DALLAS, Dec 7, 2008 / FW/ — Black & gold as Christmas colors do not look festive but for some reason, Saks Fifth Avenue decided that for their Dallas location, those are the perfect shades for the season, the anathema of its festive store windows for its New York flagship.
So, if this black & gold is the corporate store windows for Saks Fifth Avenue, i.e., this is the look for the whole country except for the New York store, then, instead of helping to attract customers, chances are it just made them go away.
Last Thursday (Dec 4), Saks Incorporated, operator of Saks Fifth Avenue reported that for November, total sales was $332.9 million compared to $347.6 million during the same period last year, a 4.2% decrease. Comparable store sales decreased 5.2% for the month. In the prior year, comparable store sales increased 25.7%.
For November, the strongest businesses and categories at Saks Fifth Avenue were women’s designer apparel, handbags, women’s and men’s shoes, men’s contemporary apparel, and Saks Direct.
The weakest categories at Saks Fifth Avenue for November were women’s bridge, petite, and Salon Z (large size) apparel; women’s outerwear; men’s accessories; jewelry; fragrances and cosmetics; and intimate apparel.
True, there is a recession going on in the U.S. and Saks Fifth Avenue is not alone in reporting dismal financial reports. Still, looking at the store windows, instead of going inside the store for some retail therapy, I felt like walking away, which I actually did because the black and gold as Christmas colors just did not make me want to spend money.
[MARI DAVIS]
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