Marshall Cohen Quotations

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.

When you ask them about it, they will tell you they discovered the suit. They never wore a suit before, they never owned a suit and some of them never saw their father wear a suit.

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.

Imagine going into Kmart and buying a Sears Craftsman tool set, or buying Kmart's Martha Stewart home products at Sears. To Kmart shoppers, Lands' End may not mean anything, but now it will.

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.

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.

I think it's fact-finding at its best. We're able to show them essentially a model of what we're going to build in New Mexico. They can see how it's operated. They can see the way the material is handled. They can talk to employees. They can talk to people in the community.

I think the Adidas-Reebok deal is more product and marketing driven than it is price driven.

Like Nike, Adidas also needed a better fashion fit and Reebok provides that.

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.

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

Ownership it's not necessarily the mark of success anymore. Consumers are finally realizing that they don't have to buy and store it for the rest of their lives. They can rent it, love it and trade it in.

Retailers need to identify a proprietary winning formula based upon their unique customer base. Ultimately, brands and retailers that grow together are compelling partnerships that produce the most profitable incomes.

Retailers have recognized that December has 31 days.

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.

Retailers aren't very nervous just yet. Obviously companies want to protect their profit margins and won't discount heavily if they don't absolutely have to.

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.

While Easter shopping is the window to spring, back-to-school is the doorway to fall and the holidays. So back-to-school shopping is a really important momentum builder.

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

Today's pregnant women are out and about, in the work force, in the gym - everywhere they were before they became maternity shoppers. They may be pregnant, but they are not sitting home and hiding.

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.

When gas prices go up 5 cents a gallon, that's maybe an extra $10 a week out of consumers' pockets. But when they're going up 15 cents and more, it means $20 extra a week.

This will be a concept that will change the way we look at retail next year. There is no question about it.

There are a lot of things that lead towards creating a more harmonious environment. Now the challenge is, can they survive in this new market?

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

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.

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.

What happened was the retailers got so infatuated with the young consumer, they ignored their core customer, who is the 35-plus customer.

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

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.

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.

Boots are the easiest (fashion accessory) to wear. They're the one thing you just can't mess up.

Best Buy is the new Home Depot. In the '90s, I went to Home Depot once a week looking for home improvements. Now I go to Best Buy every week looking for the latest gadgets.

Everybody is coming with a road map. They have their circulars, downloaded coupons. It's definitely a race in the first few hours to get the hot products at the best price.

Consumers traditionally barreled through and absorbed higher costs. But it's now no longer just their wallet that's being affected; their emotions are being affected.

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.

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.

Teens and young men have finally 'discovered' the suit. We are seeing a shift in the younger generation reaching their image through grooming and dressing up.

Companies have recognized these consumers are frustrated with how come this brand doesn't talk to me. How come they don't speak my language? Why are they only talking to the younger generation?

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.

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.

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

They're trying to find all sorts of different ways to re-energize the consumer and the power of their brand.

This is the group that I'm most concerned about. There's nothing exciting here that jumps out at you and makes you want to buy it. Do I really need another striped sweater?

This is the trend that keeps on giving.

It's not so much that the brand as we know it is dead, but the way it's communicated has changed.

Footwear is on fire. It has emerged as the new fashion item to buy.

Footwear has more exciting fashion changes; the industry is just now catching up to consumer demand for new styles.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The consumer has already embraced Target as a fashion resource. Target's growth now is getting that higher-fashion consumer, the one who wants to be the first on the block with a trend.

I'm not worried about the ones that get a bad start. I would be worried about the ones that get a bad finish.

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.

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.

It has lost some of its share power.

Can it be done? Yes. Has it been done? No.

By acquiring May, Federated now becomes a truly national brand. It will become a much bigger, improved and price-savvy retailer. With its sheer size, it will be able to squeeze better deals from its vendors.

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.

You can't sit around and say it was the absolute hot item of the season because there wasn't enough of it around.

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.

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.

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 challenge this year has been to promote or not to promote.

The less money they have, the less they'll spend in malls and teen stores like Hot Topic and Abercrombie & Fitch.