Coldwater Creek (Nasdaq: CWTR), with its casual to dressy skirts, pantsuits, and dresses, targets over-35 middle to upper-middle class women with annual household incomes of over $75,000.^[1] The clothing retailer originally sold its products solely through catalogs. Since 1999, however the company has opened a growing number of retail and outlet stores. Since Coldwater's first retail store opened in 1999, new store openings have been the primary source of revenue growth. At the end of fiscal 2010 (CWTR's fiscal year ends at the end of January each year), the company had 356 stores in the United States.^[2]

Unlike other clothing companies that will distribute clothing through department stores, Coldwater Creek is the sole retailer of its products. As a result, Coldwater controls its pricing and brand, but its expansion has been slow in comparison to other brands that sell their wares through a ready network of department stores. As a result, the company's future growth relies on the continued expansion of its store base and further increases in its marketing budget.

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