Dullsville.

There has been ice on the roads this evening, so business was slow at the store. It was so slow that I was able to completely zone "A-block" all by myself, finishing it at 7:00 with nothing else to do but make it look like I'm working 'till 10:00. Usually it takes several people in an evening to completely finish A-block. The girl at the customer service desk had me go fetch her "Sudoku" puzzle book from her locker.

One thing I've started to notice is that the shelves are starting to look a little empty behind the front facing of each item of merchandise. That's not unusual in the retail biz during January, after Christmas when inventory budgets are tight. The thing is that the emptiness is store-wide. If the emptiness lasts after about February or March, then it's not a good sign.

I'm curious just what is the case. In my frequent trips over to "big blue," I notice the shelves are quite a bit fuller still, though there may be a light spot or two. It seems to me they are getting better inventory turns and still keeping a good on-hand position. That is, of course, if they haven't borrowed to finance their purchasing during the first quarter, which some retailers do. Time will tell.