Peter Lynch was a great proponent of observation as the first the step in selecting stocks. He felt that consumers could find winning stocks among the companies that they interacted with by observing how busy they were and what the buzz was about them. This would be the first step to a more formal analysis of their balance sheet. I have often wished I had paid attention the way he recommended otherwise I would not have missed Panera Bread, which my wife was frequenting with her friends almost daily after the gym. Given this, I thought I would post my observations.
First, the Bath & Body Works was packed again during the holidays. For the last few years, I have stood in long lines to purchase something for Mrs. Opinionator. By contrast, two days before Christmas The Body Shop had more employees in it than customers. I tried to take my daughter in there to purchase something so as to avoid the lines and she resisted. She mentioned that it looked more like a makeup counter than a regular store. Guess that redesign did not work, eh? Well, seeing as the founder Anita Roddick is a fount of anti-Americanism, I will not be crying for her plight. I highly recommend that you do not spend your money on The Body Shop's stock. If my holiday experience was in any way indicative of how the chain as a whole performed, you will lose your shirt.
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