Chain Store Sales Soft. Jobs, Inventories up.

ICSC-Goldman Store Sales (week ended 12/6/2014)

– Store Sales week/week -1.5%. Previous was -1.8%
– Store Sales year/year  +2.9%. Previous was +2.8%

Redbook Store Sales (week ended 12/6/2014)

– Store Sales year/year +3.9%. Previous was 4.8%.

Looking at the Store Sales number one might think that purchases have shifted to on-line but the Consumer Metrics Daily Absolute Demand Index was flat from 11/12-1.4 and then down for 3 days.

 

JOLTS (October 2014)

– Job Openings 4,834,000. Previous was 4,685,000.

 

Wholesale Trade (October 2014)

– Inventories month/month +0.4%. Previous was +0.4%.

This is part of GDP.  It reflects both demand but also previous mismatch between expected and actual demand.

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index (November 2014)

– level 98.1. Previous was 96.1.