Consumers voted with their pocketbooks and found favor with merchandise offerings at certain retailers, spurring home improvement (Bombay) and gadget sales (Sharper Image) even as discretionary income tightened. ... Wholesale clubs Costco and BJ's enjoyed accelerated traffic as consumers sought terrorist survival goods and with snow conditions, stocking up became a trend. ... The ladies liked Fred's as they shopped intimate apparel, accessories, cosmetics and fragrances. ... Claire's comps were accessorized in both North America and Europe while the "Icing" on the cake was postive as well. ... The icon of the drug scene continues to be wall to Wal-green. ... Wilson's leather, having misfired in the past, was marked by promotions that drove comps to avoid a repeat. ... Gap performance was 180 degrees from last year and may be the beginning of their long-touted turnaround. ... As winter wore on in the East, the sun shone on Pacific Sunwear as the patter of teen feet greeted cash registers.

When you wish upon a "rising star", you better have great merchandising or big promotions. ... Bombay is clearly the former and Wilson's is clearly the latter. ... Decked out in stripes, Gap merchandise was stripped from the racks. ... Gadget addict customers continue like groupies, a cult that keeps Sharper Image's registers rolling. ... What teenagers and their slightly older sisters couldn't find at Pacific Sunwear, they found or accessorized at Claire's. ... Dillards posted a modest improvement as it tried to reinvent itself. ... Both The Men's Wearhouse and S&K Famous were the favorite haunts for the male set seeking suit values and casual wear. ... The classy classic woman seems to be satisfied with her wardrobe and is not revisiting Talbots, famous for this fashion trend, as a narrowed comp decline puts them on our list of Rising Stars.

Typically, this shortest month of the year benefits from President's Day holiday sales events that drive store traffic. Not this year, as the worst blizzard in decades pummeled the South and East. This impact was particularly visible in Bobs Stores, which had planned for an almost 19% comp decline due to the absence of the Patriots as a Super Bowl contender but instead was dealt a 23% decrease. ... The fickle teen market "sealed" Wet Seal's fate, with comps again falling precipitously. ...The Children's Place's new merchandising efforts have not yet translated to positive comps. ... Merchandising is also an issue at Bebe as the shift to more sophisticated items did not bring the fast paced return of more sophisticated shoppers . ... Elder-Beerman's declines are weather related while DSW Shoe Warehouse and Filene's Basement (both part of Value City Deparment Stores-Retail Ventures) saw declines grow across the board. ... West Marine reflects more controlled discretionary spending coupled with typical off season performance. ... Deb Shops' negative performance is atypical and unfortunately twice as bad as last month. ... Customers seemingly on a "united front" are deserting this retailer's aisles as the comp slide continued.

With all of the "Bottom 10" experiencing double digit declines, it'a no surprise that many also head our list of "Falling Stars", particularly since a number of these retailers experienced a mini-resurgence last February. Wet Seal, Aeropostale and Deb Shops each previously held favor in the full range teen market. ... Pier 1 and Haverty Furniture had been reaping the benefit of the "there's no place like home" consumer mentality before geopolitical issues coupled with economic uncertainty pressured consumer spending patterns. ... A lack of a New England team in the Super Bowl hurt Bobs. ... A tough comparison and reduced discretionary spending caused West Marine's underwater performance. ... The declining comps at Filene's and United Retail are evidence of even value shoppers pulling in their horns. ... Elder-Beerman had the misfortune of the snow-belt finding their doorstep, causing intermitent closings.

February was not the month for "wearable" merchandise as the Apparel, Department Stores and Footwear industries each experienced comp declines. ... The sneaker set was hit hard with even the "best" Sporting Goods retailer reporting a double-digit drop. ... Home is clearly where the heart is and consumers flocked to hot electronic products to round out their furnishing purchases. ... Money spent on aches and pains accelerated as snow shoveling became a consumer pastime. ... "The Walmart Effect" led Mass Merchandisers to attract a mass of consumers to the primarily value oriented products for which they have become so well known.