Todd Slater Quotations

Men's wear is certainly a difficult market to be in right now and it needs real help.

I think because of the easy comparisons, apparel has an opportunity to stand out through the rest of the quarter compared to some of the other categories.

I think consumers rested a little in June after spending their hearts out in April and May.

I think it will be successful initially because it's new and different. But long-term, I don't think the business has a great chance of succeeding in its current incarnation -- not from a design point of view but from a merchandising point of view. I don't know that the merchandise outperformed the competition.

Mervyn's & Marshall Field's continue to implode, and there is no sign of stabilization.

While we think the new management team is focused on reinventing the company, the first quarter is off to a hazy start and prospects for the rest of 2003 look even fuzzier.

We would be better buyers on weakness rather than sellers on weakness, given an expected sales acceleration in April, which could carry into summer.

Right now there's no deal on the Gordie Howe project. Obviously it's something we've taken a look at and are looking at, but we haven't made a deal on anything. ... Right now it's just a little too early.

Purchasing patterns have been changing for a long time. It used to be you bought for Christmas when you bought for back-to-school. Today, there's no reason to buy ahead of your need when you can buy it when you need it at a better price.

April should recover nicely benefiting from more seasonal weather and pent-up demand.

The bottom line at Gap is that despite egregious merchandising, the power of the brand enabled it to clear product at more favorable margin rates than expected.

The weekly updates were a little tedious and not terribly relevant. They generally don't measure trends very well.

For consumers, it's a good time. Procrastinators will be rewarded.

The near-term is fraught with more questions than answers. Sales comparisons are likely to toughen dramatically going forward.

Clearly the economy is not helping. Consumers are relatively strapped, and they're focusing more of their time and attention on the big discount days, like black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and today.

Gap has to know that it can't spend its way to success. The marketing message may be good, but if they can't get their product right, it won't help. The consumer ultimately votes with the wallet.

The Easter shift really exposed the soft underbelly of those retailers that have been struggling.

The company is spending like it's 1999. While the consumer is in a state of partial paralysis, this may not be the best time to put the expense pedal to the metal.

The looks have become cleaner and more basic. The ramifications for that are lower price points and lower margins.