The trend is migrating outward. |
The typical 5 a.m. openings aren't good enough because every retailer does that on Black Friday. This has become a game of who can top this. Everyone wants to start first. It's very clear that the early bird catches the worm for consumers. So retailers are trying to catch the early consumer. |
There are a lot of things that lead towards creating a more harmonious environment. Now the challenge is, can they survive in this new market? |
There are all kinds of products out there that many people just don't know exist. |
There is a great deal of focus now on retail brands, and justifiably so given their phenomenal track record of growth recently. However, this data shows that while retail brands can be highly profitable, national brands are a critical piece of a winner retail formula. |
They are not going to let Apple take that environment. |
They're trying to find all sorts of different ways to re-energize the consumer and the power of their brand. |
This is about movement toward solidifying their base, trying to justify the expansion of the international sector. |
This is the beginning of the disappearing tag. Smarter merchants are trying this, and if it's done right, the design inside romances the product even more. |
This is the group that I'm most concerned about. There's nothing exciting here that jumps out at you and makes you want to buy it. Do I really need another striped sweater? |
This is the trend that keeps on giving. |
This will be a concept that will change the way we look at retail next year. There is no question about it. |
This year, it is more about stores' trying to manage their business, their inventories and markdowns. They're also recognizing a second holiday season, which begins December 26. |
Trends come and go very rapidly. The problem is that they're not catching on for a longer period of time. |
Two years ago, consumers were buying expensive denim and a lot of pairs. This year they're buying that one - maybe two - signature perfect pair. And then they're complementing it with less expensive pairs. |