Watts Water Technologies, Inc. Q1 2009 Earnings Call Transcript

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2009-04-30 03:20:35.0

Tags: Homeowner, Shelf Space, Call Transcript, Earnings, Same-store Sales, Watts Water Technologies Inc., Corporate Governance, Business Operations, Corporate Law, Seeking Alpha

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

(Operator's instruction) Your first question comes from the line of Michael Schneider - Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

Michael Schneider - Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

Maybe first we can just start I guess with the bright spot that retail was flat as you expected. Can you possibly dissect that on a more same-store sales basis so we can understand exactly how much shelf space or additional shelf space you are gaining and benefiting from because clearly, Home Depot and Lowe and these guys are reporting a mid-single digit same store sales decline? So, it appears as though you guys are enjoying more shelf space.

Patrick S. O'Keefe

Yes, Mike, we did pick up some shelf space in a couple of different change just through some, it is not new product introduction. It is just getting some existing product to some additional shelf space and one of the things we talked about, so that is part of the answer and I think the other thing that influences it when we talked about I think last quarter on the call is that when times are tough out there, homeowners will tend to do some of the projects on their own and not call a plumber. So, homeowners are going to go into the retail change and buy that kind of product. They are not going to go, consumers are not used to going into a wholesale shop. That is where the plumbers go. But we think at this, it is a little bit more homeowner demand because the economy is difficult.

Michael Schneider - Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

Okay then just on product pricing, Pat, if I heard you correctly, you said you have not seen and do not expect across the board price cuts, I believe you used. Could you just elaborate on that because we are certainly hearing different feedback from the channel and the distributors were talking to especially in the plumbing space.

Patrick S. O'Keefe

The concern in the first quarter, Mike, we had a lot of inquiries concerning the pricing because it was obvious to everyone that copper had dropped dramatically over the later part of quarter and then quarter but that has subsided now as copper has moved back up. So most of our customers, there were some concessions made. There were some wants to competitive conditions made but we do not see it across the board dramatic changes but we are managing the combination of price and cost very effectively at this, in fact to continue to do that throughout the year.

 

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