HOW WELL DO YOU THINK SMALLER MENSWEAR MERCHANTS WILL DO THIS UPCOMING CHRISTMAS SEASON?

Q: My fall menswear sales have started off with a bang, and I read in the news this week that bigger retailers are expecting strong sales this Christmas. Do you have any forecasts for the Christmas season yet? If so, how do you think smaller menswear merchants will do?

Steve Pruitt: It’s good to hear that your season has started strong. We have seen moderate gains over the last 90 days. Holiday sales should be decent, as the economy continues to move forward with most indicators pointing up. The exception is the stock market, but at this point we are hearing that the volatility is not affecting business.

One caution to keep in mind: the last two falls were very strong and it’s hard to beat back-to-back winning seasons. It looks like online retailers are expecting strong business again this year, but they are in a unique position because of their convenience and the fact that they aren’t affected by weather events, like we were last winter.

Keep up the good work and let us know how the season progresses. Also, make sure that your services are on point with convenience as a driver.

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