It’s no surprise that, in times like these, discount retail sales are up and mid-tier retail sales are down. What is surprising is how hard the luxury retail sector is being hit. Typically, luxury retailers remain stable even when the rest of the world is in a slump. Why aren’t the super wealthy spending? Could […]
Archives for 2008
Holiday gift card sales—good or bad this year?
According to an article from ICSC, a recent survey by Archstone Consulting reports that US consumers will be spending less on gift cards this holiday season. I think we’re going to see that it’s more about “need” than “want” this year. More and more people will be using their gift cards to purchase necessities—groceries, food, […]
2008 holiday sales to increase
I was surprised to see the National Retail Federation is estimating a 2.2 percent increase in holiday sales this year. From my perspective, I think we’ll be lucky to see any increase. When you take into consideration the fact that inflation is currently 5 percent higher than it was this time last year, and could […]
Not all lifestyle centers are created equal
It’s no secret…times are tough right now for businesses of all types. Retail is no exception. The news is full of stories about retailers cutting back, restructuring and slowing—if not completely stopping—growth. One thing I am consistently hearing from these retailers is that they won’t even consider expanding into a lifestyle center anymore. While I […]