Retail

Retail sales lift back-to-school outlook for consumer goods

The outlook for consumer goods spending remains positive heading into the back-to-school season given signs from key economic and consumer indicators—including mostly healthy retail sales by channel. The signs for the short term are distilled from the data storyboard below, which…




Spending letup persists—adjusting for an early Easter

Adjusting for the impact of an early Easter this year, consumers’ retail spending through March remains slower than the strong November-December holiday period. The slowdown is in retail sales excluding autos, fuel, and restaurant. Taking a toll on sales are higher…




Initial Holiday Results: Much better than expected

Holiday sales for November-December approached a 6% gain, which outpaced forecasts of a better holiday and year-ago performance by as much as two percentage points or more. The strength was evident across all types of brick and mortar stores—not just online….