If you scanned a recent sales report in the business section of the newspaper, it may have not not escaped your attention (especially if you're a keen analyst whe it comes to numbers) that top dogs in the retail fashion market - such as Abercrombie & Fitch - slid to the bottom of the sales performance pile in recent months.
In contrast, discount houses such as Ross, climbed the ranks and landed in the profit margin (albeit, just by a few percentage points).
Several months ago when the economy started to spiral down and retailers were starting to cry the blues over a loss of revenue, one of the Executives at Abercrombie & Fitch boasted that the trendy fashion outlet for young men and women was surefire and "recession-proof".
For this reason, product at A&F would never be marked down or on "sale", he asserted.
A short while later, I chuckled when I cruised through one retail outlet and spied items that were obviously "on sale".
However, management wasn't inclined to cry "uncle", not just yet.
The signs were cleverly worded to give the impression that the reduced items were actually specially-priced wardrobe pieces available short term for good value at the cash register.
The deceitful ploy to "save face" smacked of the bold-faced efforts years ago by used-car dealers to enhance the image of trade-in cars on the lot by referring to the vehicles as pre-owned.
In the final analysis, Abercrombie & Fitch need not worry about losing a huge chunk of the normally-lucrative youth fashion market long term.
The taste for the style-setter's trendy provocative fashions (and seductive ads) has not diminished one iota with the teen and twenty-something crowd in any respect.
It all boils down to the almighty buck.
Right now, Americans are penny pinching (not straying from their budgets) in order to make ends meet.
Once the economy turns around and there is expendable cash in hand once again, style-conscious dudes and babes will be revving up the cash registers at Abercrombie & Fitch once again.
In the meantime, a column I penned on how to save $$$ by shopping at second-hand stores like Goodwill and Out-of-the-Closet (with tips on how to pick 'n chose wisely in the used-clothing arena) may be a life-saver for students out to piece together a snappy wardrobe to sport around campus this fall.
Post: 01/05/2009
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2009/01/mens-fashion-tipsthrift-shop-bargains.html
Happy rummaging, eh?
http://www.julianayrs.com
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