Budgets/Spending/Market Size

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix posted first quarter sales of $7.5 billion, representing a 6.1% increase. The Easter holiday in the first quarter of 2013, which was in the second quarter of 2012, increased sales by approximately 1.3%, the grocer noted. 

Comparable-store sales for the first quarter of 2013 increased 3.9%.

Los Angeles -- Mother's Day spending will be nearly flat this year as more Americans return to work and have less spare time, according to a new report by market research firm IBISWorld.

The report forecast a 0.2% rise in purchases on Mother's Day gifts this year over last year, for a total of $17.1 billion.

MINNEAPOLIS — Best Buy is leaving the European market. The company is selling its stake in a joint European venture with U.K.-based consumer electronics retailer Carphone Warehouse Group PLC for cash and stock worth about $775 million USD.

Best Buy Co. will also pay Carphone 29 million pounds (about $45 million) related to existing agreements that will be terminated when the deal closes. The U.S. retailer also said that it will incur an approximately $200 million asset impairment charge related to the stake sale.

Moms are in for a special treat this Mother’s Day, May 12, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, but another survey conducted by IBISWorld has found that Mother’s Day spending growth will be flat this year compared to last year.

NRF’s Mother’s Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight has found consumers will spend an average of $169 on mom, up 11% from last year’s $153. Total spending is expected to reach $21 billion.

Taylor, Mich.-based Masco Corp. reported first-quarter net sales of $1.88 billion, up 3.9% from the same quarter last year.

Net income for the giant manufacturer of home improvement and building products was $47 million, up from $33 million in the prior-year quarter. 

New York -- Multibillion dollar transactions drove U.S. retail and consumer deals during the first quarter of 2013, according to PwC US.

For the three month period ending March 31, 2013, there were a total of 27 deals in the retail and consumer sector with disclosed values greater than $50 million, accounting for $39.8 billion in deal value. Deal volume increased 59% from the 17 deals during the first quarter 2012, while deal value rose 590% from $5.8 billion in first quarter 2012.  

Austin, Texas -- Survey results by coupon site RetailMeNot revealed Monday that the vast majority of consumers believe that saving money is important.

According to the Shoppers Trend Report, conducted by The Omnibus Co. for RetailMeNot, 93% of consumers say they believe that saving money in their everyday lives is important. The survey also found that 61% are saving about the same or more money per month than they were five years ago.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Monday by the Commerce Dept. said that March consumer spending in the U.S. advanced more than forecast – rising 0.2% after a 0.7% increase in February.

New York -- Consumer confidence dropped in April to a three-month low amid discouraging economic indicators, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Survey of Consumers.  

The index fell 2.8% in April to 76.4 from 78.6 a month earlier. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey was 73.5 after a preliminary April reading of 72.3.

The Michigan survey’s current conditions index, which measures Americans’ view of their personal finances, fell to 89.9 in April from 90.7 last month.

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings reported Friday that net income for the quarter ended March 31 rose 12.5% to $72.6 million, compared with $64.5 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue increased 6.5% to $664.7 million, from $624.3 million last year. Same-store sales advanced 1.9% in domestic company-owned stores (including online sales).