Some merchants adjusted quickly to the "new normal" of penny-pinching shoppers, but others are still struggling with shrinking consumer budgets or headwinds they were fighting before the bottom fell out. Here's a look at the two groups that are going in two different directions.
Abercrombie & Fitch's idealized (and expensive) version of perpetual youth has worn thin among cash-strapped consumers, threatening the company's sales, stock price, and prospects.
With the prospects for economic recovery iffy at best and consumer spending still sluggish, retailers are closing their weakest stores in order to protect profits.
Shopkick's smartphone app combines location-based features with shopping. The hot startup's plan: When you walk into any partnering retailer, the app will alert you to deals at that store, and reward you with "Kickbucks" just for being there.
The earnings spotlight falls on retailers this week, and expectations are high for many of them, including Abercrombie & Fitch and Dollar Tree, which has benefited from the recession and slow recovery.
Of the many ironies of last week's earthquake in Haiti, this one is the cruelest: In the months before the disaster, international officials believed the outlook for the Western Hemisphere's poorest country was starting to improve. U.S. and South Korean firms were considering expanding operations there.
