Retail sales have stabilised this month, according to a trade association survey, but they remain too weak to suggest consumers are finally shaking off their financial gloom. The CBI business lobby’s monthly distributive trades survey was better than economists expected: a third of retailers said sales were higher this month than the same time a [...]
Asda’s UK Grocery Market Share Rises To 17.9% – WSJ.com
March 27, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
LONDON (Dow Jones)–Asda’s U.K. market share rose to an all time high with a year-on-year market share growth rate of 7.8% leading the big four, according to the latest figures from Kantar Tuesday, largely reflecting the full integration of its Netto stores. For the 12 weeks ended March 18, Asda’s market share rose to 17.9%, [...]
Two Retail Stocks Not Yet Hurt By High Gasoline: COST, RTH – Wall Street Pit
March 26, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
High gasoline prices will usually hurt most leading retail stocks eventually. Gasoline prices just reached a new three year high on March 23, 2012. High gasoline prices are considered a direct tax on the U.S. consumer. Most investors know that consumer spending accounts for roughly 70.0 percent of the gross domestic product in the United [...]
UK retail sales undershoot expectations – FXMM
March 23, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
It was another lively session yesterday as UK retail sales disappointed by undershooting expectations. Very poor eurozone services and manufacturing growth figures set the tone for the day but the euro has proved remarkably resistant, bouncing back this morning. It is a relatively quiet end to the week data-wise, with just some US new home [...]
Brazilian Stocks Edge Higher On Strong Local Retail Sales – WSJ
March 23, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
SAO PAULO (Dow Jones)–Brazilian stocks struggled to stage a comeback in early trading Friday as investors awaited relief from a string of bad signs for the global economy. Around 10 a.m. EDT, the local market’s Ibovespa index of leading issues was up 0.2% at 65,981 points. The index tumbled more than 1.5% on Thursday amid [...]
Li & Fung Says U.S. Orders Improving as Profit Gains 24% – Bloomberg
March 23, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
Li & Fung Ltd. (494) said orders are picking up in the U.S., its biggest market, after the world’s largest supplier of clothes and toys to retailers reported a bigger-than-expected jump in 2011 profit. The stock surged. Chief Executive Officer Bruce Rockowitz said customers in the U.S., where the company made 60 percent of its [...]
Gas prices aren’t hurting retail sales – USA Today
March 15, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
Dave Prokupek doesn’t like the high price of gasoline either. But business is good enough at Smashburger that the chain where Prokupek is CEO opened its 150th restaurant Wednesday, and plans to open up to 75 this year, even though eating out is theoretically the first thing gas-strapped consumers would trim. “I was very worried [...]
Rise in retail sales points to healthy consumer – Reuters
March 13, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
U.S. retail sales posted their largest gain in five months in February, with Americans feeling confident enough to buy more cars and other goods even as they paid more for gasoline. In the latest sign of improvement in the U.S. economy’s prolonged recovery from the 2007-2009 recession, sales rose 1.1 percent last month, the Commerce [...]
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Rises – Bloomberg
March 9, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
rHousehold confidence improved last week to a four-year high as more Americans said the economy was improving and decided it was a good time to shop. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index (COMFCOMF) was minus 36.7 in the period ended March 4, the highest since April 2008, up from minus 38.8 in the prior period. The [...]
Wal-Mart’s gasoline jitters – MarketWatch
March 8, 2012 Via Leave a Comment
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in a bind. Here’s a company aimed at “value-seekers,” the millions of Americans struggling to live within meager means. Despite stiff competition from other discounters, Wal-Mart’s business model has held its ground these past few years as unemployment and home foreclosures rose to levels not seen since the 1930s. But it’s [...]
