"A difficult second half": Fabulous Excuses By Clothing Retailers As Sales Fall Apart

``Whatever the creative and hilarious excuses of our revenue-challenged retailers might be, reality is that strung-out consumers, whose wages have not kept up with inflation -- those lucky ones who have jobs -- are prioritizing their purchases. It's easier than ever to borrow at still historically low rates to buy a car, and that's what they're doing. For now. But interest rates are rising....''