WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts U.S. retail sales growth of between 3.8% and 4.4% this year. If accurate, that means a slight decline from the increase in 2018, when retail sales climbed 4.6%, according to preliminary figures cited by NRF. “We believe the underlying state of the economy is sound,” commented NRF
NEW YORK — The past year was a good one for the retail industry, and a really good one for Target Corp. Speaking at the National Retail Federation’s recent Big Show convention here, Target chairman and chief executive officer Brian Cornell noted that during the recent holiday season his company posted its best sales in
WASHINGTON — With digital shopping on the rise, consumers are increasingly expecting free delivery of items purchased online while at the same time embracing new options such as in-store pickup of those items, according to the latest issue of the Consumer View report released this month by the National Retail Federation. Consumer View is a
Chris Baldwin kicked off the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York City earlier this month by assuring attendees at the event’s first Main Stage presentation that rumors of the industry’s “demise were greatly exaggerated.” The chairman, president and chief executive officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club and current NRF chairman then elaborated on his
WASHINGTON — Whether the New England Patriots or the Los Angeles Rams are victorious in this year’s Super Bowl, retailers will be among the winners. American adults who plan to watch the game expect to spend $81.30 each, on average, according to the annual survey released Thursday by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights
NEW YORK — Robust holiday shopping from before Thanksgiving through Christmas has raised hopes for continued strength in the retail sector. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales increased 5.1% to more than $850 billion — the strongest growth in six years. And online shopping jumped 19.1%, with Amazon reporting record-breaking results. “While we recognize the
WASHINGTON — Between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, retailers hosted about 165 million shoppers in their stores and on the websites, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The survey found average spending per person over the five-day period was $313.29, with 69% of the money going
WASHINGTON — Retail industry employment in November increased by 18,600 jobs, seasonally adjusted from October, according to the National Retail Federation. That represents 12% of the 155,000-job increase reported by the Labor Department for the economy overall. But retail employment was down by 16,300 jobs (unadjusted) versus November 2017. The NRF said a tight labor
WASHINGTON — Organized crime took a bigger bite out of retail profits this year, as criminals used increasingly brazen tactics to steal merchandise, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported in its “2018 Organized Retail Crime Survey.” Retailers attributed the increase to factors including the ease of selling stolen goods online, gift card fraud, in-store staffing
Unemployment is low, and consumer confidence is high. But no matter how well the overall economy is doing, Americans are still focused on saving money. Recent research from the National Retail Federation shows that the preference for value affects where consumers shop and what they buy. A survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults found
WASHINGTON— The National Retail Federation said on Wednesday that holiday retail sales this November and December will increase between 4.3% and 4.8% over last year’s figures. The average annual increase over the past five years has been 3.9%. “Our forecast reflects the overall strength of the industry,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in
WASHINGTON — Retail industry employment last month increased by 89,100, unadjusted for seasonal fluctuations, compared to the same month in 2017, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported. The August retail employment figure represents a seasonally adjusted decline of 9,700 jobs from the previous month, NRF said. Seasonal distortions are common in August. NRF’s jobs figures