Budgets/Spending/Market Size

Atlanta - Overall retail spending growth in August 2014 was the strongest in more than a year. According to the First Data SpendTrend report, retail dollar volume growth reached 2.8% in August (compared to 2.6% in July), as back-to-school shopping propelled spending growth in several retail categories. (SpendTrend tracks same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly 4 million merchants locations serviced by First Data in the United States.)

Washington, D.C. --  August retail sales – excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants – increased 0.5% seasonally adjusted month-to-month and 2.7% unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation. When combined with revisions to July, August sales indicate a consistent improvement in consumer confidence and spending.

Overall retail spending growth in August 2014 was the strongest in more than a year, according to the First Data SpendTrend report.

Retail dollar volume growth reached 2.8% in August — compared to 2.6% in July — as back-to-school shopping propelled spending growth in several retail categories.

City of Commerce, Calif. — Net income at 99 Cents Only Stores Inc. slightly increased to $2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014 from $1.9 million a year earlier. Net sales rose 6% to $458.2 million from $433.1 million, while same-store sales increased 0.1%.

99 Cents Only cited the short-term impact of several long-term growth initiatives, as well as California’s ongoing drought, as limiting its financial growth during the quarter.

Lewisville, Texas – Consumers are increasingly interested in the BOPIS (buy online, pickup in store) option for making purchases. According to a new survey of 1,992 U.S. adults by custom incentive company Parago, 63% of shoppers BOPIS (buy online, pickup in store) at least a few times a year, but 82% percent would consider doing so to receive a $10 rebate on a $50 item.

New York -- Fitch Ratings downgraded the credit ratings of Sears Holding Corp. from “CCC” to “CC,” citing the “magnitude” of the retailer’s drop in profitability and lack of visibility to turn operations around as a significant concern.

Fitch also cited the company’s cash burn rate, calling it a “significant concern.”

San Diego – For the month of August 2014, net sales at PriceSmart Inc. increased 7.3% to $206.7 million, from $192.6 million in August a year earlier. Same-store sales for the month increased 2.3%.

PriceSmart also announced the planned opening dates for the three warehouse clubs currently under construction in Colombia. The Bogota warehouse club is planned to open on Oct. 29; the Pereira warehouse club is planned to open on Nov. 13; and the Medellin warehouse club is planned to open on Nov. 26.

North Palm Beach, Fla. – Despite prevailing expert opinion that mobile payments are popular with modern consumers, this may not actually be the case. A new survey of U.S. consumers conducted by Princeton Research Associates for Creditcards.com shows that only 4% of Americans say they would always use their mobile phone to make a purchase and only 9% said “most of the time.”