The Difference Between Coal and Diamonds is...

Pressure!

In our case, let's call it "Downward Pressure."

As a result of: 

being heavily inventoried

awful Holiday sales results

shrinking access to credit

Large retailers, especially those of the high-end variety, have not been able to order goods in their usual quantities from vendor partners.

This has created a boom in luxury goods at what I have coined as "echo-sites", defined as reputable retailers, usually restricted from carrying the brands due to the retailers discounting policies.

If one regularly reads the Oasis, this comes as no surprise, as the post-Thanksgiving business (or lack thereof), presaged this inevitability.

Last August TJX , the Marshall's and TJ Maxx parent company, announced plans to designate special floor space at each of it's locations to better spotlight the new collections previously unavailable to them.

And if that is not enough to convince skeptics, my trip to a Oasis fave, Costco, should do the trick.

While shopping at my neighborhood Costco in Chicago yesterday, The first table I encountered in the clothing area was stacked high with Ed Hardy t-shirts. These were not clearance peices, sent as one off, but piled high and 12 different shirts to chose from. 

What makes this development even more interesting was the price, an astonishing $31.99 for your choice of the shirts! The Nordstrom website has Ed Hardy t-shirts (while not exactly the same) for $106.

After collecting my usual food, book and hygiene needs, I noticed another table in the clothing area with an unusual amount of activity. Only this one had several women sorting though Seven Jeans. 

While the Neiman Marcus website features denim by Seven Jeans for prices ranging from $155 to (gulp!) $275, Costco sells 4 styles, all at $99.00! 

With the realities of the new economy becoming more clear each day, which of these three retailers seems better suited to deliver on their customer's demand for fashion and value?

Me too.