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June 3, 2014 Father’s Day is already the smallest of gift-giving holidays and this year Americans are expected to spend even less, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2014 Father’s Day Spending Survey. The survey found that the average person will spend $113.80 on neckties, tools, electronics and other special gifts for dad, slightly... Read more »

June 3, 2014 Undeterred by bad weather and competitive pressures that took a toll on its first quarter performance, Dollar General is pressing ahead with plans for 700 new stores, recently opened its 12th distribution center and believes its full year profit forecast is attainable. The company said sales during its 13 week quarter ended... Read more »

June 5, 2014 Residential construction is a key engine behind growth in the United States.  According to McGraw Hill Construction’s Dodge Construction Market Forecast, single and multifamily housing projects account for about 45% of the value of all construction projects started in the United States in 2014.  With that market forecasted to grow rapidly in... Read more »

June 5, 2014 Warmer weather in May meant an uptick in store traffic for a few retailers, including Costco.  But the wholesale retailer’s same-store sales for the month – which increased 6%, with a 6% rise in U.S. sales and a 4% increase in international sales –  were better than analysts had expected and bolstered... Read more »

June 6, 2014 The economy generated a gain of 217,000 jobs in May, compared with an average of nearly 200,000 per month over the past year.  Job growth may strengthen even further over the second half of the year as the economy picks up in pace.  Improving final demand is forcing business to add workers.... Read more »

June 4, 2014 WTI expects June 2014 to trend similar to last year and above normal for the U.S. as a whole.  Cooler and more normal temperatures can be expected from the Western Plains to the Rocky Mountain states.  Temperatures will be cooler than last year along the West Coast, but still above normal with... Read more »

June 2, 2014 Last week:  For the second week in a row, the bond market made the biggest headlines.  The Federal Reserve is tapering down its quantitative easing (buying fewer bonds) and the economy is catching up from a bad winter.  With sentiment up, strong job growth and some renewed strength in the ordering rate,... Read more »

The May PMI registered 55.4 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from April’s reading of 54.9 percent, indicating expansion in manufacturing for the 12th consecutive month.  The New Orders Index registered 56.9 percent, an increase of 1.8 percentage points from the 55.1 percent reading in April, indicating growth in new orders for the 12th... Read more »

May 29, 2014 Fred’s wants to be what it calls “the convenient small box store of choice” and to achieve that goal, it has embarked on a two-pronged strategy focused on general merchandise and pharmacy. Neither business is new for Fred’s, an operator of 704 stores throughout the Southeast, but the need for a new... Read more »