborne is doing a great job of increasing net income and decreasing cost of goods sold
even as they have grown through acquisitions recently. Nothing seems too concerning for Liz
Claiborne through this analysis.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 12
Vertical Analysis (Balance Sheet)
In Millions of USD (except for
per share items)
Liabilities and Stockholders'
Equity
Current Liabilities:
Accounts Payable 259.96 8.58% 227.12 8.71% 225.03 9.92%
Accrued Expenses 288.49 9.52% 236.13 9.06% 283.46 12.50%
Notes Payable/Short Term
Debt 56.12 1.85% 18.91 0.73% 21.99 0.97%
Other Current liabilities, Total 33.03 1.09% 29.32 1.12% 26.24 1.16%
Total Current Liabilities 637.6 21.04% 511.49 19.62% 556.72 24.54%
Long Term Debt 476.57 15.73% 440.3 16.89% 377.73 16.65%
Capital Lease Obligations 7.95 0.26% n/a n/a
Total Long Term Debt 484.52 15.99% 440.3 16.89% 377.73 16.65%
Total Debt 540.63 17.84% 459.22 17.61% 399.71 17.62%
Deferred Income Tax 49.49 1.63% 43.86 1.68% 33.71 1.49%
Minority Interest 13.52 0.45% 9.85 0.38% 7.43 0.33%
Other Liabilities, Total 32.84 1.08% 23.53 0.90% 6.41 0.28%
Total Liabilities 1,217.96 40.20% 1,029.03 39.47% 982 43.29%
Stockholders' Equity:
Common Stock, Total 176.44 5.82% 176.44 6.77% 176.44 7.78%
Additional PaidIn Capital 176.18 5.82% 124.82 4.79% 95.71 4.22%
Retained Earnings
(Accumulated Deficit) 2,828.97 93.37% 2,539.74 97.42% 2,283.69 100.68%
Treasury Stock Common 1,269.36 41.90% 1,191.23 45.69% 1,230.97 54.27%
Other Equity, Total 100.44 3.32% 71.8 2.75% 38.5 1.70%
Total Equity 1,811.79 59.80% 1,577.97 60.53% 1,286.36 56.71%
Liz Claiborne Inc., 13
Total Liabilities &
Shareholders' Equity 3,029.75 100.00% 2,607.00 100.00% 2,268.36 100.00%
Liz Claiborne Inc., 14
Horizontal Analysis (Income Statement)
In Millions of USD (except for per share
items)
% %
1/1/05 change 1/3/04 change 12/28/02
Net Sales 4,632.83 9.24% 4,241.11 14.09% 3,717.50
Cost of Goods Sold 2,490.27 5.91% 2,351.32 12.08% 2,097.87
Gross Profit 2,142.56 13.38% 1,889.79 16.68% 1,619.63
Selling/General/Admin. Expenses, Total 1,630.12 14.82% 1,419.67 16.12% 1,222.62
Unusual Expense (Income) 9.69 n/a 0.67 n/a 7.13
Total Operating Expense 4,130.08 9.54% 3,770.32 13.30% 3,327.61
Operating Income 502.75 6.79% 470.79 20.75% 389.89
Interest Income(Expense), Net Non
Operating 32.15 5.38% 30.51 21.46% 25.12
Other, Net 9.6 1.89 2.32
Income Before Tax 480.2 9.54% 438.39 20.95% 362.45
Provision for Income Tax 166.63 5.00% 158.7 20.88% 131.29
Net Income 313.57 12.11% 279.69 20.99% 231.16
Net Income per Commom Share:
Basic $2.90 11.54% $2.60 18.72% $2.19
Diluted $2.85 11.76% $2.55 18.06% $2.16
Dividends Paid per Common Share $0.23 0.00% $0.23 0.00% $0.23
Liz Claiborne seems to be doing a great job of managing their growth while increasing net
income as a greater percentage over cost of goods sold.
Liz Claiborne Inc., 15
Horizontal Analysis (Balance Sheet)
In Millions of USD (except for per share
items)
1/1/05 % change 1/3/04 % change 12/28/02
Assets
Current Assets:
Cash & Equivalents 385.64 31.39% 293.5 38.73% 211.56
Short Term Investments 7.8 84.53% 50.41 36.95% 36.81
Accounts Receivable 432.06 10.56% 390.8 5.49% 370.47
Total Inventory 541.14 11.53% 485.18 5.21% 461.15
Other Current Assets, Total 142.5 10.89% 128.5 34.95% 95.22
Total Current Assets 1,509.14 11.92% 1,348.40 14.74% 1,175.21
Property/Plant/Equipment, Total
Gross 1,034.46 15.39% 896.52 10.39% 812.15
Goodwill, Net 755.65 26.69% 596.44 24.55% 478.87
Intangibles, Net 280.99 15.08% 244.17 7.76% 226.58
Other Long Term Assets, Total 9.4 29.66% 7.25 22.87% 9.4
Total Assets 3,029.75 16.22% 2,607.00 14.93% 2,268.36
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Current Liabilities:
Accounts Payable 259.96 14.46% 227.12 0.93% 225.03
Accrued Expenses 288.49 22.17% 236.13 16.70% 283.46
Notes Payable/Short Term Debt 56.12 196.77% 18.91 14.01% 21.99
Other Current liabilities, Total 33.03 12.65% 29.32 11.74% 26.24
Total Current Liabilities 637.6 24.66% 511.49 8.12% 556.72
Long Term Debt 476.57 8.24% 440.3 16.56% 377.73
Capital Lease Obligations 7.95 n/a n/a
Total Long Term Debt 484.52 10.04% 440.3 16.56% 377.73
Total Debt 540.63 17.73% 459.22 14.89% 399.71
Deferred Income Tax 49.49 12.84% 43.86 30.11% 33.71
Minority Interest 13.52 37.26% 9.85 32.57% 7.43
Other Liabilities, Total 32.84 39.57% 23.53 267.08% 6.41
Total Liabilities 1,217.96 18.36% 1,029.03 4.79% 982
Stockholders' Equity:
Common Stock, Total 176.44 0.00% 176.44 0.00% 176.44
Additional PaidIn Capital 176.18 41.15% 124.82 30.41% 95.71
Retained Earnings (Accumulated
Deficit) 2,828.97 11.39% 2,539.74 11.21% 2,283.69
Treasury Stock Common 1,269.36 6.56% 1,191.23 3.23% 1,230.97
Other Equity, Total 100.44 39.89% 71.8 86.49% 38.5
Total Equity 1,811.79 14.82% 1,577.97 22.67% 1,286.36
Total Liabilities & Shareholders'
Equity 3,029.75 16.22% 2,607.00 14.93% 2,268.36
Liz Claiborne Inc., 16
Sources Cited
Liz Claiborne Inc. Corporate Website (http://www.lizclaiborneinc.com)
Strategic Management, Concepts and Cases, p. 112123
Google Financial, LIZ (http://finance.google.com/finance?q=LIZ)