Don Gher Quotations

Food is definitely an additive feature, and it keeps people in the stores longer and keeps them from going anywhere else.

It's either an olive branch to acknowledge that they need to do more or others might view it as throwing down the gauntlet for government and business to work together.

You have to continue to watch the costs. Definitely over the past year and a half or so there has been a real creep up in the selling, general and administrative expenses line because of better benefits.

They have been doing the music scene for some time, but they did it quietly and broadened their tentacles over time to make it a viable business. They learn along the way, in incremental moves ... like with food, until they get the concept right, they won't be willing to bet the company on a move that could risk what they have built.

I think this is a ground-breaker for them. We'll see what the implications will be. ... There are probably more deals on the table.

With Wal-Mart, the online component is a step that they have been taking gradually, but it is not a full-on 'this is what we do for a living' business. With Amazon, this is what they do for a living.

Starbucks is doing a remarkable job of adding new drinks and more stores, and the pace hasn't slowed one bit.

The bigger story here is the return to historical norm of the sales number. The 7 percent internal growth number will help build a higher level of confidence that the company's investment efforts in hiring sales personnel is paying off.