Marshal Cohen Quotes (48 Quotes)

Is it a challenge, but the good news for them is that it has been a sleepier brand, so it's not as if they are trying to maintain a property at its peak.

Trends come and go very rapidly. The problem is that they're not catching on for a longer period of time.

Last year consumers on average spent 500 more for the year on gas. This year it could go up to 1,000. This is what Lee Scott is worried about. The average American has 2,400 in discretionary spending. A Wal-Mart shopper probably has 1,500. Now take out the 1,000 extra and what does that leave them.

The biggest surprise to me has been this absence of urgency on the part of consumers. I've been doing this for a long time. Other than in 2001, I haven't seen such a lackluster tone during the holidays.

This year, it is more about stores' trying to manage their business, their inventories and markdowns. They're also recognizing a second holiday season, which begins December 26.

It's really about back to basics, buying at chains like Home Depot and Lowe's. The mass merchants are reaping the benefits in a big way because it's one-stop shopping.

Bargain racks will still be there. They might be a little further back in the store, but they'll be there with a lot of signage and aggressive pricing. Everyone will still have lots of deals.

We're not there yet but it's not too soon to assume this scenario.

I credit the whole company for this success. They did a good job in Europe of keeping it a premium brand, and the U.S. followed suit. That drove this phenomenon.

The surge in men's apparel sales came from some of the most unexpected places, such as young men buying a suit. Teens and young adult men have finally 'discovered the suit.' When exploring that further, NPD found that young men never owned a suit, never wore a suit and never saw their father in a suit - yet, they have migrated towards dressing up to be 'cool.' We are seeing a shift in the younger generation reaching their image through grooming and dressing up.

If I bring it to you in your home, there's no real distraction, and I can get you to shop for an hour and a half. If you come in the store I'm lucky to get you to shop for 15 minutes.

That makes you feel like you'll be in line forever. But if you can see the door, even if there are the same number of people, that makes it a lot more emotionally acceptable to stand there.

That campaign was all about the smaller guy competing with the big boys. That's what Sears tried to do (against discount department stores such as Target, Costco and Kohl's) and failed.

Women updated their wardrobes and showed a propensity towards style and comfort. Accessories provided a great way for women to update their look. Women also pampered themselves with cozy pajamas and robes and other self-care products that went beyond apparel.

The typical 5 a.m. openings aren't good enough because every retailer does that on Black Friday. This has become a game of who can top this. Everyone wants to start first. It's very clear that the early bird catches the worm for consumers. So retailers are trying to catch the early consumer.

Retailers have been looking for growth for the past several years, but frankly, they've been looking in all the wrong places. Department stores had given up on this customer to chase after the youth market, and while 40 may be the new 20, these women want to dress differently.

We saw the runway shows start to change as recently as a few years ago. First, designers became avant-garde and did things that were really out there to try to get the media to cover.

Kids are not interested in taking their summer vacation to start thinking about back-to-school wardrobes, supplies and book bags.

When it becomes the third week, the novelty is going to wear off, but the consumers will still be buying one more item just because of the fact that they're going to be having ... more in their pocket. That one item is going to add up and it is going to benefit the retailer more than the consumer.

Denim will continue to be the staple item found in everyone's shopping bags. With prices for electronics declining, consumers will get to spend a little more on apparel this year.

The 80s is about color, color, color. When business gets tough, retailers use color to entice the customer because that's the first thing that attracts the buyer.

I've seen denim that doesn't get wet, clothes that change color based on exposure to sunlight, even clothes with sun protection built into it. These new-age type products are generally more expensive. The challenge for retailers also will be to get consumers to believe that they work.

What creates fashion purchases is dramatic changes, black to white, short to long.

Are the midnight openings much earlier than usual for Black Friday Yes, they are. Does this show that retailers are more nervous this year Absolutely.

There are all kinds of products out there that many people just don't know exist.

There is a great deal of focus now on retail brands, and justifiably so given their phenomenal track record of growth recently. However, this data shows that while retail brands can be highly profitable, national brands are a critical piece of a winner retail formula.

When you have a company that's built on technology and connection with the customer, those are not all profit-driven concepts.

Consumers are looking to be able to feel good again. Many lost their valuable luxury products that have an emotional connection. You can't replace your grandmother's earrings but you can find something comparable.

Anyone who's managing a brand, marketing a product or working for an advertising agency needs to be conscientious in the shifts in consumer dynamics.

It's not about going to the mall environment where you're fighting crowds. This is for people who shop for pleasure and treat it as a leisure activity. They want to have a relationship with the brand, be treated like royalty.

Until they're able to prove that consumers are going to respond to the changes, the Street is very nervous. It's a very big undertaking to convince the country that a national Macy's is better than regional department stores.

Women are more willing to pay more for a product, they are more brand conscious, but less brand loyal. And who are you marketing a bang-bang, shoot-shoot movie to If the woman is choosing the theater and where to sit and what to watch on TV, well, you need to think about that.

You have to remember that low-income consumers really took a hit in 2005. A lot of them maxed out their credit cards at the beginning of the season and then got their winter energy bills. That probably left them with an absence of cash and discretionary spending later on.

The guy is so involved in the financial decision that (investment advertisements) need to be in the sports or business pages of a newspaper. And if I'm going to advertise (to men), maybe I'm better off doing a commercial during the Super Bowl than an advertisement in men's magazines.

The fashion wardrobe for teens and young adults today is focused on trendy shoes. Footwear is the signature piece, especially in the urban markets, that these consumers are using to express who they are.

Last year, kids were willing to negotiate with their parents, agreeing to less clothing and outright shunning some things to get what they wanted in an electronic item.

Two years ago, consumers were buying expensive denim and a lot of pairs. This year they're buying that one - maybe two - signature perfect pair. And then they're complementing it with less expensive pairs.

If people who are wearing this product seem to be performing better, we're going to be seeing marketing like you've never seen before. Anything that can help someone get an edge or perform better, an athlete will go to the end of the earth to get it.

Holiday 2005 will be remembered as the year of giving to those in need. Retailers want consumers to feel good about buying and helping others.

Sports footwear usually is also the first place urban consumers will spend money to endorse a celebrity. As we've already seen, people will pay over 100 for the G-Unit or an S-Carter Reebok if it creates the right image for them.

Kids today are looking at decorating and renovating their rooms obviously, with their parents' money. The home has become one of the fastest-growing components of the younger market and the celebrity component is critical to that.

The hurricane will have a far-reaching impact on the tourism business. And New Orleans is all about tourism. It's based on tourism. It will take at least six months before we see any signs of recovery on that front, if not more.

If you do it every season, it becomes expected. And the minute it becomes expected, it's no longer cultural or countercultural. This is about innovation, lifestyle and attitude. And if you are conforming to the norms of the industry, you have lost your personality and individuality.

Image has become important again for the teen consumer and particularly for the young adult male. This is a generation that never even knew what a suit was, let alone saw their parents in one. They have discovered the suit.

Last spring, it was about color this year, it's about romance. Think about sheer curtains blowing in the wind.

Last year was a clear indication of where the consumer is heading for 2006. Today's consumer enjoys splurging on higher-end products now and then, but their quest for value still remains.

This is about movement toward solidifying their base, trying to justify the expansion of the international sector.

It eliminates competition. It will allow the new company to sharpen the pencil, offer better prices and goods and maybe even compete in the mass market channel.