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November 14, 2014 New stores, 3.9% same store sales growth and increased loyalty propelled Nordstrom to record third quarter sales. The company’s total sales increased 8.9% to $3 billion thanks to the addition of new stores and a 3.9% same store sales increase that was driven by online growth.  Profits increased 3.6% to $142 million... Read more »

November 14, 2014 October’s retail sales report helps strengthen the National Retail Federation’s holiday expectations for sales growth of 4.1 percent, and offers an optimistic look ahead for the busiest consumer spending time of the year.  According to NRF, October retail sales, excluding autos, gas and restaurants, grew a healthy 0.7 percent month-to-month seasonally adjusted... Read more »

November 18, 2014 Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose four points to a level of 58 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. “Growing confidence among consumers is what’s fueling this optimism among builders,” said NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a home builder and... Read more »

November 13, 2014 The growth in gift card popularity is irrefutable, and this holiday season spending on tiny plastic or digital gift cards will top all previous records.  According to NRF’s Gift Card Spending Survey, the average person buying gift cards will spend $172.74, up from $163 last year.  Total spending is expected to reach... Read more »

November 19, 2014 Lowe’s said its third quarter same store sales spiked 5.1% a day after Home Depot reported an even stronger increase. Total company sales increased 5.6% to $13.7 billion driven by increased productivity of existing stores as evidenced by a 5.1% comp increase.  Home Depot said its third quarter same store sales increased... Read more »

November 13, 2014 Firming home prices in markets across the country contributed to a slight dip in nationwide housing affordability in the third quarter of 2014, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), released today. In all, 61.8 percent of new and existing homes sold between the beginning of... Read more »

November 3, 2014 New Orders, Employment and Production Growing; Inventories Growing; Supplier Deliveries Slowing Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in October for the 17th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 65th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.  The report was issued... Read more »

November 13, 2014 J.C. Penney is in the final phase of its turnaround and the company’s stores are customers’ preferred destination for great style, quality and value, according to company CEO Mike Ullman. Those comments came after J.C. Penney said its third quarter same store sales were flat and it forecast a fourth quarter comp... Read more »

November 13, 2014 Kohl’s is heading into the holidays with a loss of momentum after third quarter same store sales declined 1.8% and the company missed analysts’ earnings estimate by four cents. The third quarter comp decrease of 1.8% was on top of a prior year decline of 1.6%.  Total sales at the operator of... Read more »