mottusbeauty.com

Steve Sadove may feel that he has a thankless job as CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue. A veteran of Clairol (pre-Procter purchase), Sadove is a mass marketer trying to stick a size 12 woman into a size 6, hoping she doesn’t notice the snug fit. 

With the austere chic message coming from Washington, D.C. and a truly rotten economy, Sadove has seen monthly sales drops in the 20 to 30 percent range. Inventories have swelled, and we now learn that the store will stock 20 percent less stilettos and men’s suits. Size options will be reduced in women’s apparel. 

So, we guess that petite women will shop in the children’s shop and stout women will have to make special appointments with Omar the Tentmaker. Hello! You have to know your customers and buy accordingly. That had been Saks’ key to success for generations. But since senior buyers were dropped (too expensive) and young twinkies (cheap and cheerful) replaced them, Saks uses computer modeling to select sizes and styles. 

This is not dissimilar to how P&G runs its makeup and hair coloring businesses. The selections are narrowed to improve turnover. And what is the difference between a $10 hair color and a $3,000 frock? That question will be answered whether sales increase and inventories drop.