WASHINGTON — Consumer spending on Valentine’s Day is expected to slip this year after a decade of annual increases, according to the National Retail Federation. U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of $136.57 on the holiday this year, according to the annual survey released by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That
WASHINGTON — Retail sales in November and December rose 4% from a year earlier to $658.3 billion as consumers spent more freely than expected during the holiday period, according to the National Retail Federation. Non-store sales increased 12.6% to $122.9 billion. NRF’s figures exclude spending on automobiles, gasoline and restaurant meals. “These numbers show that
NEW YORK — Businesses exist to serve society, Walmart chief sustainability officer Kathleen McLaughlin said during a presentation at the National Retail Federation’s recent “Big Show” conference and exhibition here. McLaughlin, who is also president of the Walmart Foundation, described how the understanding of what that idea means has evolved over the years during a
NEW YORK — While neither the government nor individual retailers have issued their holiday or December sales figures yet, it looks like the 2016 holiday selling season may have seen the strongest growth since the mid-2000s. However, most of the excitement appears to have centered on e-commerce sales growth, and the big winner there, once
WASHINGTON — Retailers used strong deals and promotions to attract more than 154 million shoppers over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to an annual survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “It was a strong weekend for retailers but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) said it expects retail sales, excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurant meals, to increase 3.6% to $655.8 billion in November and December. That would mark an acceleration over the 3% growth in the final two months of 2015 and represent a significant increase from the 10-year average of 2.5%
WASHINGTON — Retail sales this holiday season will be better than usual, according to the National Retail Federation. The NRF on Tuesday forecast that sales in November and December (excluding autos, gas and restaurant sales) will increase a solid 3.6% to $655.8 billion. That is significantly higher than the 10-year average of 2.5% and also above the seven-year average
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation, citing strong sales in the first half of the year, said Tuesday that it now expects 2016 retail sales to grow 3.4% over last year. The NRF had previously predicted sales would grow 3.1%. The trade association also raised its forecast for online and other non-store sales, which are
WASHINGTON – The expanding scope and cost of government regulation are placing new burdens on America’s small retailers, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. “Overregulation is undermining the resolve of small retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “To fulfill their role in driving the American economy, small businesses need
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that retail industry sales will increase by 3.1% this year as the U.S. economy continues to strengthen and will provide consumers with greater confidence to spend. The report also predicts that online, mobile and catalog sales will grow between 6% and 9% this year. If the forecast
WASHINGTON — Economists at the National Retail Federation (NRF) predict retail industry sales in 2016 will exceed their 10-year average as the economy continues to grow and consumers show more willingness to spend. The federation forecasts sales will increase 3.1% this year, topping the 2.7% average over the past decade. The report, released today, predicts
Two recent business stories that received a fair amount of attention in mainstream media channels raise some interesting questions about the trajectory of retailing in America. The National Retail Federation reported in the middle of last month that holiday sales increased just 3% to $626 billion. The lackluster performance fell well short of the association’s