Saks Outlines Plans For SFA Turnaround

In WWD today "Saks Outlines Plans For SFA Turnaround."

Saks says

The top priority is better inventory management to help gross margins - Fewer Clothes.

SFA will invest in building the Saks luxury image with customers- increasing marketing budgets for more events. Jennings, SFA President, pointed to three new restaurants at SFA as part of the strategy to create a luxury environment. - More Food.
Like I need more food from Saks

From Saks customers I hear they want more educated salespeople, and from the designers/brands that sell to Saks they want more educated buyers.
More than a few times I've heard that vendors are frustrated by 24 year-old buyers with no real knowledge of the area they are buying. Maybe that is why the merchandise mix is often off.

Saks- please stop rearranging the chairs and make us believe in you again.

Use the Apple Stores as a prototype,
They don't need restaurants, they have an educated staff that believe so strongly in the product that a customer cannot help but fall under their spell of confidence and knowledge.
Shopping at Apple is a total WOW experience and that is what I want when spending $2500 on a suit.