ΔΙΕΘΝΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΠΟΙΚΙΛΗΣ ΥΛΗΣ - ΕΔΡΑ: ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ει βούλει καλώς ακούειν, μάθε καλώς λέγειν, μαθών δε καλώς λέγειν, πειρώ καλώς πράττειν, και ούτω καρπώση το καλώς ακούειν. (Επίκτητος)

(Αν θέλεις να σε επαινούν, μάθε πρώτα να λες καλά λόγια, και αφού μάθεις να λες καλά λόγια, να κάνεις καλές πράξεις, και τότε θα ακούς καλά λόγια για εσένα).

Τετάρτη 28 Δεκεμβρίου 2016

U.S. retailers see best holiday shopping season in years

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για U.S. retailers see best holiday shopping season in years

Surging online orders and last minute shoppers helped retailers make up for a slow start to the holiday-shopping season, fuelling hopes that higher wages, the rising stock market, and lower food and gas prices prompted Americans to spend more.

The December spending boost is in contrast to a muted November, when in early holiday promotions and expectations among consumers that deals would always be available took a toll. Spending over the Thanksgiving weekend in November fell 3.5 percent from a year ago despite a strong jump in online sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

Pete Madden, a director at retail consultancy AlixPartners said that, it was a hot start with Cyber Monday, followed by a lull for the last couple of weeks and then a big-bang finish.

BMO analysts and economists say factors ranging from wage growth to consumer habits, consistent job numbers and even the U.S. election should help drive a strong holiday shopping season this year.

Sal Guatieri, Senior Economist, BMO Capital Markets said that, the impact of the recent U.S. election, especially the much-talked-about promise of sizeable tax cuts under the new administration, is contributing to the optimism seen from the consumers.

Mastercard’s SpendingPulse survey found that total retail sales, excluding automobile and gas sales, rose 4% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, though its results found that the days preceding Christmas were weaker than expected. The survey highlighted men’s apparel and home furnishings as strong points, while jewelry sales fell from a year ago.

The year-end retail blitz coincided with new signs of shoppers’ improving health. Consumer confidence levels for December rose to the highest level since August 2001 amid improving expectations for job growth and rising incomes in the months ahead, the Conference Board, a research firm, said. Wages have been rising by 2.5% from a year earlier and U.S. joblessness fell to its lowest level in nine years in November, according to the Labor Department.