New York – Since mid-July, new fall fashions have been gathering dust on racks at the nation’s retailers.
It’s now almost the end of September, and for many merchants, a combination of hot weather, subdued fashions in dark colors, high gasoline prices and the ripple effects of Hurricane Katrina have made shoppers avoid clothing stores.
If sales don’t pick up soon, retailers will be forced to cancel some future fall orders, fueling more concern about consumer spending for the holiday season.
“I am still in flip flops. I am just not there mentally,” said Lina Allocca, from Madison, N.J.
None of this bodes well for spending, which has been one of the engines driving the nation’s economy.
“Business has turned really sluggish. There is a lack of traffic in the stores,” said Roseanne Cumella, senior vice president of merchandising at the Doneger Group, a New York-based retail consultancy, which advises major stores on what fashions to buy. “There is overall uncertainty with the economy and gas prices.”
