Wal-Mart swung what would have been a year-over-year loss for the month to a gain of 1.2%, but other retailers reported improvements (either increases or signs of steadying sales). The New York Times May 7, 2009
Casting a pall over the Hoiday season, the Commerce Department reported Friday U.S. retail sales dropped by 2.8% in October, the largest monthly drop since it began keeping this particular, broad measure of retail sales in 1992. It was the fourth straight month of declines in consumer spending. The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 17, 2008) [...]
Sales rose in six of eight major categories Statistics Canada tracks, including a 2.5 percent increase at clothing stores and a 1.3 percent increase for food and beverages. The New York Times (Aug. 21, 2008)
Retailers received some good news this week. Reports showed that sales attributed to the July 4 holiday and the receipt of stimulus checks increased chain-store sales 2.3%. Widespread discounts and promotions are expected to clear out merchandise for July, typically a slow retail month, but the general health of retailers in the slowing economy remains [...]
Retail sales rose by 1% last month, double the expected rate, with sales at gas stations and general merchandise outlets leading the way. The Commerce Department’s sales report for May, released today, also revised upward retail sales figures for April and March, from a drop of 0.2% to an increase of 0.4% and from an [...]
Meredith Corporation announced that it is cutting 60 jobs and opting not to fill 60 open positions. Twenty of the layoffs are reported to come from the magazines business, but were described as “very selective.” The remainder of the layoffs are from the book and broadcasting division, but all of the cuts were [...]
Consumer spending fell by 0.6% in February, a considerably worse performance than the 0.2% drop analysts had forecast. It was the second drop in three months and another sign that consumers may not be able to overcome the pressures of the prolonged housing slump, record-high energy prices and the credit crisis. The New York Times [...]
A Commerce Department report released yesterday showed a 0.3% increase in retail sales, offsetting a 0.4% decline in December and leading to an up day on Wall Street. The devil is in the details, however. The report also showed households spending more on food and necessitites, and pulling back on discretionary purchases. The New York Times (Feb. [...]