223 Quotes by Kurt Barnard

Sears is now giving evidence that its new marketing strategy and new slogan work very effectively.

February sales were very strong, stronger than anticipated in many instances. I will tell you that if you were a retailer in February and did not do very well, you stood out like a sore thumb. We're telling our clients that the first half of this year will continue to be marked by continued strong spending at the retail cash register.

The entire athletic footwear business is not doing well, ... Sneakers, the lifeblood of the business, have peaked and are on a downhill slide.

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.

So far, this has turned out to be the year's great bargain hunt,

The fourth quarter is going to reflect the intensely promotional nature of the holiday shopping season, make no mistake.

There's a general sense of weakness and caution and I'll tell you the headlines in the newspapers these days do not help, ... We're seeing more layoffs and consumers are beginning to feel there's a cold winter breeze suddenly blowing their way.

Shelf space is diamond-encrusted gold. It's exposure to the consumer and everyone wants exposure to the consumer. They each had a lot of economic power before, but with the marriage they'll have a lot more power, power to get shelf space, preferred positions, all of that.

The first half is going to be a very, very difficult one, and at this moment it's going to be impossible to say how the second half is going to be, ... The second half is likely to be better than the first, but remember, most retailers are coming off a very weak Christmas and that puts tremendous pressure on gross margins.