No longer an endangered species, American Eagle's comps just ate market share... Targeted inventory management coupled with value merchandising was the combination that did the trick for Children's Place, a strategy they hope is long lived... Neiman's fan club has taken a liking to their private brands as direct to consumer sales reflect and these folks have money to spend... Walgreen is just that wall to wall green when it comes to posting front end comps, which typically translates to higher margins... Bebe seems to have found a way to corral mall traffic that has been otherwise soft... Wilsons closed 111 stores, a key factor is seeing comps rise, by the way, those promotional sales didn't hurt either... Mens Warehouse comps in part reflect the movement in men's wear to dress up more and that often includes a sport coat and new slacks... Stage Stores comps were driven by a shift in the Texas Tax Holiday weekend... After Victoria's Bath & Body treatment you know she's slipping into a fashionalbly silky "unmentionable" as both companies comps hold firm.

Without question our first two rising stars are double digit winners from our Top 10 list... Wilsons' u-turn to positive comps is acknowledged by its Most Improved status... Stage Stores got a Texas sized boost from the tax holiday shift as did Stein Mart... Women found compelling fall assortments at Lane Bryant as evidenced by comp store sales growth aided by little discounting... Cato Corporation weathered a stormy month weatherwise and a late Labor Day, taking advantage of the shift of tax free holidays... Junior misses were significanly happier with the fresh new looks "for back to school" being offered at Deb Shops, though comps remain negative, and at The Buckle... There were no "n"eedless "m"arkdowns at Neiman Marcus as comps doubled over one year ago.

Despite the introduction of new merchandise and rising average transaction size, double-digit growth in Internet sales and success with Bombay "Kids", comps at the Bombay Company remained mired in the muddy waters of our bottom dwellers... At both Express and Limited apparel sales continued to fall evidencing a market share shift to competitors in their peer group... Wet Seal's performance has been adrift at sea for some number of months and as these comps reflect, management has yet to find its compass... Management's work is never done as increased competition in the maternity category has kept Mothers Work laboring to attract market share... The hot and muggy days of August were not enough to keep customers from their cool reception to Hot Topic's offerings nudging it into our celler dwellers... Ross Stores finally found and removed the bugs in its "Core Merchandising System" in August, however, expect the residual effects to haunt the company through the next six months... Value City has not been able to sell consumers on the idea that they are what their name says and negative comps have them keeping company with our other Bottom 10... A double whammy, a Labor Day shift and catalog mailings naturally put Nauralizer Retail/Brown Shoe on this unenviable list... Payless is what Duane Cantrell is experiencing after reporting comps along with a company-wide restructuring.

Bombay, Hot Topic, Value City and Mothers Work have all been discussed earlier and we are sparing them further commments hoping the Fall will not fail them again... Chico delayed their mailing and suffered the Labor Day shift along with their brethren, but nonetheless despite a visit from Charley comps remained positive... Sharper Image comps dulled albeit sales rose as some shift in sales has occured from brick & mortar locations to the internet... AnnTaylor is looking to their fall collection and marketing initiatives to get comps into the black... Jo Ann had her 60th birthday celebration last year and found comps tough to match absent this promotion... PacSun was up against last year's comps of 15.6% and while comps were in the black this year, the comparison left them labeled a Falling Star... S&K's footprint from Maine to Florida and west to Texas had them bumping into hurricane Charley and absent the Tax Holiday weekend, saw comps fall into red ink.

Consumers reflecting declining confidence and insecurity about jobs and a stalled economic rebound kept their wallets closed last month. Back to school sales that so many retailers were counting on just didn't materialize as kids and parents left apparel hanging and sporting goods on the shelf. One exception was the pick-up in consumer electronics with computers and accesories a must for students of all ages. Also, gas prices hit price point peaks that made filling up the car, pick-up or SUV just short of a capital expenditure. The result was less roaming and more targeted destination shopping.