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Retail sales

Retail sales figures suggest consumers are pulling back

by Mitchell Hartman
May 15, 2024
The latest figures, for April, suggest that rising prices, high interest rates and depleted pandemic savings may finally be weighing on spending.
In surveys, consumers report they’re increasingly worn down by inflation, said Morning Consult's Claire Tassin.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Retail sales climbed to a higher-than-expected 0.7% in March

by Samantha Fields
Apr 15, 2024
Consumers are still spending, but that looks a little different now than it has the past few years.
Spending at nonstore retailers — like Temu or Amazon — rose 2.7% last month.
ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images
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"The Store"

The problem of "sameness"

by Ellen Rolfes
Jan 31, 2024
Why department stores struggle to retain relevancy.
Can you tell whether this photo was taken inside of a JCPenney? A Dillard's? A Macy's?
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
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Retailers are stuck in a cycle of constant sales

by Kristin Schwab
Jan 17, 2024
Once consumers adjust to a 24/7 promotion environment, it hard for companies to stop.
Online shopping has given consumers the ability to compare prices in real time, giving retailers more incentive to offer deals.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images
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Non-store retail sales grew more than 10% since last November

by Elizabeth Trovall
Dec 14, 2023
$1.2 trillion was spent outside of brick-and-mortar stores this year — much of it online. Here's some of the trends shaping e-commerce spending.
Non-retail sales — mostly online shopping — grew by more than 10% year-over-year, according to the Commerce Department.
Poike/Getty Images
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What counts as "discretionary" spending?

by Samantha Fields
Nov 15, 2023
Shoppers have been pulling back on "discretionary" spending at retailers.
What counts as "discretionary" spending varies from person to person, depending on their spending habits. For example, food is a necessity, but there's a difference between pantry staples and a prepared steak dinner.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
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Retail group predicts record holiday spending

by Stephanie Hughes
Nov 3, 2023
The National Retail Federation predicts at least $957 billion in sales this holiday season. But that might not mean everyone is splurging.
Prices for goods are up nearly 1% from a year ago, according to the latest PCE price index.
Mark Makela/Getty Images
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Did retail sales grow because we bought more stuff, or did the stuff get more expensive?

by Justin Ho
Oct 17, 2023
The way the Census Bureau calculates its retail sales data wasn't an issue until prices started rising a couple years back.
Grocery store spending rose 0.4% in September, according to the Census Bureau.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Furniture sellers adapt to a nationwide drop in sales

by Stephanie Hughes
Sep 15, 2023
Sales at furniture stores have been sliding amid a cooling housing market and weakening consumer sentiment about making big purchases.
AJ Venable at Urban Links Furniture & Appliances in Baltimore. He said his customers have become more price-sensitive.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace
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After a flat August, this North Carolina toy store is already looking forward to the holidays

by Sean McHenry
Sep 14, 2023
For this toy store owner, the biggest challenge right now is prepping for the holidays.
"We are selling a lot of Halloween products right now," said Irene Kesselman, owner of Ali Cat Toys in Carrboro, NC. "And certainly we'll move into the Christmas season shortly thereafter."
Ariel Jackson
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