TheCaptain

Aeropostale's Frugal Offerings for Teens Pay Off

A little late to the game with this article. ARO has been a go-to retailer for some time now. About 3 years ago the name finally earned enough cache to be a cool place for teens to shop. Timing then became the stocks best friend, as the recession made their price points even more attractive. Many of the SA retail writers always seem to be behind the trends.

Buy True Religion Before the Epiphany Wears Off

Your article would have been relevant (arguably) 4 years ago. Good info commenting on something everyone has already been on top of for a long time. In retail, you want to be before the trends, not after.

Retail Sales Recovery Isn't So Clear

Don't forget, too, that many retailers have easier comps in the next few months versus last year. Not necessarily a sign that shopping is up, but definitely a sign that enough people have been laid off from the retailers, cost cuts have taken place and inventories are manageable.

Back-to-School Retail Winners

Too bad you are saying what everyone already knows. What we need to find are those sleepers that no one expects.

July Same-Store Sales Summary: No Boost for Retailers

Retail was in trouble before the recession started and will be in trouble after. Fashion is not like it used to be....gone are the days when loyalty was to one store/designer and gone are the days in which one "look" really ruled. Retailers counted on those two things to make sales. The latest look would be the new and exciting floor set and stores could look to their regulars to come in and buy. Fashion is what will continue to drive retail. Stores MUST have the coolest, most desirable items. Right now you can walk into names and find the same items at each place. This then makes it the "whoever has it the cheapest will win the sale" game. If anything, the recession is weeding out names that don't need to be in the business. The playing field has gotten too level within retail-it needs to be cleaned out.

Retail Sales Forecast from a Fashion Perspective

She isn't saying anything that hasn't been true for a long time. Women have long stopped being loyal customers to only one retailer. Now, who ever has what a woman wants at the best price, or at least a price she is willing to pay, gets the dollars. She may have a Gucci handbag with a top from Forever 21 and bottoms from Banana Republic. And if you look at trends, the same thing goes. There hasn't been an honest to goodness real trend in years. Want to wear the 80s? Do it. Want to wear skinny denim? Want to wear boot leg cut? Want to wear leggings? Want to wear a long dress/short dress? Do it all. In short, retail was in trouble long before the recession hit because fashion was in trouble. Retailers look to have trends and without any serious trends, they have nothing to showcase. A recession is good for retail-the playing field was way too level. We need less stores with more ideas. Too bad that won't happen just yet.

Forever 21 Is Redefining Retail

This is old news if you follow retail. Fast fashion has been around for a good few years and for teens or any other woman who is a shopper, fast fashion is no longer a novelty. There are so many places to buy "cheap" clothing/accessories. Whether or not I agree with what was written, this would have been of value (which is debatable) 2-3 years ago. You can't get ahead in retail if you are too late on the trends.

Justice for Tween Brands

Why are you comparing stores with such a difference in age? PSUN is teenagers, TWB is that pre-teen age, and the other two are for babies and toddlers. GYMB and PLCE are good pairs to look at, and perhaps even add in TWB, but PSUN?

Hot Topics Won't Stay Hot for Long

Torrid itself is a great concept (consider the percentage of overweight teenage girls/women) but would be more successful if run by a different management team. Hot Topic itself has struggled, literally, for years with its identity (are we a music store or an apparel store?) and had never found success. It is only recently, due to the popularity of numerous movies, that HOTT has been a destination spot. I believe without these movies, HOTT would still not be anywhere noteworthy.

Deckers May Be a Risky Fad Stock

DECK is absolutely not the next CROCs when it comes to the product itself. When it comes to the life-cycle of a trend, once it has reached its peak it either dies off or it transcends into something different-it becomes an every day staple. I do think the excitement and crazy momentum around Uggs has worn off. However, Uggs are now a staple for most women's wardrobes. That simply makes it steady. Compare it to CROCs if you can find comparisons, but anyone who thinks Ugg boots will simply not be worn or fall out of fashion the way Crocs shoes did knows nothing about retail or fashion.

American Eagle's Results Will Pick Up When U.S. Economy Improves

I can guarentee that if the economy turns around, AEO will still have problems. You forget the fashion side of the issue. The teen sector is no different that the women's sector in that innovative fashion has been a struggle since before the economy started with its own issues. Trends have been lacking for at least 2+ years. Retailers would still be having problems (granted not to the same extent) right now even if the economy were fine. Women and teens don't shop the same as they did 5 years ago. Most names are offering exactly what is in neighboring stores. The playing field in retail is now level. The recession will actually be a good thing for retail, as it will narrow the playing field and make fashion somewhat exciting again. American Eagle has been churning out the same looks season after season. Unless the name can find a way to be more interesting than its competitors (who are also not very interesting), I don't see how it will make a huge turnaround. Retail is as much about the fashion as it is about numbers, if not more.

Retailers on the Extinction List

This is the most inaccurate article written. Much of the information here is false and I cannot believe SA would do such a poor job of knowing its facts.