Agencies who have retail chains as customers should go ahead and pre-order a customized mouth guard for all the teeth grinding your sure to suffer in the upcoming months. This is a monumental holiday shopping season coming up and those brands that fall short may, at least, be looking for a new agency and at worst, claiming bankruptcy.
Steve & Barry’s and The Sharper Image are just two retailers who bit the dust this year due to the economic turmoil. That’s double the volume of bankruptcies over last year according to the International Council of Shopping Center. In hindsight, that econ-strain was just a pothole. With the ever evolving mortgage crisis and the fall-out of the investments banks, well shiiit. It’s downright dangerous out there!
According to The Times, Chains to watch out for include: Bon-Ton, Gottschalks, Stein Mat, Sears Holdings, Dillard’s , Pacific Sunwear and Coldwater Creek (whatever the hell that is).
Forget Santa. Think Scrooge. Holiday sales overall are being estimated for a rise of just 2.2%, which will be the smallest since 2002, which was 1.3%. It’s gonna be bleak, boys. Unless of course you’re client is a warehouse or deep discount store. Then, it’ll be a very merry holiday, indeed.
More: Post Death Knell: The First Of The Financial Advertising Ads