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January 2, 2014 Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in December for the seventh consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 55th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. The PMI registered 57 percent, the second highest reading for the year, just 0.3 percentage... Read more »

The growth of e-commerce and the omni-channel retail strategy appears to be having a significant impact on retail store foot traffic according to ShopperTrak.   An article in today’s WSJ highlights the issue  “Retailers got only about half the holiday traffic in 2013 as they did just three years earlier, according to ShopperTrak, which uses a... Read more »

Bon-Ton Stores Inc. (BONT) slashed its expectations for the year and the retailer warned poor winter weather in the majority of its markets led to lower traffic and hampered promotional events tied to the Christmas holiday. The retailer, which operates 273 department stores with locations in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains states, said... Read more »

Sears Holdings Corp announced sales at comp stores at Sears stores were down 9.2% in the nine weeks that ended January 6 and down 5.7% percent at Kmart stores.  Sales at the company have been falling since 2005, when billionaire hedge fund manager Edward Lampert merged the two U.S. chains in an $11 billion deal.... Read more »

December 19, 2013 The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.8 percent in November to 98.3, following a 0.1 percent increase in October, and a 1.0 percent increase in September. “The LEI continues on a broad-based upward trend, suggesting gradually strengthening economic conditions through early 2014,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist at The... Read more »

January 9, 2014 The search is on for a new president and COO at Family Dollar following the resignation of Michael Bloom amid deteriorating financial results and a 3% same store sales decline in December. Bloom, who recently donned a disguise to appear in an episode of the CBS show “Undercover Boss,” spent two years... Read more »

CINCINNATI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 8, 2014– Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) today announced that its comparable sales, together with comparable sales from departments licensed to third parties, rose by 4.3 percent in the 2013 holiday shopping season – the months of November and December combined – compared with the same period last year. November/December 2013 comparable sales were up... Read more »

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in November, rebounded in December.  The Index now stands at 78.1, up from 72.0 in November.  The Present Situation Index increased to 76.2 from 73.5.  The Expectations INdex increased to 79.4 from 71.1 last month. “Consumer confidence rebounded in December and is now close to pre-government... Read more »

WSJ, WASHINGTON—U.S. industrial output in November surpassed its prerecession peak for the first time, the latest sign of momentum for the economic recovery. Industrial production, which measures the output of U.S. manufacturers, utilities and mines, surged a seasonally adjusted 1.1% from the prior month, the Federal Reserve said Monday. That was the biggest jump in... Read more »