With many analysts currently debating whether or not it is going to be an Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Christmas this year, as consumers flock in increasing numbers not to traditional brick and mortar stores, but to ecommerce meccas and standalone retailer sites – you might forget that the lion’s share of what was a roughly $5 trillion U.S. retail market last year (Census Bureau’s Monthly Retail Trade Survey) came from physical commerce. U.S. Commerce Department data indicates that ecommerce was about $305 billion last year and a recent report from eMarketer projects a 14 percent jump this year to around $350 billion. While ecommerce may be sharply rising, shoe leather will still be driving retail sales this Christmas, and it makes sense to take a look at what major retailers and mall owners are doing to cultivate the consumer audience.
With around 47,000 shopping centers and some 1,100 enclosed malls containing one or two large department stores (anchor stores) across this great country of ours, shoppers have quite a sizable menu of locations to choose from. Because almost half of all malls cater to high-income shoppers, it makes a great deal of sense for mall owners/operators to attract smaller stores that can act as a draw on this much sought after demographic, bringing consumers to the table where they can sup on the venue’s broader retail bounty.
This underlying dynamic is extremely good news for a rising star like Giggles N’ Hugs (OTC: GIGL), a company focused on expanding its existing footprint of highly successful family-friendly restaurants which are thus far located in high-end shopping centers throughout LA. These unique restaurants cater to both the discerning palates of adults with premium organic dishes, and the rambunctious behavior of kids under ten, with custom-made 2,000 square foot-plus active play areas. A restaurant that is part upscale organic eatery and part Gymboree is a completely new concept in the casual dining sector, and one which has quickly won over parents and kids alike throughout Los Angeles. It’s an innovative model that has garnered the company many admirers, from A-list celebrities, to family and kid-focused media moguls such as Nickelodeon and Red Tricycle.
The same refreshing Giggles N’ Hugs restaurant features that allow parents to show up with their youngest and turn them loose into the play area before enjoy a relaxing and healthy meal has also enabled the company to offer an unprecedented child drop-off service for busy parents on the go. Kids are watched over in the massive play area by trained staff and are treated to periodic activities that range from singalongs and face painting to shows put on by professional child entertainers. Parents who want to enjoy the many wonderful stores throughout the mall or shopping center where the restaurant is located without having to keep tabs on the little ones or find them underfoot can do so with ease if a Giggles N’ Hugs is located in the mall.
This is the kind of tenant mall owners are really looking for and GIGL, which already has a solid tenant relationship with major nationwide mall owner Westfield Group (OTC: WEFIF), has even recently taken decisive steps to increase momentum toward becoming a national presence and/or franchise with the execution of a strategic financial advisory and capital markets service agreement. Signed at the start of December this year, GIGL’s agreement with boutique NY investment bank Chardan Capital Markets, dovetails exceptionally well with the company’s ongoing nationwide expansion plans and will enable the company to maximize its forward momentum in this area.
Chardan’s considerable expertise runs the gamut from investment banking and trading/equity research, to helping its clients prepare presentations which are to be made before potential financing sources, and Chardan even assists clients with a panoply of financial advisory services. The Chardan deal opens new doors for GIGL’s sought after brand concept and should really help GIGL open additional locations in higher end malls across America next year and on into the future. Additionally, this agreement will allow GIGL to lock down a concise ramping strategy for up-listing its shares to a major exchange as early as next year.
Hot off a superb showing at the 8th annual LD Micro conference’s main event last week, GIGL – whose gorgeous Westfield Century City mall location off Santa Monica Boulevard is just minutes from the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel where the 8th annual LD Micro was held – is really turning heads in the casual dining market. Investors should keep an eye on the company as its plans to expand to new locations progress, and as Chardan helps to increase the company’s market exposure.
For more information, please visit www.gigglesnhugs.com
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