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CEA: Consumer confidence down again
ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumer confidence in the overall economy and sentiment toward technology both fell again in February, according to the latest figures released by the Consumer Electronics Association.
The CEA Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE), which measures consumer expectations about the broader economy, fell 2.7 points in February to 165.3. Consumer confidence in the overall economy declined for the second consecutive month.
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Tax delay dents AutoZone sales
A 1.8% decline in second quarter same store sales at AutoZone was attributed to a two week tax return processing delay by the Internal Revenue Service.
The delay kept tax refunds out of the hand of AutoZone customers inclined to perform maintenance on their vehicles during the retailer’s second quarter ended February 9. Last week, Walmart also cited the tax processing delay as a source of sale weakness when it reported a 1% comp increase that was at the low end of its forecast range for a 1% to 3% increase.