Editor's Take: Opportunity Knocking in 2010?

But here are the flip sides: A possible sales driver is that everything's marked down. And with all the cost cutting going on, marketers' profit levels should kick up a notch. That'll likely leave you in a better position for a turnaround early next year. It could — and in theory should — lead to new hiring initiatives, useful technology investments and better merchandise offerings, all of which could spur greater consumer spending.