Research and Markets: This 2009 Department & Variety Stores - Business Ratio Report Focuses on the Leading 60 Companies Operating as Department and Variety Stores

DUBLIN--(Business Wire)--
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1e86c2/department_varie) has
announced the addition of the "Department & Variety Stores - Business Ratio
Report" report to their offering.

This Business Ratio Report compares the financial performance of the leading
players in this Industry sector, offering a quick and cost-effective competitor
analysis tool for senior management.

Ratios are an invaluable tool for comparing the performance of companies on a
like-for-like basis. Using ratios, the relative profitability, growth or debt
levels, for example, of differently sized companies can be directly measured or
compared with ease. Your Business Ratio Report focuses on the performance of key
players in the industry it examines. Having closely analysed the sector, our
editors and analysts have compiled the largest companies, so you don't have to.
A Business Ratio report is, in effect, a complete financial reference for the
sector.

What can the report be used for?
A business ratio report can be used to assess trading and financial information
on:
The Company:
Size
Structure
Performance

The Industry:
Structure
Major companies
Performance

What you can look for when reading your Business Ratio Report:

Trends
The results given in a Business Ratio report generally cover at least the
previous three full accounting years, therefore any fluctuations in any area can
be easily pinpointed.

Benchmarks
The average results for each ratio together with the industry profile of the
average company in the sector can both be used as benchmarks to compare
individual company performance.

Size
All the major companies in the sector are ranked on the basis of sales, profits,
total assets and employee numbers (PERFORMANCE LEAGUE TABLES - Section 4). The
largest and smallest of the key players can be easily identified, while the
relative size of any company can be assessed.

Growth
The average annual growth of each company's sales, profits, total assets and
number of employees over the three-year period being analysed is calculated and
ranked (Performance League Tables - Section 4). This key information highlights
strong and weak performers, which companies are expanding or losing market
share, increasing or decreasing asset investment, or taking on or shedding
employees. The industry results are also given for comparison purposes.

This information is perfect for all kinds of planning and decision-making
including:

Competitor Analysis
The depth of financial analysis provided on each company in each report offers
you a comprehensive insight into the performance of individual businesses over
recent years. The performance ratios let you easily identify the financial
strengths and weaknesses of competitors in terms of profitability, liquidity,
gearing, efficiency and employee performance.

Simple Benchmarking
A Business Ratio Report is ideal for benchmarking your own company's
performance. You can choose to benchmark your company against a major
competitor, or assess the overall industry average performance. And you can
focus on the criteria that are important to your business, such as
profitability, employee performance or sales growth. Setting realistic
performance targets becomes easier for you; with Business Ratio Reports, you
will know that they are based on solid facts about your industry.

Tracking Performance Trends
With at least three years of financial data for each company and the entire
industry you can identify performance trends instantly.

Identifying Acquisition Targets
Business Ratio Reports make it simple for you to identify potential
acquisitions. You can easily find companies fitting your criteria using the
Performance League Tables.

A Business Ratio Report takes the hard work out of financial performance
analysis. You are left free to focus on using the vital information it imparts
to drive your business forward.

This summary brings you a sample of key details from this invaluable report. The
report itself includes many further analyses of the performance of individual
companies and the industry as a whole.

The report provides in-depth financial analysis on these companies in these 4
clear sections:

* Performance League Tables
* Individual Company Profiles
* Industry Overview
* Industry Averages

This Business Ratio Report focuses on the leading 60 companies operating as
Department and Variety Stores.

The Report analyses company and industry performance over the three years up to
7th March 2008. During this period, the average company experienced a 16.1
percent increase in turnover, with sales rising from £580.6 million in 2005/06
to £624.2 million in the middle analysis year, before peaking at £674.3 million
in 2007/08. Pre-tax profits rose from £42.5 million in 2005/06 to £58.6 million
in 2007/08.

Key Topics Covered:

- Industry Overview
A clear, concise commentary gives you an overview of the industry's financial
performance. Graphs and tables make it easy for you to spot performance trends.

- Company Profiles
This part of the report provides information on all the companies included in
the analysis. To make comparison between companies easier, the information is
presented in a standard format for each:

Contact Information:
Trading address
Telephone & Fax numbers
Company secretary & directors names

Company Structure:
What the company does
Who owns the company
Which are the major subsidiaries

Accounting/Financial Data:
Profit & Loss accounts for the previous 3 or 4 years
Balance sheet for the previous 3 or 4 years

Performance Analysis:
Financial ratios grouped according to profitability, efficiency, debt, employee
performance and growth.

League Table Positions:
How the company performs relative to all the others in the sector

- Performance League Tables
This section ranks companies on a full range of financial ratios. All the tables
are listed in order of 'best' to 'worst' results to help you gauge which are the
strongest companies on any criteria. In addition, each table brings you the
ratio result for the sector as a whole, so you have a benchmark 'average' for
comparison purposes.

- Industry Profile
The Industry Profile lists basic Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet data for the
'average' company in the sector. This can then be used as a benchmark for
comparison with individual company profiles in the report.

Companies Mentioned:

* Allders (Croydon) Ltd
* Betty (Holt) Ltd
* Blands Of Wembley Ltd
* W.Boyes & Co., Ltd
* W.P.Brown Ltd
* Cameron Retail Frnshngs. (NI) Ltd
* W.J.Daniel & Co. Ltd
* Debenhams Retail PLC
* Dickens Ltd
* Dunnes Stores (Bangor) Ltd
* Elys (Wimbledon) PLC
* Fenwick, Ltd
* Goulds (Dorchester) Ltd
* Harrods Ltd
* Harvey Nichols & Co. Ltd
* John Lewis PLC
* Laura Ashley Ltd
* Marks & Spencer PLC
* Morleys Stores Ltd
* Next PLC
* Primark Stores Ltd
* Selfridges Retail Ltd
* Smith Bros Of Tooting Ltd
* Ted Retail Ltd
* TJX UK
* Tudor Williams (Holdings) Ltd
* Ulster Stores Ltd
* Watt Bros (Glsgw. & Ednbrgh.) Ltd
* WH Smith PLC
* H.E.Williams & Co., Ltd

For more information visit
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1e86c2/department_varie

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager,
press@researchandmarkets.com
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Copyright Business Wire 2009