Consumers traditionally barreled through and absorbed higher costs. But it's now no longer just their wallet that's being affected; their emotions are being affected.

When gas prices go up 5 cents a gallon, that's maybe an extra $10 a week out of consumers' pockets. But when they're going up 15 cents and more, it means $20 extra a week.

Gasoline prices are still eating in the consumers' wallet, and fuel costs are now in the price of products that people buy, bringing about inflation worries. The consumer is going to be more budget conscious in the months ahead. They are going to shop around, or they are simply going to shop less.

You can't sit around and say it was the absolute hot item of the season because there wasn't enough of it around.

Image has become important again for the teen consumer — and particularly for the young adult male. This is a generation that never even knew what a suit was, let alone saw their parents in one. They have discovered the suit.

The trend is migrating outward.