"A lot of companies and sectors out there did well, better than analysts expected," particularly the more exclusive retailers, said Chris Donnelly, a senior executive in the retail practice at Accenture, the consulting firm.
High-end retailers "don't have to do anything desperate — it's kind of hard to see a 5 a.m. queue outside of a Fifth Avenue luxury retailer," said Chris Donnelly, a senior executive in Accenture's retail practice.
The thinking of retailers is smart, said Chris Donnelly, a senior executive in the retail practice of Accenture.
"This isn't really about food safety; it's about effective food labeling; it's about proper retail practice.
"You're always going in and changing prices and that takes manual labor," said Ronald Friedman, retail practice leader at the accounting firm Marcum.
Chris Donnelly, a senior executive in the retail practice at Accenture, said the results were good but no one should get carried away.
Sherif Mityas, a partner in the retail practice of A. T. Kearney, a management consulting company, described the industry mood as "muted exuberance".
Ms. Horbach, 52, who now runs the consumer and retail practice at the Carlyle Group, is no longer in a class by herself.
"You want to be open if they want to go shopping," said Laura Gurski, a partner and global head of A.T. Kearney's retail practice.
"It's really a game of chicken," said David Bassuk, managing director and head of the retail practice at the consultant firm AlixPartners.
"I think it's going to be a turbulent, tough holiday," said David Bassuk, managing director and head of the global retail practice at AlixPartners, a consulting firm.
