The recovery hinges on retail basics: a better customer shopping experience and fast response to fashion. On the latter, 80% of its clothing business is ladies wear, and the retailer's lead time on introducing new fashion is six to eight weeks versus 11 months five years ago. Woolworths joins its peers Truworths and The Foschini Group in offering a sober outlook for the apparel segment. "I get the sense that these retailers have been hit more by structural changes such as competition and promotional activity changes than cyclical changes like economic growth and low consumer confidence.