Dana Telsey Year Quotations

Apparel overall is showing a mixed picture. There's been a lot of pressure on the apparel side, particularly among specialty retailers, to keep prices down but we think that situation will improve as the year goes on.

Basically the economy is sluggish. We are seeing consumers resisting spending and the outlook for the second half of the year is not as bright as it had been. Even Wal-Mart said its second half will not be as strong.

You're getting quarterly reports and news about August sales this week, and retail stocks have also been beaten down, so you're seeing some strength in the sector. Retailers have managed their second half of the year well, which is positive for back-to-school and Christmas sales, both crucial for the sector.

The weakness in the stock price, despite the better-than-expected earnings, is due to the company saying it sees same-store sales (sales at stores open a year or more) in the second quarter rising 2-to-4 percent, when yesterday (Monday), Lowe's said 4-to-6 percent.