Skateboarding is all about keeping your balance and avoiding the always-embarrassing face-plant. But that's exactly what edgy teen apparel retailer Zumiez failed to do with Thursday afternoon's earnings report.
The media's response to recent retail sales numbers showing month-to-month declines has been to bemoan our faltering economy. But when you compare sales today to a year ago, things don't look grim at all. In some cases, in fact, they look downright fantastic.
June's tepid retail sales numbers are already casting a pall over the industry's outlook for autumn -- and they may bode ill for the winter, too.
Even before Hurricane Irene interrupted back-to-school shopping, the nation was cautious about spending for the new semester. A teetering economy is affecting the purchasing choices of 75% of families with school-age children, and 70% say they plan to spend the same or less as last year.
Back-to-school season is the second most lucrative period of the year for the nation's retailers, behind only the winter holidays. But this year, shoppers are armed to save as never before, with smartphones outfitted with price-comparison apps. Here are some ways retailers are responding.
The backpack is the key piece of gear as your kids return to school this fall. What they want is something cool that holds everything; what you want is something durable that's within your budget. The good news: Both of you can get what you want.
Despite the searing weather and a lukewarm economic recovery, major merchants are expected to report growing retail sales in their August tallies on Thursday. But don't count on the kind of increases we saw at the beginning of the year.
As shoppers head to back-to-school sales early this year, the retail industry is watching their behavior closely for hints about the coming holiday season. So far, the signals appear mixed, with analysts disagreeing about whether revenue is up or down.
