<p>Upscale retailers like Nordstrom and Saks beat projected sales in May, Kohls decreased…Seems like those of you upper income people are still doing well, and lower income people are pulling back…</p>
<p>The es futures aren’t moving much today…so far… </p>
<p>Small down opening indicated…</p>
<p>I see oil prices are lower again…</p>
<p>I don’t shop at any of those stores.</p>
<p>European stock markets aren’t doing anything…how boring. :)</p>
<p>My older kids shop at Nordstrom, they have provided me great investment ideas, based on their shopping habits and those of their friends…whats in and what is out of favor…</p>
<p>Best insight from them was Ulta about a year ago…</p>
<p>I agree with your last post…</p>
<p>Young people catch the trends…make trends…and know what is going on…</p>
<p>Big advantage of youth…</p>
<p>See…i never heard of Ulta.</p>
<p>I am old school, once they give me some insight, i go to the mall or store and sit and observe a few times</p>
<p>A few trends they have said in last year or so…Uggs, fading fast…Sperry Topsiders moving up…Abercrombie,not as cool anymore?..Facebook, still relevant, but not as ‘hot’ ,likley due to more young adults using mobile…</p>
<p>I like to do that too…</p>
<p>Talbot’s is getting taken over…and is tradng below 3 bucks…echhhh…</p>
<p>I am glad I got out of that stock awhile back.</p>
<p>Probably not a store where our kids shop. :)</p>
<p>I’m more into geezer trends - they’ve done well for several years.</p>
<p>“On the U.S., Bullard said he was comfortable with the current state of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, noting that U.S. economy is on its way to meeting the bank’s forecasts for growth and employment: 3% growth for 2012 and a jobless rate of 6.8% by the year-end.”</p>
<p>6.8% by the EOY? Anyone else seeing this?</p>
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<p>It seems like nobody is really doing much about economic problems in their own countries - those in trouble just want to get through the next week or month with a patch.</p>
<p>[Bullard</a> urges Europe to act to prevent `meltdown’ - MarketWatch](<a href=“Bullard urges Europe to act to prevent `meltdown' - MarketWatch”>Bullard urges Europe to act to prevent `meltdown' - MarketWatch)</p>
<p>"The U.S. economy is being held down by lack of demand and not structural factors, said Sandra Pianalto, the president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, on Thursday. … “At this pace of growth, I expect that it could take as long as four to five years for the unemployment rate to fall to the 6% rate,” Pianalto said. Inflation should run very close to the Fed’s target of 2% through 2014, she added. "</p>
<p><a href=“Fed's Pianalto: Economy showing cyclical weakness - MarketWatch”>Fed's Pianalto: Economy showing cyclical weakness - MarketWatch;
<p>I don’t see the US economy the way Bullard sees the economy…</p>
<p>But he has better info…</p>
<p>( I still think he is too rosy in his US outlook).</p>
<p>TJX (where I shop) said SSS were +8% and +10% overall. They guided up on second quarter earnings. TJX sells discounted name-brand merchandise. They do no advertising so that it doesn’t generate competitive complaints for full-service stores. They use the Filene’s Basement model - if stuff doesn’t sell within a certain time-frame, it goes to the discount racks and then the clearance racks. I’ve seen name-brand stuff for up to 80% off there - typically it’s past season stuff. They sell Nike shirts for about 50% of full retail list but the selection is nowhere as wide as Sports Authority or Dicks. Sometimes the colors that they carry are the most unpopular. But most of my current wardrobe is from TJX companies.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be surprised if TJX is taking share from Kohls. Kohls sells similar stuff but usually charges more - they also have better selection and better service.</p>
<p>Geezer clothes.</p>
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<p>And pom-poms.</p>
<p>I am not a geezer…</p>
<p>So I guess I won’t shop at those geezer stores…</p>
<p>I like Banana Republic.</p>
<p>I don’t know how the US is going to have 3% of growth in 2012. </p>
<p>I guess I need to work on my arithmetic skills.</p>
<p>According to doct’s favorite firm…we are in a recession. :)</p>
<p>No need to work on your arithmetic skills, just your numerical placement,</p>
<p>2% of growth in 2013</p>
<p>That woman in the Volt ad is very attractive.</p>
<p>Why do they have her wearing those ugly clothes?</p>
<p>On the glass is 1/2 full theory, the Dow can finish higher for the month of May!!!</p>
<p>Just need it to close up 780 points± today. ;)</p>
<p>I don’t think that there’s the confidence with consumers or businesses to expand aggressively given all of the uncertainty domestically and abroad unless there’s a sure-thing business opportunity. Deflation in gold and energy is a sign of the most optimistic of folks in the inflation corner giving up their position.</p>
<p>Much lower energy prices could provide the US with a strategic manufacturing advantage but we might not be able to take advantage of it. Tim Cook’s comments at D10 attest to that. I hear the same thing from manufacturers in my state - the type of people that they want in the US are very hard to find. People that don’t have an undergrad degree but have technical manufacturing skills.</p>
<p>If we are going to have zero interest rates…I like the deflation (for me).</p>
<p>Why can’t we get qualified tech people? Should we change immigration rules and bring foreigners into the US to do the work?</p>
<p>As i have said for quite awhile, take a peek at Japan…</p>