Aggression or Recession?

I missed the little interesting tidbit in yesterday's "Around the Town" item in the Daily News (more on a later post)about Chico's.

Apparently, Chico's may not be coming. The company pulled Newburyport off its Web site and the infamous Monster ad can't be found anywhere.

So, are they pulling out? Looks like it although the Daily News couldn't get either of the interested parties to talk about it.

The item did suggest that perhaps Chico's management shifted gears when faced with the local opposition, as meager as it was.

Oh, I doubt it.

The more likely culprit? Chico's is hurting. Its stock--which traded at $25-plus in the summer--now is at $7.

And the company expects to report its first quarterly loss in 11 years.

It isn't alone. This whole "Missy" segment--women over 35 (I bet you all love that name)--is hurting.