ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

What's your sense of the true health of the retail sector these days?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

I think that we're coming off of comps against a year ago which were particularly tricky, so I think that we had a difficult first half of the year. And I think that there's mixed reviews going into the second half of this year as well, so I wouldn't be- I think things are okay. I wouldn't say they are- I wouldn't be wildling cards by those numbers and I'm not disappointed by them.

ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

Not disappointed but not encouraged, so here we are looking forward to the holiday season, what can we expect?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

I think that, in general, you're going to see more going into the second half as you did going into- coming into this year. I think that the consumer, while played by some better- the better jobs picture, even the gas prices are looking a little better, You're still not seeing them open their wallet quite the way they- people would like them to.

ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

And so we're seeing discounting, How big an issue is that when you talk to your clients?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

I think that in particular the back-to-school and the children's area of the business it's hugely competitive right now. Inventories tend to be I think in general in line right now. People have planned pretty well for it. But nonetheless, they're- the comps are being eroded, therefore margin is going really come into question here based on that competition for those dollars. It's really about share of market right now.

ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

Share of market, so the bigger- the market isn't growing, they're not necessarily getting a bigger piece of the growing economy. How does that affect the retail sector?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

I think that the retail sector is really, right now, innovating particularly through technology actually using omni-channel. The bigger retailers are benefiting most in that regard because they're actually able to spend in engineering and technology groups to actually help them create an omni-channel experience. Omni-channel, meaning, being able to shop on a mobile device, on a computer, and in store. And so the customer has as many options as possible to shop.

ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

Your firm has a big focus on technology. In fact, you started a new division called Traub Accelerator. The focus on- focuses on technology and innovation. What are we going to see going forward, like wearable technology? I mean, is that really going to be mainstream because we're hearing from Ralph Lauren with their wearable technology, their shirts, we're hearing from, for example, Tory Burch I think has wearable technology with Fitbit? What's next?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

I think the most important and exciting innovation is actually being rolled out as we speak is what I call point of impulse versus point of purchase. So there's a company for example called Powa Technologies, POWA, who literally have a shopping gun. So if they- if you see something that you like, you can buy it with one click through an app. And I think that being able to bring the shop increasingly into people's lives is what we're going to see happening over the next 18 months.

ANCHOR QUESTION OFF-CAMERA (ENGLISH) SAYING:

When clients come to you, what challenge do they talk about most?

MORTY SINGER, PRESIDENT & CEO, MARVIN TRAUB ASSOCIATES (ENGLISH) SAYING:

They have trouble leaving their comfort zones, therefore, if it means going into an international arena, leaving their native country, leaving their native classification of product, or leaving their native channel of distribution, it's about how to become a global brand. And I think that typically, people have stayed in their lane and now they know they have to really move out of that lane, and that's how we help them. And the flip side of that is the consumer.