Retailers aren't commonly considered cyclical stocks, but I think they probably should be. Not only are clothing retailers vulnerable to the economic cycle, but also the vagaries of merchandising and customer response to their product line up. Companies as varied as American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO), Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF), Bebe (Nasdaq:BEBE) and Chico's (NYSE:CHS) have all shown this boom-bust pattern in their financial reports and it appears to be a "feature" of the industry.