links for 2008-07-08

July 8, 2008

A few days ago my front page greeting on the Mintel reports website was some analysis for M&S and ASOS sales - why is the latter doing so well while M&S seems to be stuck in a rut with their sales?

The report summarized it as a thing of demographics - the fact that ASOS is more popular than M&S because they aim their clothing towards a younger audience, not just due to the fact that they’re an online retailer and that’s currently the way forward these days. That and to add the fact that they have better-looking clothes that resemble the ones on Net-a-Porter or even Neiman Marcus and others for a lot less. The Mintel report observed that credit card borrowing is at an all-time high and people are using them to pay mortgages so they’ve ran out of funds for buying on the high-street, hence the “gloom” in the UK. But the ASOS audience is the last to be hit by the downturn because they don’t have any mortgages to repay or any obligations so they can happily spend, spend, spend.

This makes me wonder how many people (with financial obligations) borrow to support their lifestyle - because it’s never the case of giving up when you’ve reached a certain status. That is, if you feel the need to worry about things even more! Something tells me it must be quite bad.

links for 2008-07-07

July 7, 2008

links for 2008-07-06

July 6, 2008

  • The country is reeling from 11.4% inflation, large government deficits, and rising interest rates. Foreign investment in India’s stock market is fleeing, the rupee is falling, and the stock market is down over 40% from the year’s highs.

links for 2008-07-04

July 4, 2008

links for 2008-06-30

June 30, 2008

Working Holiday

June 29, 2008

I’m in Romania on what’s supposed to be my ‘holiday’ after exams and instead I am working. Because I am a masochist and it’s a really good feeling. I love it.

links for 2008-06-26

June 26, 2008

links for 2008-06-25

June 25, 2008

I’m a very happy person. And it’s bloody great because I haven’t been this happy in a long while. And oh, yes, it just gets better and better. I love it!