Retail consultant Steve Pruitt tracks monthly apparel sales trends. Here, he comments on March.
March proved a problematic month for many menswear retailers, since their stores were filled with spring product and the weather wasn’t warm enough to support early sales. Sales dropped from February, when we saw a slight improvement in the 90-day trends.
Part of the challenge for men’s retailers is that the strength we see right now is in sportswear, which isn’t as big-dollar as clothing. And, of course, when clothing sales slow, so do furnishings. Although sportswear should pick up as the weather warms, we don’t expect any big increases in clothing in the near future.
Our best advice for retailers is that as traffic starts to build start executing your planned promotions. It’s time to start offering 25% “friends and family” discounts to get your registers ringing.
Previously: February Sales Pick Up, March Slumps
Steve Pruitt is founder and Senior Consultant of Blacks Retail Analysis and Blacks Consulting. Read his expert advice in our Ask The Experts section online.
Share / Print
Related Posts
No related posts.
Loading ...
