-
NRF: Holiday sales won’t be as bad as feared
Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation on Wednesday was quick to shine a more positive light on holiday sales 2012, suggesting that reports of the worst holiday results since 2008 are not correct.
Matthew Shay, president of the NRF, said he's still predicting a 4.1% increase. "We're still pretty optimistic it's going to be a solid year," Shay said Wednesday on CNBC’s "Squawk on the Street." "We're still going to have year-over-year growth" of 4.1%. But that is down from 5.6% growth last year.
-
Mohawk adds to flooring portfolio
Mohawk Industries plans to acquire leading ceramic tile manufacturer The Marazzi Group.
The $1.5 billion acquisition will make Mohawk, a flooring industry leader best known for carpeting, the world leader in ceramic tile, according to the company. The Marazzi Group is said to be the leading manufacturer and marketer of ceramic tile in all its major geographies, including Russia, the United States, Italy, France and Spain, with 2011 revenues of nearly $1.2 billion. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013.