Dana Telsey Certainly Quotations

Gap's basic and fashion merchandise is certainly not getting the right mix in order to sell more goods at full price.

The holiday season was a little bit choppy. We started off strong, it dipped in the middle, and this last week certainly was the biggest week.

As you can see, Christmas is spread out -- not just among December but among January as well. Promotions certainly helped to drive those sales and you can see what the consumer is looking for. It all depend on price.

Typically, if rates increase, basically if we get the sense that we're more near the end of the rate increases than the beginning of the rate increases, that would certainly be a positive for our sector. Retail stocks are basically early cycle stocks. And if we get the sense that we are more near the end than at the beginning, the low valuations of these stocks will prove attractive to many investors.

Some of the names that fit into that context actually names like The Gap ( GPS : Research , Estimates ). Basic items like jeans and khakis, people certainly going there on a repeat basis.

It's certainly a boon to the luxury business. That exclusivity has made more people willing to pay full price for merchandise the moment they think they can get it, which has helped the bottom line.

It's certainly a boon to the luxury business.

Projections for the Christmas season really haven't changed very much. While some of the retail stocks certainly have come back a lot, we haven't seen sales overall pick up dramatically. The good companies like the Gap, are still doing very well, while the companies that have been struggling continue to do so.