Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Lyn Walther – Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC.
Lyn Walther – Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
A couple questions for you, just a little bit more color on the comp, the older stores versus the newer ones, are you still seeing the new stores perform to the model that we’ve talked about the first few years really ramping up or is this moderating given the environment out there?
Gregg R. Bodnar
Actually the new store model, first year model and the ramp for the next couple years of the model is performing consistent with our expectations and consistent with the model we published. We are not seeing a macro impact on the ramp from stores that are opened in the last couple years.
Lyn Walther – Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
Given the environment and all the pressures on the consumer what changes have you made to get her into the store? I know in Q1 you talked about adding additional marketing vehicle. What do you have planned go forward and then once she’s in the store, what are you doing to try and convert her? Is it getting more difficult?
Lyn P. Kirby
Let me that the first part first, Lyn. First of all we do believe that we continue to have the momentum of that macro shift to our brand experience away from other channels of distribution so we always have that wind at our back. But specifically for first quarter as we have done with all other quarters and will for the quarters ahead we take a look at our marketing calendar at the beginning of the quarter, we shuffle it around where we believe it’s appropriate either relative to a trend that we’re seeing in the market or relative to some learning experience that we’ve had in prior year or the prior quarter. Then of course what we do is spend a lot of time coming up with some creative consumer propositions that are very motivational to drive her into the store and obviously offering a great value proposition and last but not least, we continue to search for newness into the store. And newness is not necessarily big brand newness although we are happy to do that at an appropriate rate, but just newsworthy new products, new line extensions that provide that E for entertainment for her as she comes into the store.
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