Retail sales aren't wavering, with many of the big-name retail brands beating or exceeding Wall Street predictions. Ken Perkins, the president of Retail Metrics, notes the strong performance of these industry leaders bodes well for the sector as a whole because they account for a significant portion of spending.<\/p>\n
Overall, merchants report a 6.7 percent increase in sales for February compared to the same time last year. January posted a year-over-year improvement of only 2.7 percent, which highlights the growth experienced in February. This also marks the biggest year-over-year gains since June 2011, when retail sales were up 6.9 percent.<\/p>\n
"This was a very strong month. A new life has been breathed into the retailers," explained Perkins. "Consumers are starting to feel much better about their overall situation."<\/p>\n
The International Council of Shopping Centers credited the warm winter months, along with increased Valentine's Day spending, with the sharp rise in sales.<\/p>\n
Merchants need to use retail business intelligence to ensure they are capitalizing on this increase in consumer spending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Retail sales aren’t wavering, with many of the big-name retail brands beating or exceeding Wall Street predictions. Continue reading