To many, maybe even most, Americans, Jane Fonda is the Wal-Mart of activist celebrities--a category killer when it comes to personifying the loathsome limousine liberal, that subspecies of Hollywood Democrat which, in some tellings, is more responsible for the great Republican political ascendancy than the end of the Cold War, Bill Clinton's zipper problems, or George W.

The store is regarded as a category killer for "cheap and chic retail" and has built a reputation in Europe for offering trendy, runway and street-inspired clothing at affordable prices.

``It's because they are a category killer,'' said James Janesky, an analyst with Banc of America Securities in San Francisco.