Andrea Wasserman_

Liz Claiborne to Divest 16 of 36 Apparel Brands -- WSJ

A benefit for Liz in focusing on the "power brands" that have their own stores, is that it will make the company less reliant on department store buying in the face of consolidation in that industry. More of Liz' overall business will be conducted direct-to-consumer. Further, if Liz blows out the number of retail stores for these brands, the company can continue to develop its relationship with the younger customer, who often prefers specialty store shopping.