By Mark Albright, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
NEW YORK
With holiday shoppers feeling better about spending, the nation's retailers are encouraged about their prospects in what's shaping up as a long jobless recovery.
"Our premium brands like Sperry are doing terrific while our mass-market brands like Payless Shoes Source remain challenged," said Matt Rubel chief executive of Collective Brands, the nation's biggest footwear chain. "But I'm seeing positive signs. The high-end customer clearly is back. And when we do get the mainstream customer in the store, they buy."
Perpetual optimists, top retail industry leaders in New York for the annual National Retail Federation convention heard forecasts of continued modest economic growth and jobs despite rising prices for gas, cotton and many food items.
"After three very lean years, 2011 should be very good," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "We ...