The retail sector lost 34,000 jobs in the month of March, with 21,000 of those in department, chain, and discount stores. Total retail employment in the U.S. is now 14.7 million. Apparel specialty store employment was stable. About 32,000 jobs disappeared in general merchandise stores.  On a 12-month smoothed basis, retail employment rose .2%, compared to 1.6% for the overall economy. The department store sector drop was 2.6%, compared to a .6% increase for specialty stores. For the … [Read more...]

Retail sales rose in March, helped once again by the strong automotive sector and a continued uptick in sales at apparel specialty and department stores. Apparel did well, as unseasonably warm winter in much of the country and an earlier Easter than last year spurred interest in Spring clothing.   Total retail sales increased 7.7% on a 12-month smoothed basis, better than February's 7.2% rise, and the biggest overall increase in ten months.  Removing autos from the mix, sales rose 6.1%. … [Read more...]

Mild weather and the relatively early Easter helped March sales of apparel and accessories. Total sales at the top 16 retail apparel chains increased a collective 8.5% last month. Store traffic was boosted by unseasonably mild weather, helping to move new collections of Spring apparel. Many retailers reported favorable reaction to the bright colors that pervade this year's fashions. Price and coupon promotions were widespread, even though many retailers reported an increase in … [Read more...]

The new fiscal year got off with a bang for many retailers or apparel in February. Store traffic was boosted by better-than-usual weather in much of the East, which got Spring apparel sales off to a great start. The lack of snow this year helped comparisons to last year, when much of the country was slammed by storms. Although price promotions continue to be the rule rather than the exception, the discounting has subsided a bit. In February, the vast majority of major chains - or at least … [Read more...]

The retail sector lost 7,000 jobs in the month of February, and now empoys 14.7 million people in the U.S. There was a drop of 25,000 positions in the department store, discount and chain sector, partially offset by an only 2,000 job decline in apparel specialty stores. About 35,000 jobs disappeared in general merchandise stores.  Employment increased in other sectors of retail, such as automotive and restaurant. On a 12-month smoothed basis, retail employment rose 1.1%, compared … [Read more...]

Retail sales rose in February, helped once again by the strong automotive sector and a surprise surge in sales at department, discount and chains stores. Specialty apparel stores also turned in impressive gains, as unseasonably warm winter in much of the country spurred interest in early Spring clothing.   Total retail sales increased 7.2% on a 12-month smoothed basis, better than January's 6.8% rise, and their biggest overall increase in nine months.  Removing autos from the mix, sales … [Read more...]

Retail sales rose in January, helped once again by the strong automotive sector and healthy post-holiday clearance sales. Gift card redemption continued in the early part of the month. Many retailers, concerned at the impact of promotional pricing on margins, have revised their quarterly earnings estimates downward, but look forward to starting the new fiscal year with clean stocks.  Total retail sales increased 5.4% on a 12-month smoothed basis, lower than December's revised 5.6% rise. … [Read more...]

The retail sector added 11,000 net new jobs in the month of January, and now empoys 14.7 million. Over 19,000 of the new jobs were in the department stores, followed by 15,000 in general merchandise stores. Apparel specialty store employment declined by 14,000. Since an employment trough in December 2009, retail has added 390,000 jobs. On a 12-month smoothed basis, retail employment rose 1.2%, compared to 1.5% for the overall economy. The department store sector growth rate was 5.8%, … [Read more...]

Though January marks the end of the fiscal year for virtually all retailers, it's the least important in terms of sales. Store traffic plummets, revenues are low, and clearance sales abound. This year, however, major chains - or at least the top 16 that still report monthly same-store sales - were split on whether they were satisfied with January performance.  Despite unseasonably warm weather in much of the country that had a detrimental effect on sales of sweaters, outerwear and other … [Read more...]