Phil Rist Quotations

Many consumers were driven to the stores last weekend by great sales on electronics and toys. Now that many of the most popular electronics are affordable for the average shopper, people are picking up DVD players and digital cameras as gifts, but also for themselves.

The Easter holiday signifies the kickoff to spring, for both consumers and retailers. As Easter approaches, we will begin to see more pastel colors and seasonal merchandise hitting the shelves.

Gasoline prices are still eating in the consumers' wallet, and fuel costs are now in the price of products that people buy, bringing about inflation worries. The consumer is going to be more budget conscious in the months ahead. They are going to shop around, or they are simply going to shop less.

Wal-Mart gets more than 100 million customers a week. It's still growing its sales double-digit every year.

Over the past few years we have seen the bulk of the Valentine's spending shift from young adults to middle-aged consumers.

Retailers look forward to the Super Bowl every year, knowing that it means big business.

Restaurants and bars will benefit greatly from this group's increased spending power.

The jury is still out. Obviously you can create efficiencies by having to only market a single brand across the nation. But at the individual consumer level, I don't know if people are excited. You can change a Kaufmann's to a Macy's, but the staff and lay out remain pretty much the same.

Shopping is a sensory experience. People are subconsciously recording things like the layout of the store, the lighting, whether the aisles are overflowing, whether the prices are clearly indicated and how easy or difficult it is to find a product every time you visit a store.

The Super Bowl is becoming big business for retailers. In addition to purchasing hats and snacks, consumers will be purchasing high-end merchandise, like TVs and entertainment centers, which quickly raises total spending figures.