WASHINGTON—U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in March amid a surge in receipts at online retailers, further evidence that the economy ended the first quarter on solid ground. The report from the Commerce Department on Monday, which followed news this month of robust employment gains in March and a pick-up in consumer inflation, bolstered […]
NEW YORK—Americans pulled back their spending in January more than expected after the traditional holiday season splurge. Retail sales fell 0.8 percent in January from the strong pace in December when they rose a revised 0.4 percent, according to the Commerce Department’s report on Thursday. Excluding sales at auto dealerships and gas stations, sales were […]
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—CVS Health said Monday that it has reached an agreement to sell its retail drugstores in Puerto Rico to Caribe Pharmacy Holdings. In an email to The Associated Press, CVS Health said the deal involving 22 of its pharmacies would be completed in April and that the buyer plans to continue all […]
NEW YORK—Americans stepped up their spending at retailers in December, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on an upbeat tone and signaling that people remain confident enough to keep spending freely. Retail sales accelerated 0.6 percent in December from November’s 0.3 percent increase, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Because spending by consumers […]
U.S. retail sales rose 3.1 percent between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, as shoppers looked for last-minute Christmas deals amid big promotions, a Mastercard report showed on Tuesday. The increase is lower than the 3.7 percent growth Mastercard forecast in September and last year’s 7.6 percent rise as higher interest rates and inflation pressured consumer […]
NEW YORK—Shoppers venturing out to malls and stores on Black Friday found perks from champagne to virtual reality experiences and old-fashioned doorbusters, as retailers tried to entice customers who are resisting splurges and impulse buying this year. Consumers are under pressure as their savings dwindle and their credit card debt grows. Inflation has eased but […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in July as Americans boosted online purchases and dined out more, suggesting the economy continued to expand early in the third quarter and keeping a recession at bay. Retail sales jumped 0.7 percent last month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Data for June was revised higher to […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. retail sales fell in February as purchases of motor vehicle purchases and other goods slumped, payback after the prior month’s outsized increase, but consumer spending continued to show underlying strength. The Commerce Department said on Wednesday that retail sales dropped 0.4 percent last month. Data for January was revised higher to show retail sales […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. retail sales increased by the most in nearly two years in January after two straight monthly declines as Americans boosted purchases of motor vehicles and other goods, pointing to the economy’s continued resilience despite higher borrowing costs. Coming on the heels of news on Tuesday that monthly inflation picked up in January, signs of […]
NEW YORK—Americans cut back on spending in December, the second consecutive month they’ve done so, underscoring how inflation and the rising cost of using credit cards slowed consumer activity over the crucial holiday shopping season. Retail sales fell a worse-than-expected 1.1 percent in December, following a revised 1 percent drop in November, the Commerce Department reported […]
U.S. online spending during the 2022 holiday season rose by a better-than-expected 3.5 percent, a report by Adobe Analytics showed, as retailers used hefty discounts to lure inflation-weary consumers into spending on everything from toys to electronics. Shoppers spent a record $211.7 billion online over the holiday season, which typically starts in November and ends […]
WASHINGTON—Americans cut back sharply on retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season began with high prices and rising interest rates forcing families, particularly lower income households, to make harder decisions about what they buy. Retail sales fell 0.6 percent from October to November after a sharp 1.3 percent rise the previous month, the […]
Now that the turkey has been gobbled up and the apple pie has been devoured, it is the official start of the holiday shopping season. But in today’s inflationary environment, retailers are bracing for cost-conscious shoppers, and cash-strapped customers are on the hunt for deals. Will this be the most unusual time of the year? […]
WASHINGTON—Americans stepped up their spending at retailers, restaurants, and auto dealers last month, a sign of consumer resilience as the holiday shopping season begins amid painfully high inflation and rising interest rates. The government said Wednesday that retail sales rose 1.3 percent in October from September, up from a flat reading in September from August. […]
NEW YORK—The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged in September from August as rising prices for rent and food chipped away at money available for other things. Retail sales were flat last month, down from a revised 0.4 percent growth in August, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Retail sales fell 0.4 percent in […]
Retail sales unexpectedly rose 0.3 percent in August, topping the market estimate of 0 percent growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s advance estimates (pdf). This is up from the downward revised 0.4 percent drop in July, which was the first decline in seven months. In total, consumers spent $683.3 billion, up 9.1 percent from […]
A number of major retailers missed Wall Street expectations this week by wide margins while the vast majority of the nearly 150 U.S. retailers that have reported first-quarter earnings so far explicitly mentioned inflation, as surging prices squeezed bottom lines. Refinitiv data showed that, of the 145 retailers that have reported first-quarter earnings so far, […]
U.S retail sales sharply fell 1.9 percent in December, as inflation and supply issues hit prices, according to a Commerce Department report on Jan 14. The disappointing results were worse than the Dow Jones’s estimate, which had earlier predicted a 0.1 percent drop. The new surge in Omicron cases is being blamed as a factor for […]
