Kurt Barnard

Kurt Barnard
consumers forget found items operators store talking
We found out, from talking to consumers and store operators all over the country, that low-dollar items went very fast. Forget about high-end items.
actual apparently himself major role running time
Lampert signaled a long time ago that he wanted a major role for himself in the actual running of the company. That's apparently what he's doing now.
activity early full last levels lower retailers selling store surprised traffic year
Early indications show that store traffic and the promotional activity is at lower levels than last year at this time. I wouldn't be surprised if many retailers try to get away with selling merchandise at full price.
act clearly demand left magnitude mark particular product store suddenly tells
The magnitude of the demand tells the retailer how to act and what to do, ... If a product is hot, clearly there's not going to be a markdown. But if demand suddenly slackens and there's still a lot of merchandise left in the store on that particular day, they will mark it down.
act clearly demand left magnitude mark particular product store suddenly tells
The magnitude of the demand tells the retailer how to act and what to do. If a product is hot, clearly there's not going to be a markdown. But if demand suddenly slackens and there's still a lot of merchandise left in the store on that particular day, they will mark it down.
activity august basically figures labor reliable september time
The August figures this time are basically not very reliable for anything whatsoever. A lot of the Labor Day activity will come in September this year.
blizzard major malls presidents serious shut since stores weekend
The blizzard was a serious setback for retailers, especially since the Presidents Day weekend is a major day for sales. Most of the malls and independent stores were shut in the Northeast.
february likely month past results seems seen spring testing
February is a testing month for spring, and the results have not been spectacular, ... There seems to be a sense of foreboding that while spring is likely to be a smidgen better than we have seen in past months, it is not going to be a barn-burner.
anytime asking bombarded buying decent good head hear income jobs laid listen means number people question radio voice
Americans are being bombarded with announcements of layoffs. Anytime you listen to the radio it's always 3,000 laid off here, 500 there, ... That means a lot of people who have decent jobs and good income hear that little voice in the back of their head asking the question 'could my number be up next?' They're buying what they need, but they don't buy frivolously.
brutal guess hope
They (retailers) don't know. All they can do is hope and guess more than anything else. It's a brutal, brutal problem,
extent regardless wonderful
Rebates are wonderful to the extent that they are executed, regardless of the deficit.
available buy candy known less money past quite represent savings
If you stash money away in a savings account, then there's less available to buy things in a store, from candy to cars. This is not quite the conventional retrenchment we've known from past recessions, but it may represent a kind of wishy-washy stagnation.
consumer formed function jobs labor might present retailing spending states united word
Retailing and consumer spending are a function of a four-letter word -- jobs. And there are no jobs being formed in the United States at the present time. We are in an unfortunate labor climate, one that might be called not at all propitious for retail spending.
apparel business known major operation
They are now getting into the apparel business in a way they have not known before -- in a way that establishes Sears Roebuck as a major operation in apparel.