U.S. retail sales posted their largest gain in four months in February as shoppers stepped up purchases of autos, clothes and other goods even as they spent more for gasoline. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department pointed to strong consumer spending and acceleration in economic growth in the first quarter. Get the full story »
Inside these posts: Retail sales
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Caterpillar dealer sales accelerate
Caterpillar’s machinery sales through dealers accelerated in the trailing three-month period through January, according to data posted on the equipment maker’s website.
Dealer-reported retail sales were up 49 percent worldwide from a year earlier, accelerating from the 44 percent pace reported last month. The increase was led by jumps of 58 percent in North America and 56 percent in Latin America, both marking a sequential increase, according to data on the website. Get the full story »
Retail sales gains slow in January lull
Retailers logged slight increases in store sales last month as consumers focused primarily on paying for groceries and gasoline, the government reported Tuesday.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose 0.3 percent last month. Get the full story »
2010 retail sales post biggest gains in a decade
Sales at U.S. retailers rose slightly less than expected in December, but retail sales for all of 2010 reversed two years of contraction and posted the biggest gain in more than a decade, a government report showed on Friday. Get the full story »
Those with jobs spending more freely
A steady decline in layoffs is giving the vast majority of adults who have jobs the confidence to spend more freely and help energize the economy. They no longer worry so much about losing their jobs.
Their renewed confidence has boosted retail sales — just what’s needed to spark what economists call a “virtuous cycle”: Higher consumer spending raises company profits, which spurs hiring, which fuels more spending and growth. Get the full story »
Snow, consumer caution clip post-Christmas sales
A major snowstorm on the U.S. East Coast kept many people away from malls just after Christmas, casting a pall on the final act of the holiday shopping season.
The weekend’s blizzard conditions, which shut down airports and halted traffic, may also signal an end to shoppers’ appetite in the next few months. Retail shares declined more than the wider stock market on Monday. Get the full story »
Dow industrials hit 2-year high on retail strength
U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its highest intraday level in more than two years, as data showing growth in U.S. retail sales and business sales boosted investors’ outlook on the economy.
The Dow rose 71 points, or 0.6 percent, to 11,499. Earlier, the measure hit 11499.70, its highest intraday level since September 2008. Its top performers spanned a variety of sectors, with Boeing up 1.4 percent, Kraft Foods up 1.3 percent and Johnson & Johnson up 1.2 percent. Get the full story »
Best Buy shares tank 15% on weaker sales
Top consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co. Inc. reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit on a surprise drop in sales at established stores and a decline in its U.S. market share.
The lackluster report from the retailer seen as a bellwether in consumer electronics pushed its shares down 14.5 percent in morning trading and cast a shadow on the strength of the recovery in the consumer-driven U.S. economy.
U.S. retail sales up more than expected in November
Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in November as consumers splurged on clothing and other items at the start of the holiday season and receipts at gasoline stations surged, more evidence the economic recovery gathered steam in the fourth quarter. Get the full story »
Cyber Monday online sales surge 20%
Online sales on Cyber Monday surged nearly 20 percent from last year, according to findings from an analytics group released Tuesday.
“Cyber Monday came in as the biggest shopping day of the year so far,” said John Squire, chief strategy officer of Coremetrics, a unit of IBM Corp.
Get the full story »
Amazon hurt by rivals’ free shipping, deals
Amazon.com shares tumbled as much as 4 percent Monday on concerns that offers of free shipping by Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other retailers could challenge the online company’s results. Get the full story »
U.S. retail sales jump 1.2% in October
Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October to post their largest gain in seven months, boosted by purchases of motor vehicles and building materials, according to a government report on Monday that was further evidence the economy was regaining strength.
The Commerce Department said total retail sales increased 1.2 percent, the biggest rise since March, after advancing by an upwardly revised 0.7 percent in September. Get the full story »
Analysts expect warm October to chill retail sales
U.S. retailers are poised to report their weakest monthly sales gains in six months as as the warmest October weather in decades and a still-stumbling economic recovery crimped demand for fall merchandise.
Analysts expect same-store sales to have risen 1.6 percent in October, compared with a 1.8 percent increase last year, according to Thomson Reuters data. Get the full story »
Retail sales up for 3rd straight month
Retail sales posted a third monthly increase in September as solid gains at auto, furniture and hardware stores helped to offset weakness at clothing and department stores. Get the full story »
After Chicago win, Wal-Mart could look to NYC
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. won the right to open two more stores in Chicago this year, but does that mean the world’s largest retailer can eventually take Manhattan?
In remarks at the start of a two-day analyst meeting, Leslie Dach, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president for government affairs and corporate relations, said the retailer’s reputation has shown improvement with both consumers and elected officials. Get the full story »
