Why are Talbots and Abercrombie & Fitch suffering a retail nightmare?

If you are interested in retail then this is a must read article.

2009 has been a brutal year for both companies. Abercrombie & Fitch same-store sales have dropped by 29% - the apparel sector as a whole has declined by 6.4%.

For the second quarter ended Aug. 2, Talbots reported a 25% decline in same-store sales.

Why are Abercrombie & Fitch and Talbots, retailers at opposite ends of the demographic spectrum experiencing such a nightmare? Read the article if you want to find out. Dick Stroud