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May 27, 2014 Target will test same-day delivery in three markets as the online shipping war among retailers continues to gain momentum.  Target will launch a $10 rush delivery pilot in June in the Minneapolis, Boston and Miami markets, offering guests the ability to order as late as 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon and receive... Read more »

May 29, 2014 Solid sales growth at Costco during the second quarter and a 6% same store sales increase at U.S. clubs did not translate into strong profits for the warehouse club operator whose earnings fell shy of analysts’ estimates. Costco’s worldwide revenues for the 12 week period ended May 11 increased 7.1% to nearly... Read more »

May 29, 2014 Production of apartments and condominiums showed positive growth in the first quarter of 2014, according to the latest Multifamily Production Index (MPI), released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  The index increased three points to 53, which is the ninth consecutive quarter with a reading of 50 or above.... Read more »

May 27, 2014 Last week: The Conference Board Leading Economic Index continues to point toward more solid footing for the U.S. economy.  Investors remain skeptical.  After the drop in bond yields last week, yields moved very little this week.  Are consumers equally skeptical?  This week’s consumer confidence report will show whether consumers remain in a... Read more »

May 27, 2014 The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in April, improved moderately in May.  The Index now stands at 83.0, up from 81.7 in April.  The Present Situation Index increased to 80.4 from 78.5, while the Expectations Index edged up to 84.8 from 83.9 in April. Says Lynn Franco, Director of... Read more »

May 23, 2014 Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 6.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000 units in April, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.  The gain builds on an upward revision of sales numbers reported for the previous month. “Builders are gradually increasing sales... Read more »

May 22, 2014 Sears plans to close at least 80 stores this year after widening its loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. Although same-store sales increased 0.2% for the quarter, the company’s net loss climbed to $402 million from $279 million in the prior-year quarter.  Revenues declined 7% to $7.9 billion, from $8.5... Read more »

May 22, 2014 Increases in traffic and average ticket resulted in record first quarter sales growth at Dollar Tree. Consolidated net sales for the quarter were a record $2 billion, a 7.2% increase compared to $1.87 billion reported for last year’s first quarter.  Consolidated comparable store sales increased 2% on a constant currency basis.  Adjusted... Read more »

May 21, 2014 Despite the massive data breach that hurt Target’s fourth quarter, people are not staying away from the retailer.  According to a Reuter’s report, the company saw a dramatic improvement in traffic in the first quarter compared to its late fourth quarter trends. The company’s first quarter financial performance in its U.S. and Canadian... Read more »