21.   Retailers get more excited about cross-promotions from a film than they do seeing a particular star wearing a designer label.

22.   Retailers will get another jolt in April when the government raises the consumption tax and eliminates two years of income tax rebates.

23.   Retailers got a boost from the continued strength of the U.S. economy, marked by healthy job growth, low inflation and rising consumer confidence.

24.   Retailers might get it wrong, but they can always change course.

25.   Retailers also are getting sales at the expense of margins, as they further slash prices.

26.   Retailers also are getting sales at the expense of profit margins, as they continue to slash prices.

27.   Some overseas retailers have already gotten a warm reception from investors.

28.   Still, retailers have gotten so efficient at cutting inventories and other expenses that many were able to sustain an earnings increase despite the harsh sales climate.

29.   The DVD player was clearly the biggest hit at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where retailers get their first peek at new products.

30.   The retailer gets the buyer to think he is getting a bargain.