Trading Retail Same-Store Sales (Includes Video)

This complimentary article from Options Profits was originally published on April 2. Don't risk missing over 40 options trade ideas every week and exclusive commentary from over 15 experts. Click here for more information and a 14-Day Free Trial.

**I asked Mark Sebastian's wife, Lauren of the Big Blonde Hair Blog (and professional shopper) to use her fashion industry experience and give us some retail picks as we head into same-store sales. Wall Street analysts do these types of channel checks all the time in the retail space and she is one of the top consultants in the sector. Many of her picks coincide with the content across TheStreet's premium suite of products. Like I have said multiple times in various media outlets, one of the most identifiable trading trends for 2012 is this is a stock picker's environment more so than we have seen in the past two years and the retail group is the perfect place to call out trades. Let's take a look at her ideas followed by Mark's options strategy.

Trade well, Jill, Editor of Options Profits**

Lauren: Many parts of the country are experiencing unseasonably warm weather this Spring. While this leaves many men excitedly asking "Can I get a 7am tee time", it leaves a lot of their female counterparts screaming "What am I going to wear?", fearful of having to pull Spring 2011's neutral's out of the closet instead of Spring 2012's bright bolds and pale pastels. So what's a girl to do? My advice -- Shop. Immediately. While this is often my solution, this time it looks like many people are on the same page.

Jill and Brian Sozzi from Real Money Pro did a quick review on trends and the impact of weather leading into Thursday when retailers report same-store sales. Let's take a quick look: