Cecile's Creel

March 28, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

When Williams-Sonoma Inc. -- which HTT this year ranked as the 10th largest home textiles retailer in the country -- says it is bracing itself in 2008 for what it expects to possibly be the "worst" selling year with memory (roughly 30 years), you know it's time to worry.

I listened to and reported on the six-nameplate upscale home furnishings and furniture company's fourth quarter and yearend earnings call this week, and the picture it paints based on recent shor...Read More

March 4, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Good news for me (and bad news for my husband): Kohl’s is heading to
Miami.

During Kohl's fourth quarter and yearend earnings call last week, execs
announced that in the fall it will for the first time enter into the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale metro markets. 

Ironically, I've been seeing Kohl's advertisements on television for
many months now. I can't say exactly which channels or during which
programs since I have Comcast's "Basic I" cable hookup with access to
any of 75 channels or so.

But, according to Kohl's ...Read More

January 25, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

 

It seems the high-end consumer, the non-working lady of the house with a wallet bedecked in credit cards and a back account replete with accessible cash, is doing what was once unthinkable -- thinking twice before she makes expensive, unnecessary purchases.

 

Unity Marketing’s Luxury Consumption Index this week reported that luxury consumer confidence at the onset of this New Year dropped to a record low – to...Read More

December 28, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The report

That's good news for the industry.

There are at least

...Read More

December 3, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

A quick Christmas shopping store traffic comparison for you

I went to Target this past weekend, the first weekend in December. Saturday at 9:30 a.m., to be specific.
And what I saw -- or rather, didn't see -- left me shocked.

The place was dead.

I aced the third parking space from the front door. A lonesome shopping cart was conveniently next to my car waiting for me (only to get dumped moments later upon my kids' demands for one of these kid-friendly carts with the little truck features and the phony steering wheels-- you know the one.)

I knew right away I would not accidentally run over the feet of any fellow shoppers while I attempted to maneuver this bulky behemoth cart, simply because there wasn't anyone really to ru...Read More