This week I took a guided tour through Dante’s circles of hell. I went swim suit shopping. Like most women, I would rather have a root canal.

I visited a once high-end chain and wanted to leave after 15 minutes. The carpet was filthy, and it emitted an odd odor.

The only way I can explain what has happened in retail is to suggest some decision makers have suffered frontal lobe damage—which has caused retail sales damage. Another plausible explanation would be that these decision makers ceased caring what customers want and began offering what they want to offer.

For example, on February 28, 2005, Federated acquired The May Department Stores Company and promptly changed the name of Chicago’s Marshal Field’s to Macy’s, despite organized protest to the contrary. Their sales and customer loyalty have never recovered.

Several years before that I worked for a large retail chain, providing coaching for some of their general managers. I asked the manager of a large store in Utah what significant challenges he faced. He said, “Selling all these racks of sleeveless tops.” I observed, “Mormon women don’t wear sleeveless tops.” He asked how I seemed to know that but the buyers for major department stores in Utah didn’t.

Most industries have declined during this current economic downturn, but retail has suffered disproportionately. Arguably, people don’t want to spend money on nonessentials right now, but when we do shop, we demand a pleasant shopping experience and merchandise we want.

Since my shots are all up to date, I don’t think I contracted any fatal diseases during this recent shopping trip to the inferno. But I did write off a major retailer in the process. How many of us can afford to lose even one customer? If we want to be better, we’ll have to do better.

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