Trading guru and Mad Money host Jim Cramer calls Costco "the best retailer in America."

To check out Cramer's interview yesterday with Costco president and ceo Jim Sinegal, click here.

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When CIT Group, one of the industry's largest factors, breifly closed the window on transactions with Linens 'n Things in the opening weeks of 2008, it was a cause for concern. Now comes news that CIT Group itself is on wobbly ground, owing to its 2005 decision to get into the sub-prime loan buisness.

CIT's tapping $7.3 billion in bank credit and looking to sell off some of the ancillary businesses it entered into...Read More

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Fascinating piece in the Wigan Observer about a project to build a Chinese textiles city in the United Kingdom. Reason: market proximity.

The project is expected to create more than 1,000 manufacturing and clerical jobs. It's to serve as a hub for China's apparel and textiles mills looking to expand trade in Europe. The deal is part of a push by the British government to boost bilateral trade with China by 50%. Developer Commercial Group Properties worked with the China Chamber of Commerce to bring off the deal. In the development, it will partner with Chinamex, a Chinese government-owned trading company.

Wigan, located in the northwest of England, was once ...Read More

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Me either. But the Los Angeles Times was on the scene and brought back a report with pictures.

And while you're in the market for show pix, check out our galleries featuring introductions at the Heimtextil (scroll down) and Las Vegas  shows.

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The numbers from Heimtextil 2008 have arrived, and they show that the number of visitors climbed to 86,378 -- that's up 554 heads from 2007.

My first reaction: yeah, right. But a representative from Messe Frankfurt noted that the numbers are audited by AUMA, a division of the German federal government that strictly certifies stats for all that large trade fair venues, or messes. 

U.S. attendance was off by about 5%. Big growth came in attendance from Arab countries. The contract area is apparently also pulling a lot of traffic.

I've been promised a list of attending retailers. When once arrives, I'll add it here.

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After the stock market concluded its wild ride today, hard-charging market commentator and Mad Money host Jim Cramer advised his followers: "When the Fed aggressively cuts rates, Wall Street buys retail." 

The Mad Money Recap -- a digest of Cramer's on-air and on-line pronouncements -- also added: "Money managers know that a big rate cut equals increases year-over-year earnings in the sector."

Personally, I find that view hard to square with the anxiety gripping the industry. Target, which over the past 12 months seemed to weather the wobbling economy better than many of its competitors, ...Read More

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It's now been a week since Heimtextil's kick-off and five days since I returned home. I've been sorting through various impressions as well as conversations I had both during the show and since coming back. 

During the first two days roaming the Messe, my overriding thought was: This show now teeters on a dangerous tipping point as far as its relevance to the U.S. market is concerned. 

On the third day, I was surprised by how many upbeat exhibitors I encountered. The view was "quality over quantity," albiet with less zest than I heard the phrase used at the conculsion of the 2007 event. The caveat here: The majority with whom I spoke were happy about the European prospects they'd turned up, not Americans.

I was surprised by how many U.S. visitor...Read More

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I thought yesterday's opening at Heimtextil was slightly better than last year's kick-off. But after surveying exhibitors and attendees throughout the day and again this morning, I find myself utterly alone in that opinion. Not only alone, but factually mistaken. An exhibitor shares that the official tally showed first-day attendance off some 15%. CORRECTION (1/31): I've been informed by Messe Frankfurt, the show organizer, that they do not provide that kind of information to exhibitors and in fact can't release any stats until they have been reviewed and certified by a federal agency of the German government. The final, certified tally, showed total attendance at the show up just slightly. U.S attendance was down about 5%.

Things were relatively livelier through the first half of Thursday, although overall attendance is still down from peak leve...Read More

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Stockbroker-turned-journalist Marek Fuchs has a good piece up on TheStreet.com today about over-reaction to the news that a Lazard analyst cut Target's earnings outlook. In particular, Fuchs takes issue with the way Target is being portrayed in reports about the downgrade as "the first casualty" of the retail season, and points out that its earnings are still expected to be pretty healthy. Key quote:

Yes, he took his target on this $50 stock that is "the first casualty of the holiday season" to $65 from $67. That's all but a rounding err...Read More

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Ad Age is out today with a report suggesting discounters of all stripes -- Wal-Mart, Southwest Airlines and Dell held up as the most prominent examples  -- might have put their best days behind them.

Here's the gist of it:
Each helped drive several of their weaker competitors out of business, into bankruptcy or into one another's arms. But many of their remaining competitors have learned how to chip away at price gaps while offering something beyond price -- be it style, convenience, quality or service.

"It's tough to compete on price alone," said Ralph Blessing, principal with the consulting firm Arbor Strategy Group in Chicago. "Our surveys show people increasingly are unwilling to sacrifice quality in the ...Read More

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First came word that holiday store-level promotions set for an earlier-than-usual debut tomorrow. Now comes news that on-line merchants will be heavily promotional as well. 

Internet Retailer surveyed its readership, and concluded: "Online retailers are already planning to conduct more and varied promotions this Christmas," with some 58% of them planning to up the ante.

Survey respondents also predict the era of staggering year-over-year Internet sales gains may be over. Over three-quarters of retailers predicted their on-line holiday sales will grow by 20% or less this year.

Meantime, Consumer Reports surveys consume...Read More

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This is just as corny as all get-out. But I love it. Hee-Haw fans remember it as the "Pfft You Was Gone" song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqnm3A10m8I

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