Editor's Note: Experts Forecast the Retail Trends to Watch

"One area of intense scrutiny this year will be our gross margins. We don't want to sacrifice profitability for top-line revenue growth, but at the same time, we want to offer some unique values to our home furnishings shoppers that distinguish us from competitors. What does this mean? Smart, opportunistic buying (e.g., manufacturer closeouts, volume buying, etc.) as well as intelligent pricing that maximizes profitability while keeping us competitive. We can't be all things to all consumers, but we can offer high quality and good value across all channels in the niche market that we dominate." — Richard Sexton, Founder and President, Carolina Rustica