Fashion to Figure CEO on Industry and Consumer Spending Trends

Trends in Fashion to Figure’s plus-size women’s segment are very similar to the more over-served women’s market because FTF is a fashion retailer first. The head creative people at FTF come from places like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, which lends to up-to-the-minute fashion. This makes the product compelling to any audience, the only difference is FTF starts at size 12. Regarding discretionary spending overall, Kaplan feels it is a very precarious environment partially due to weather in the retail channel. Most consumers are being very judicious and guarded with their dollars based on the macroeconomic trauma the U.S. has been through and the current environment. Kaplan believes a new sense of normalcy still remains to be seen due to so many variables like inflation, job creation and wage growth and healthcare.