Posted on 01/17/2008 10:20:31 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Dismal holiday season leads retailers to shutter stores
Zale, Liz Claiborne and Pacific Sunwear are among the companies planning closures. Quiksilver may sell another division.
By Leslie Earnest, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 18, 2008
Taking stock of a rough holiday season, retailers are shuttering stores and trimming expansion plans as they stare down edgy consumers.
Industry analysts said Thursday that there was little mystery behind the plans announced by several chains this month. "We're in poor economic times, and when you're in poor economic times, retailers close stores" and reduce the number they plan to open, said Eric Beder of Brean Murray, Carret & Co. "That will accelerate into the second half of 2008."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Aww, their winter festival sales flopped.
Boo Hoo.
...apparently need better marketing departments.
Maybe they’d all do better if they ditched the “Made in China” label.
I’d rather by my American-made clothes at thrift shops than send any of my hardearned cash to the Chinese for their crap.
Survival of the fittest.
We are??
I was just home last month. I didn't see any signs of "poor economic times."
Are they manufacturing this for the election or is there really a significant slump?
Short answer is yes to both. There is some slowing down of the economy mainly due to folks having to shell out extra bucks for gasoline and food. This tends to reduce the extras by a bit. Having said that the drive-by media will miss no chance to pillory the Adminstration on what ever feeble grounds that they can come up with. Anything to boost the Dems, eh?
BTW, thanks for being over in the sandbox.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
It's my honor and my pleasure. And I think the time is coming soon for me to go home. :-)
Where I live in western Wisconsin during the last Christmas season the parking lots were packed around the big shopping districts. A major development is going to be built in the same area with more shops and theaters. My area is hardly the richest area in country probably about average. Maybe some real high-end stores aren't making it in certain parts of the country, but where I am things are thriving.
WEll if ya have a reason to be passin thru Kansas City on your travels back home be sure to let me know.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Gasoline prices have me buying on-linealso, we're talkin' early flu season crowds.
Bingo - on the nose - we have a winner !!!!
Online sales skyrocketed this year, many shoppers preferring to avoid the crowds.
And incidentally feeding the MSM gloom and doom machine one more cookie to report the “Bursting Economy”
With the vast majority of the gifts being made in China, Christmas buying isn’t near the shot in the arm for the economy the way it used to be.
As always, anytime growth flattens, especially before a POTUS election...the MSM and the dull-minded coin a recession. The economy has slowed due to the housing / banking fiasco and the 10% inflation we’re now experiencing due to high energy and food costs.
Does So sees it....no need for stores and their associated staff and delivery jobs, wasting our fuel, etc., if people buy on line. It seems that many gifts I’ve shopped for on foot in the past years are either out-of-stock, the wrong color or the wrong size....just not what I want to buy. A waste of my time and fuel, not mention the aggravation. Many stores remain full of CCC (Cheap Chinese Crap). Notice what our medium priced overseas-made clothes look like now after 4-5 washings?
Internet sales (including conpetition) are also a significant factor!
“Are they manufacturing this for the election or is there really a significant slump?’
Mostly manufacturing it and blaming the real estate market for the stimulus.
With the success of the surge in Iraq, the msm/dems lost the war as a talking point for the ‘08 election. They have now latched onto the ‘recession’. Inside of a month, they will be bandying about the word ‘depression’. Of course, knowing their track record for always jumping on at the wrong point, the economy will likely recover spectacularly in the last half of the year, leaving the rats in the dust.
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