One word - dismal. There's nothing else to be said but absolutely dismal.
It's charitable to use the word 'dismal,' ... It's a reflection both of the weather and the contraction of the economy, and it really seems to have hit everybody.
Consumers still aren't in a spending mood, ... This year is going to be modestly better. The emphasis is on the word 'modest.'
Retailing and consumer spending are a function of a four-letter word -- jobs. And there are no jobs being formed in the United States at the present time. We are in an unfortunate labor climate, one that might be called not at all propitious for retail spending.