Retail's Unhappy Middle Ground

Department stores languish as wealthier rich buyers boost luxury shops and moderate earners facing rising costs flock to discounters

For the nation's major retailers, it's no fun being in the middle these days. The way the sector operates, the winners are serving the market's two extremes, either providing more unique and luxurious products on one hand or goods at low prices on the other. Increasingly, shoppers are choosing sides. And it's splitting retail like never before -- into the haves, with clear positions at either end of the spectrum, and the have-nots stuck in between

Link: Retail's Unhappy Middle Ground.