[riri]

Chiasson shrugged off that competition. "We are not going after the $9 consumer," he said

LOL. Pretty soon that is going to be the only consumer left.

[RushingWater]

You should see me in a department store. I'll pick up some clothing that looks nice, notice the Levi label, and it goes back down immediately.

[little-green]

I am begining to think that all of our futures are "stacked on the Wal-Mart shelves." It seems Wal-Mart has become the official last chance for manufacturers, as well as people who need work. As helpful as this is to the economy, and unemployment problems, I feel the more investment in Wal-Mart brings us further away from the small business with personality. Will working for a big Wal-Mart some day be the only option? Am I being sentamentally archaic in my nostalgia for the mom and pop shop?

[harpseal]

Ping on or off this list let me know

[philetus]

When I was a kid, my mom always bought me Levi's for $4.50 a pair. HOW DID LEVI"S SURVIVE through that grueling period of their existance? Thank God,that they were later able to charge $30, $40 for a pair of dungeries, made of COTTON denim. Their overhead on a pair of Levi's must be as high as $2.00 a pair, if that.
While I'm ranting, why does a car cost more than my parents paid for a decent house,in the sixties?

[oceanview]

it is true now, notice how when they report retail sales they talk about the "luxury segment" booming this year. the luxury segment is anything not made in china and sold at walmart, costco or kohls!