Holiday

Household retail spending came in below expectations for the November-December holiday period, based on the latest U.S. retail numbers. Online and homegoods specialty stores were among the exceptions reporting healthy growth. Spending generally remained strongest outside of traditional retail stores—especially at…

The holiday will be “deceptively” weak because households continue to spend at a healthy place in many non-retail categories and online. The spending weakness, however, will remain focused in the traditional retail measures that get inordinate attention during the holidays. See…