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☆ Shein's U.S. charm offensive and IPO could hinge on NRF membership. So far, it's been rejected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Open to allIt's unclear why the NRF rejected Shein's membership application, but according to one of the people familiar, someone with sway is strongly against the company's admittance. The NRF's board has a leadership team and an executive committee. An NRF membership application form that can be found online states: "Companies principally engaged in retailing are eligible for membership in the Federation." Two of the board members said they weren't aware of any instances where the NRF denied a retailer membership. "I don't think they are in the business of turning anyone down," one of the board members told CNBC.

Persons: Scott Olson, Matthew Shay, Courtney Reagan, CNBC Steve Dennis, Neiman, Sears, Dennis, Shein, John Furner, Bob Eddy, Mike George, Brian Cornell, Tony Spring, wasn't, Wang Ying, Ashley Sanchez, Joscelin Flores, Allen J, They've, Temu, it's Organizations: Getty, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Neiman Marcus, New York Stock Exchange, Shay, Walmart U.S, BJ's Wholesale, Qurate, QVC, Federation, Brands, Publicis Groupe, Coresight, Xinhua News Agency, Forum, World Retail, Los Angeles Times, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Whitestown , Indiana, New York City, America, U.S, New York, United States, Hamburg, Germany, Los Angeles, Paris, Davos, Switzerland, Las Vegas, Shoptalk, Fontana, Ontario Mills, Ontario

☆ Is the Holiday Shopping Season Going to Be a Success? The Answer Is Murky.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

kept its forecast that holiday sales — from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 — would grow 3 to 4 percent this year. Mastercard, for example, said sales both in stores and online rose 2.5 percent on Nov. 24, from a year earlier. Like Mastercard’s estimate, the retail consultancy forecast that — adjusted for inflation — sales slipped slightly, Mr. Johnson said. If stores have too much inventory on hand, they may have to cut prices more than expected, which would erode their profits. “Really for the first time in four quarters, we are seeing retailers get inventories better aligned with sales,” Mr. Yruma said.

Persons: ” Matthew Shay, ”, Craig Johnson, Johnson, Edward Yruma, Piper Sandler, Mr, Yruma, “ Organizations: National Retail Federation, Mastercard, Growth Partners, Target

☆ US Thanksgiving weekend sales hit record on big discounts, online boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

More than 200 million shoppers tapped into promotions both in-store and online during the Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said on Tuesday. That was a jump from the 196 million shoppers seen last year and trumped the trade association's estimates of 182 million. Online shoppers rose 3.1% to 134.2 million, making up for a slight dip in the number of customers who visited brick-and-mortar stores. The weekend saw about 121.4 million in-store shoppers, down from 122.7 million in 2022, according to the retail body. Adobe said discounts peaked at 31% for electronics and at 27% for toys on Cyber Monday, which is typically the biggest online shopping day in the U.S.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Matthew Shay, Vivek Pandya, trouncing, Klarna, Deborah Sophia, Juby Babu, Pooja Desai Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Deloitte, National Retail Federation, Shoppers, Adobe Digital, Adobe, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Consumer spending fell in October, according to new CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor tracking card transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Steve Liesman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

watch nowThe consumer took a spending break ahead of the holiday season, with October retail sales, excluding autos and gas, falling by 0.08%, and core retail, which also removes restaurants, declining by 0.03%, according to the new CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. The new Retail Monitor, debuting Monday, is a joint product of CNBC and the National Retail Federation based on data from Affinity Solutions, a leading consumer purchase insights company. The data differs from the Census Bureau's retail sales report as it is the result of actual consumer purchases, while the Census relies on survey data. The government data is frequently revised as additional survey data becomes available. The CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor is not revised as it's calculated from actual transactions during the month.

Persons: Matthew Shay, Dan Colarusso Organizations: CNBC, NRF, Retail Monitor, National Retail Federation, Affinity Solutions, Affinity, Business

☆ Retailers predict a slower holiday shopping season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Retailers are projecting slower growth this holiday shopping season as inflation, higher borrowing costs, and the resumption of student loan repayments cause many consumers to pull back. The government reported that strong consumer spending drove the economy to a robust 4.9% annual growth rate in the July-September quarter. Consumer confidence dropped for the third consecutive month despite the booming economy. The resumption of student loan repayments last month after a three-year pause could also impact consumer spending. “Student loan repayments will diminish the already dwindling savings among younger households,” Moody’s said in a report this week.

Persons: Matthew Shay, ” Dana Peterson, “ Consumers, ”, ” Moody’s, ” Shay Organizations: New, New York CNN — Retailers, National Retail Federation, “, Consumer, Conference Board, Consumers Locations: New York, splurging

☆ Holiday Retail Sales Are Expected to Increase, but at a Slower Pace
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The ContextHoliday retail sales are a closely watched measure of the health of the U.S. consumer and often the most lucrative time of the year for major retailers. The BackgroundThis year’s estimate of holiday sales growth is lower than in previous years. In 2022, holiday sales increased 5.3 percent from the year before to $936.3 billion. Average holiday sales growth from 2010 to 2019 (right before the pandemic) was 3.6 percent, the organization noted. What’s NextThis month, major retailers like Walmart, Target and Macy’s will report quarterly earnings and are expected to give their outlook on the fourth quarter.

Persons: ” Matthew Shay, ” Mr, Shay, Brian Cornell, “ They’re, Mr, Cornell, ” Organizations: Federal Reserve, Wall, Fed, National Retail Federation, Walmart, Target, CNBC

☆ Retailers urge Congress to crack down on theft, as industry ramps up lobbying effort
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Courtney Reagan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"[Organized retail crime] has to be dealt with in a comprehensive way. The retail lobby group dubbed its event "Fight Retail Crime Day." Representatives from more than 30 retailers joined a major industry lobbying group on Capitol Hill on Thursday, as they ramped up pressure to pass a law that backers say will curb retail theft. Organized retail crime is different from shoplifting. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act was reintroduced earlier this year.

Persons: Sen, Chuck Grassley, Matthew Shay, William Blair, Scott McBride, McBride, Dina Titus Organizations: Capitol, National Retail Federation, Retailers, Department of Homeland Security, American Eagle Outfitters, Walgreens Locations: Iowa, Washington

☆ Holiday shoppers are getting an early jump on the season, but student loan payments weigh heavily
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Twenty/20October is unofficial start of holiday shopping seasonThis year, half of shoppers plan to begin their holiday shopping by Halloween, according to a recent Bankrate report. Early estimates point to a strong shopping seasonWith more shoppers getting an early start on the season, holiday retail sales are likely to increase between 3.5% and 4.6% in 2023, according to Deloitte's annual forecast. "We expect healthy employment and income growth to keep the volume of sales growing for the 2023 holiday season," said Daniel Bachman, Deloitte's U.S. economic forecaster. Student loan payments could weigh on wallets"Student loan payments are another drag on the consumer," said Brett House, professor of professional practice in economics at Columbia Business School. "On the other hand, labor markets remain strong," House added.

Persons: RetailMeNot, Daniel Bachman, Matthew Shay, Jack Kleinhenz, Brett House Organizations: National Retail Federation, Columbia Business School Locations: Deloitte's U.S

☆ Earnings this week show shoppers will spend money for value, favoring two retail stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

A busy week of retail earnings revealed that American consumers are spending with value top of mind. This disparity signals that certain discretionary goods categories are working while others are not. TGT YTD mountain Target YTD performance Target on Wednesday reported a second-quarter that reflected weak sales along with a slowdown in discretionary spending. TJX YTD mountain TJX Companies YTD performance TJX tells a different story. COST YTD mountain Costco YTD performance Looking ahead, Costco is set to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on Sept. 26.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Matthew Shay, Doug McMillon, Brian Cornell, That's, Maxx, TJX, Ernie Herrman, it's, ROSS, Ross, Jim, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Walmart, TJX Companies, Costco, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Retailers, Health, Wellness, Walmart's, Marshalls, & Beverage, Food & Beverage, Target, Ross Stores, Corbis, Getty Locations: Maxx, TJX, U.S, Teterboro , New Jersey

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group declined comment. Manufacturers, automakers and food producers which import or export goods also rely on the West Coast ports. "We urge the parties to quickly ratify the tentative agreement to bring certainty back to the West Coast ports," Shay said. Many of the ports' customers shifted a portion of their cargo to ocean trade gateways on the East Coast and Gulf Coast to avoid potential slowdowns from the Pacific Coast labor talks. After 72 hours, the ILWU and PMA hammered out a deal and credited Su with assisting in the efforts.

Persons: Labor Julie Su, Joe Biden, Suzanne Clark, Matthew Shay, Shay, Su, Lisa Baertlein, Barbara Lewis, Grant McCool, Deepa Babington Organizations: ANGELES, U.S ., Labor, Wall Street, Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, Biden, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Walmart, Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, Pacific, PMA, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S . West Coast, West Coast, U.S, COVID, West, East Coast, Gulf, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Washington

☆ Why retail crime rings target cheap goods at Walmart and CVS and skip luxury stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Only 11% of organized retail crime groups target luxury goods, per a recent NRF report. Items most targeted for organized retail crime include apparel and health and beauty products. In fact, luxury goods like jewelry and watches are rarely targeted by criminals. This is due to luxury items being sold in stores with enhanced security measures, the report said. Organized retail crime instead often targets more of the everyday goods available at stores like Walmart, CVS, and Target with less security protecting it.

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Deal-hungry Americans snapped up everything from toys to electronics during the five-day long Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday shopping bonanza lured by steep discounts, sales data showed. Online toy sales on Cyber Monday jumped nearly eight-fold compared to an average day in October 2022, according to Adobe. Electronics sales rose about five-fold, while sporting goods, appliances and books also saw increases over 400%. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsCyber Monday sales rose 5.8%, said Adobe, which analyzes purchases at 85% of the top 100 internet retailers in the United States. Overall global online sales for the cyber week hit an all-time high of $281 billion, according to data from Salesforce (CRM.N), while U.S. online sales gained 9% to $68 billion.

Consumers held out for better deals over the Thanksgiving weekend, even as retailers ranging from Target Corp (TGT.N) to Kohl's Corp (KSS.N) kicked off a holiday discount frenzy as early as October. "The Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend is a tradition treasured by many American families ... As inflationary pressures persist, consumers have responded by stretching their dollars in any way possible," NRF President Matthew Shay said. In comparison, the number of people shopping online grew at a slower pace. "It is important to note that while some may claim that retail sales gains are the result of higher prices ... Data from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online sales across all forms of payments, also showed on Tuesday that U.S. retail sales rose about 11% between Thanksgiving Day and Sunday.

☆ American consumers got holiday shopping off to a strong start
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Shoppers returned to physical stores on Black Friday after avoiding much of in-person shopping the last two holidays due to Covid-19 concerns. Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year, and this year set a new annual sales record. “It spurred online spending to levels that were higher than expected.”Retailers have dangled promotions to drive consumer demand and unload excess inventory. Consumers making more than $100,000 a year drove spending over the holiday weekend, Shay said on a call with reporters Tuesday. Overall, the National Retail Federation projects holiday sales to increase up to 8% from a year ago.

☆ Retailers are gearing up for the holiday shopping season as more gift-giving and holiday parties mean more returns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Retailers incur $166 million in returns for every $1 billion in sales, NRF survey finds. According to the Fox report, Walmart has relaxed its return policies as holiday shopping gets underway. In a November press release, the NRF predicted that holiday shopping during November and December will grow between 6% and 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion. According to an NRF survey, retailers incur $166 million in merchandise returns for every $1 billion in sales and lose over $10 to return fraud for every $100 of returned merchandise accepted. Although a looming recession fuels the possibility of returns and wardrobing, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says Americans will find a way to shop this season.

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☆ Retailers warn of ‘self-inflicted economic disaster’ after largest rail union rejects labor deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Retailers urge policymakers to use every tool at their disposal to avoid a self-inflicted economic disaster,” the trade group said in a statement. The warning was issued shortly after America’s largest rail union rejected a tentative labor deal with freight railroads, raising the risk of a crippling national freight rail strike. The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade group, similarly called on Congress to intervene “immediately” to avoid a “catastrophic shutdown” of the freight rail system. A rail strike would come at a difficult time as the US economy is still grappling with high inflation, surging borrowing costs and elevated recession risks. “This would be the worst possible time of year to have a disruption in rail freight and rail transportation,” Matthew Shay, CEO of the NRF, told CNN on Monday.

☆ Shoppers are pulling back at Macy’s and Kohl’s
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That’s squeezing Macy’s, Kohl’s, Target and other chains. Macy’s (M) sales dropped 3.1% last quarter from a year ago, while Kohl’s (KSS) tanked 6.9%. “Consumers are showing increasing signs of stress and pulling back from discretionary purchases,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said on an earnings call. Although Macy’s own store sales fell 4.4% last quarter, Bloomingdale’s sales grew 5.3% and Bluemercury’s increased 14%. Macy’s stock gained 12% Thursday as the results exceeded analysts’ forecasts.

☆ U.S. holiday sales to slow as inflation tests consumer resilience -report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A boy and his father walk through the toy section of Walmart on Black Friday, a day that kicks off the holiday shopping season, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on November 29, 2019. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger./File PhotoNov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. holiday sales are expected to rise at a slower pace this year, a trade group said on Thursday, at a time when decades-high inflation has left Americans struggling to pay bills, draining some of the Christmas cheer from households. The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecast holiday sales, including e-commerce and non-store sales, to rise between 6% and 8% to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion during November and December. "While (early discounts) may result in some sales being pulled forward, we expect to see continued deals and promotions throughout the remaining months," NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. "In the face of these challenges, many households will supplement spending with savings and credit to provide a cushion and result in a positive holiday season," President and Chief Executive Matthew Shay said.

☆ NRF: Holiday sales to increase between 6% to 8% in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Holiday online are forecast to increase between 10% and 12% to between $262.8 billion and $267.6 billion, up from $238.9 billion in 2021, the group said. This has helped jump start holiday sales ahead of schedule and could support more sales increases in coming weeks.. But other forecasts for holiday sales suggest there may be a big pullback on gift shopping in the weeks ahead. Consulting firm Deloitte expects retail sales in November, December and January – when Christmas gift cards are redeemed – to increase only 4% to 6%. That compares unfavorably with last year’s robust 15.1% increase, but this year’s expected slower growth is in line with where holiday retail sales were trending pre-pandemic.

☆ U.S. retail sales unchanged; consumers showing resilience
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But consumers are not rolling over yet, with the report from the Commerce Department on Friday also showing a measure of underlying retail sales rising last month, thanks to strong wage gains and savings. These so-called core retail sales were also stronger than initially thought in August. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe unchanged reading in retail sales last month followed an upwardly revised 0.4% rise in August. Retail sales increased 8.2% on a year-on-year basis in September. Data for August was revised higher to show these core retail sales rising 0.2% instead of being unchanged as previously reported.

Groups representing big rail shippers said Thursday’s tentative railroad-labor contract avoids potential turmoil in their supply chains and they are hoping for rapid ratification by union members to fully ease the labor tensions. “We are relieved and cautiously optimistic that this devastating nationwide rail strike has been averted,” said National Retail Federation President and Chief Executive Matthew Shay. The tentative deal must now be ratified by members of the various unions covered by the contracts. The deal, which is retroactive to 2019, includes a 14.1% wage increase upon ratification. Still, the agreement may help improve rail service in operations that have been hit by capacity and staffing shortages, he wrote.

☆ Parents struggling with inflation: 'I left that $25 backpack for my preschooler at the checkout.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-04 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York (CNN Business) As Sarah Longmore finished her back-to-school shopping, the mother of five looked at a $25 backpack for her preschooler. Like Longmore, many parents — regardless of income — are finding their back-to-school dollars aren't going as far as they once did. Just 36% of parents said they would be able to pay for everything their kids need this school year, according to Morning Consult's annual back-to-school shopping report . JUST WATCHED Online shopping prices are starting to ease. Here's why that's significant Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Online shopping prices are starting to ease.

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