An available labor pool translates to lower costs,

And God bless Brad Martin.

Our outlook for the balance of the year remains quite cautious as we continue to face the uncertain economic environment, and as we rebound from the Sept. 11 event, ... Our team remains focused on maximizing our operating performance in this challenging retail environment by executing our customer focus strategy while appropriately adjusting operating expenses, inventory and capital spending.

We believe there is a significant growth opportunity for this unique business.

Our comparable store sales results for the quarter exceeded those of our traditional and luxury department store peers, ... This performance reflects implementation of our customer-focused strategies.

Over the last several months, we have thoroughly weighed strategic alternatives for our Northern Department Store Group,