Retail Slows as 2012 Starts

Retail (week ended 1/7/2012)

ICSC-Goldman Chain Store Sales

Store Sales – Week/Week -5.4 %
Store Sales – Year/Year +2.8%

Redbook

Store Sales Year/Year +3.3 %

Not an good start for the year.

Wholesale Trade (November 2011)

Wholesale inventories for November were +0.1% after a 1.6% growth for October. This recovery has been marked by the inability of wholesale and retail to get on the same page. Ultimately the consumer runs the show. This is a case of wholesale inventory growth slowing down so that the consumer can stay on the same lap.

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

Index for December was 93.8 up from 92.0 in November. 100 = neutral so this index while improved is still not indicating growth.

The facts underlying all recent fundamentals is that recoverey from the Great Recession is still unusually slow.