Tracy Kogan - Credit Suisse
Thanks, just a follow up on the earlier question about the cost of closing. The kids and men’s stores; given the state of the capital market, have you come up with a plan B for J. Jill? In other words have you talked with any of the landlords about the potential cost of closing some of those stores or would you maybe convert some of those to Talbots? Thanks.
Trudy Sullivan
So, first we are not going to comment on anything that has to do with the J. Jill transaction and then I will pass it to Ed for the men’s and kids answer.
Ed Larsen
Well, I think we covered the men’s and kids. It costs us about nine months rent to get out.
Operator
Your next question comes from Jennifer Black with Jennifer Black & Associates.
Jennifer Black - Jennifer Black & Associates
It seems as though that you have a huge opportunity in jewelry and I’m assuming that the margins are much higher in jewelry and so I wondered if you could speak to that and then also are there any accessory classifications that you are excited about and then I guess secondly will you be focusing less on the refined product because you spoke about the refined product not doing as well?
Trudy Sullivan
Jennifer, we have a significant opportunity in jewelry and we’re excited about it and your comment on margins is right on. Other categories that we are really doing extremely well within accessories right now, is the whole scarf category and as we tightly merchandise scarves to every single brand moment, we’ve seen really accelerated sell-through in every single delivery on the scarf business, so we are very excited there. We are excited about the handbag business and we are starting to get excited about reinventing our shoe business. We’ll have a new approach to that, but all-in-all, as we said, the accessory business could actually double in size for Talbots, that’s the opportunity we have in that category and we’re particularly focused on the jewelry and fashion accessory side of it. So, the second question?
Ed Larsen
Refined.
Trudy Sullivan
Oh refined sorry. We are a brand that always has to have a balance between casual and refined. Right now the casual side of the business is what is really, really driving our business with great strength in categories like jackets of all types, high novelty content. Where we don’t do well in refined is where it’s a literal suit, it’s a very conservative classic, very matched suit. So, our approach to refined is going to be more a refined sportswear approach as opposed to a refined suiting approach and of course we’ll continue to push casual. All of our research shows us that she loves casuals and she wants us to do even more and that’s the best where we are planning at.
Jennifer Black - Jennifer Black & Associates
Thank you.
Operator
Your next question comes from Barbara Wyckoff with Buckingham Research. |