Resources

January 28, 2014 Ross Stores has promoted Michael Hartshorn to CFO, retaining his SVP title, effective February 2.  Hartshorn will be responsible for the accounting, treasury, financial planning, tax, risk management and investor relations functions.  As CFO, he will continue to report to John Call, group SVP finance and legal, and corporate secretary. “Michael is... Read more »

January 30, 2014 Walmart Supercenters in California benefit communities by supporting additional job creation, small business growth and more robust sales tax revenues, according to a new economic impact report. The study was conducted by economist Lon Hatamiya of the Hatamiya Group and the results were announced by Walmart.  Key findings of the study show... Read more »

February 3, 2014 New Orders, Production and Employment Growing; Inventories Contracting; Supplier Deliveries Slowing Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in January for the eighth consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 56th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.  The report was issued... Read more »

February 3, 2014 Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for the fourth quarter of 2013 is up sharply, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) latest 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released today.  All segments of the market – single-family homes, condominiums and multifamily rental – registered strong increases compared to the... Read more »

January 30, 2014 Two of Staples’ senior most executives were given new responsibilities to bolster the company’s re-invention efforts and competitive posture in a market that has become more challenging with the addition of a newly merged Office Depot and Office Max. Staples elevated Joe Doody to the role of vice chairman from his prior... Read more »

January 27, 2014 Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 414,000 units in December, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.  Despite the monthly drop, home sales in 2013 were up 16.4 percent over... Read more »

January 27, 2014 Revelations of job cuts at leading retailers, the latest involving Sam’s Club, are a reminder that pro-active expense control remains retailers’ best friend when it comes to ensuring profitability when faced with a murky outlook for consumer spending. Sam’s Club on Friday became the latest retailer to disclose plans to eliminate 2,300... Read more »

January 28, 2014 The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had rebounded in December, increased again in January.  The Index now stands at 80.7, up from 77.5 in December.  The Present Situation Index increased to 79.1 from 75.3.  The Expectations Index increased to 81.8 from 79.0 last month. “Consumer confidence advanced in January for the... Read more »

January 23, 2014 U.S. retailers are getting 2014 off to a heavily promotional start, building on last year’s deep-discounting trends, according to Morgan Stanley Analyst Kimberly Greenberger.  The 26 retailers she covers are about 40% more promotional than they were during the same month last year, she wrote in a research note.  “Our data indicates... Read more »