Tiger Group COO warns tween and teen retailers vulnerable

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Mar 21, 2016

In a recent article, COO of Tiger Capital Group and veteran retail liquidation and asset appraisal executive, Michael McGrail, warns asset-base lenders to monitor sales and assortment turnover rates of tween and teen apparel retailers.

 
In the article, published online at ABL Advisor, titled "Out of Fashion: The Trouble with Tweens and Teens” McGrail suggests that mall visits by tweens and teens are down significantly because of the rise of ecommerce and social media as well as their willingness to shop at discounters or even thrift stores.
 
McGrail writes; "Amid dwindling sales at many (but not quite all) tween and teen-focused chains, the sector is positioned for further consolidation and additional filings.”  

McGrail suggests that ramping up online sale may not be enough to save some chains.
 
He advises that asset-based lenders need to continuously look at the inventory of their borrowers in this sector and not let appraisals sit for too long.
 
“[…] as the seasons change, underperforming retailers will accumulate more and more unsold, out-of-fashion inventory, and potential recovery values will shrink in kind," McGrail writes.