10 Questions for H. Lee Scott

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The thing that we see that really tells us the most about the consumer's financial situation is displaced merchandise. [Customers] fill their baskets; then what they do is take that merchandise out as they pick other things up. When the economy gets tougher, we have to go through that store more frequently. We saw that this year particularly as we got later in the summer.

SO WILL CONSUMERS HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS?

Christmas will come. It comes every year. But it comes later every year as people take that last paycheck and go shopping. That means retailers have to be sharper in their offerings, so I think it will be very good for the consumer.

BE HONEST. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN HALF A BAG OF COOKIES IN TARGET AND THEN JUST LEFT IT THERE?

No. At Target or anywhere else, if there's a shopping cart blocking a parking space, I'll push it into the store. Retailing is already hard enough.