August Sales: Seasonal Upswing
The change of season is doing exactly what we hoped it would: giving customers a reason to refresh their wardrobes.
Our client stores posted another strong month in August, with sales up 7% overall compared with last year. That’s particularly encouraging because we were going up against some strong numbers from August 2025.
Men led the way, with menswear up 11%, while women’s wear increased 3%.
The biggest story continues to be Clothing, which was up an impressive 16%. Early strength in sport coats and outerwear drove both the dollar volume and the percentage gain, more than offsetting a significant weakness in sweaters, which were down 4%.
Sportswear also had a good month, increasing 9%.
But the bigger story here may be what’s happening with the way men are dressing.
After years of increasingly casual dressing, including at work, we are seeing what looks like a meaningful shift back toward more polished clothing.
Women’s Sales Hold Their Ground
Women’s wear grew 3% last month, which might look modest compared with menswear. But the number needs some context: women’s sales were already up 11% a year earlier.
Holding onto that level of business while comping against a strong year is an accomplishment, and we continue to see opportunities in the fall assortment.
Much of the gains in women’s came from special orders, up 119% over last year, while sweaters sagged (just as they did in menswear), down 19%.
Buy Into What’s Working, Then Get Ready for Gifting
There are really two opportunities in front of us right now:
First, chase the winners. Identify the key items that are moving early and make sure reorders are in the pipeline before you run out of the merchandise customers want.
Consider both percentage growth and dollar contribution. A 50% increase on a small category may sound impressive, but the dollars matter more when you’re deciding where to put your OTB.
Then take that analysis one step further: What does your cumulative OTB tell you through October 31? Are you adequately funded in the categories that are driving the business, or are you leaving sales on the table?
The second opportunity is December. Now is the time to make sure your inventory is positioned for holiday and gift giving, particularly in Accessories, Home, Lifestyle and other non-apparel categories.
Last year gave us a pretty clear lesson. The stores with a strong assortment of giftable merchandise outperformed.
Blacks’ Bottom Line
Our fall/holiday outlook remains strong. Make sure you have enough of what’s working and gift selections outside of apparel.
