Wed Jan 13 10:47:00 -0500 2010

WWD (New York)

- It’s a new year and the high-end apocalypse predicted by some retail pundits hasn’t materialized. The luxury business is still alive, albeit maybe not kicking. Companies are digging through the rubble of 2009, trying to glean some lessons and decipher meaning from the customers’ handwriting on the dressing room walls. That is, if shoppers even venture into dressing rooms anymore. The online sector did well in the most recent holiday period, leading retailers to the conclusion that luring shoppers into stores may become more difficult.

“Everybody says that the spending now is against electronics,” Sadove said. “When there’s innovation, the customer wants it. This past holiday season, 50 percent of consumers bought apparel.” Moderator Dana Telsey, ceo and chief research officer of Telsey Advisory Group, asked, “How do we differentiate?”

To view the full article, download the PDF here: WWD, January 13, 2010