The best numbers came from the Department of Commerce, which estimated that U.S. retail growth during the holiday season came in at 4.1% over 2012 sales. Other organizations released estimates that were a bit less robust: the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported 3.8% growth, the International Council of Shopping Centers checked in with 3.0%, and ShopperTrak announced that sales that were up 2.7%.
blog-updates
The Rougher Side of Sears
Sears Holding Corp., which includes both Sears and Kmart, has been experiencing declining sales since they merged in 2005. However, their holiday sales really raised some eyebrows, as the company reported an adjusted loss of somewhere between $811 and $914 million in 2013…
Feelings and Forecasts for 2014
With a little more than a week remaining in 2013, I think now is a good time to reflect on what we learned this year and begin to look ahead to what we can expect to see in 2014. I suspect that many retailers will continue to downsize their physical footprints, and I anticipate a […]
Tax and Spend?
While there has been debate about the issue for years, the idea of an internet sales tax has gained steam recently, with the U.S. Senate passing the Marketplace Fairness Act in early May, and President Obama on the record as supporting it. In my opinion, the impact of an internet sales tax is two-fold. Online […]
Holiday-style promotions become a year-round affair
Holiday-style promotions become a year-round affair Justine Griffin/Sarasota Herald-Tribune Following a relatively flat 2012 holiday shopping season, retail chains are extending holiday-time promotions to spur sales, touching off what analysts say will be an unpredictable spending climate throughout this year. In many cases, the tactics this year are ones merchants kicked off in 2012, ranging […]
Fiscal Cliffhanger
Several weeks ago, retail analysts were predicting holiday spending increases by as much as 5 percent. But with the onslaught of media attention surrounding the potential for next January’s fiscal cliff, I think some of those initial predictions may have been too optimistic. Instead, I believe we could see spending increase in the 2 to […]
