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I wonder, if maybe this trend in raising the prices in normally average priced chain stores has to do with the guys? ZTAngel is right, women will not spend $140 on a pair of jeans from one store when they know they can get a "higher" brand pair for the same price. However, I think Abercrombie and Express Men are really sticking it to the guys who shop in their stores. For the AVERAGE male, there is no more expensive equivalent that doesn't cross into territory that most of them would consider gay. I do not know any girls with those $120 Abercrombie jeans, but I know plenty of guys who are buying them, because they look cool and they don't want to have to shop somewhere else.
I agree that the prices in Express are getting ridiculous and, although I have never shopped there with frequency, the recent changes in merchandise pricing have caused me to not go there at all on my shopping trips.
I do not understand why companies would push this price increase. Perhaps they are focusing on urban shoppers? The young female shopper in a large city possibly has the income to spend $90-150 dollars on single items of clothing that are of average quality. But, using the example of North Carolina, there are many small town malls where Express is one of the few choices young women have for stylish clothes... and they do not have the discretionary income to pay these higher prices unless they are looking for something special like a coat or handbag.
God forbid if these price increases ever happen at the Gap... I would probably just die.
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