Retailers Turn Their Gaze Toward Christmas

Now that back-to-school sales are winding down, retail operators are setting their sights on the next big push: Christmas. According to Reuters, “shoppers are likely to disappear again until Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which traditionally starts off holiday buying.” One analyst noted that consumers saved up for the back-to-school buying time, and might well be doing the same now in anticipation of the holiday. “You are going to see a lot of purchases being made during the last week before Christmas,” one analyst said. For... 

Shopping Cools: Bad News for the Holidays?

American shoppers held tight to their wallets for back-to-school shopping in August, and some observers are concerned this might mean an equally slack holiday season. Data from MasterCard Advisors, which look at various spending habits from credit cards, checks and cash payments, said spending in nearly every category was far short of the levels set in 2008. “Expectations about future business and labor-market conditions have brightened somewhat, but overall, consumers remain apprehensive about the future,” Lynn Franco, director of the group’s... 

Consumer Confidence Rises Slightly

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index which had declined in July, improved moderately in August. The Index, which now stands at 53.5 (on a base of 100, established in 1985), is up from 51.0 in July. Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, said in a release “Consumer confidence posted a modest gain in August, the result of an improvement in consumers’ short-term outlook. Consumers’ assessment of current conditions, however, was less favorable as employment concerns continue to weigh heavily... 

Survey: VAT Increase Would Cut Consumer Spending

As if retailers don’t have enough to worry about these days, now a proposal from Washington may impact consumer buying if it’s enacted. According to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch, “nearly two-thirds of those surveyed – 64 percent – said a federal Value Added Tax of any amount would impact their spending on everything from cars to homes, groceries and medicines. If the government imposed a VAT of 15 percent and applied it to all purchases, 92 percent said their spending would be affected.” The new... 

Independent Retailers Grapple with Credit Concerns

The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishing Market is one of the biggest market expos of its kind. Retailers from all over the world converge on the event to order products, and in July, the event also featured a Retailer to Retailer Breakfast Seminar, at which several leading independent retailers gathered to discuss market trends, professional development and industry practices. The interactive event was hosted by the Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA). One of the things they agreed on was that retailers can’t survive without credit... 

Summer Discount Promotion a Success for Local Yuma, AZ Retailers

Summer is traditionally the slowest period of the year for many independent retailers. To combat that problem, last year some local merchants in the Yuma, Arizona area came up with the “$20 on the 20th” campaign, a promotion in which many of the area businesses advertised special offers on the same day, July 20, in a concerted effort to lure customers into their establishments. This year, the $20 on the 20th campaign was put into action once again, with the sales of some local retailers getting a boost as a result. Three days prior,...