Budgets/Spending/Market Size

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald’s Corp. reported Tuesday that consolidated revenues for fiscal 2011 rose 12% to a record-high $27 billion. The restaurant chain also said that global same-store sales increased 5.6% for the year ended Dec. 31, with positive comps across all geographic segments for every quarter.

"During 2011, McDonald's continued momentum drove higher profitability and market share gains as we fortified our leadership position around the world," said McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner.

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. reported Monday that net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 fell 8% to $15.9 million.

Revenue for the quarter dipped 2.2% to $273.1 million.

Investors were prepared for the news because the company previously reported the lower revenue figures earlier this month.
 

New York City -- Apple stores around the world are pulling in an annual average of $4,709 sales per square foot, CNN Money reported.

While a handful of super-high-end luxury retailers with limited floor space in New York City and foreign capitols may do better, Apple’s numbers make it by far the most valuable chain in the United States. Apple’s closest chain competitor is Tiffany & Co., which garners an average of $2,974 per square foot, according to the report.


 

Amstersdam — Ahold experienced several bright spots during its fourth quarter and full year, the Dutch-based supermarket company said.

Fourth-quarter net sales totaled $9.4 billion, a 4.5% increase above the year-ago period, while net sales for the year increased by 2.5% to $39.1 billion.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop has reintroduced its Guaranteed Value product line in an effort to help customers on a budget.

The line, which includes about 200 items, touts prices that are an average of 20% to 25% less than national brands. What's more, 60% of the items cost $2 or less. What's more, packaging for items that are part of Guaranteed Value have undergone a makeover, with the yellow, blue and red packaging being replaced with a bright orange and white design that highlights the value offered with each product.

New York City -- A report released Monday by the National Retail Federation said that retail industry sales growth for 2012 is forecasted at 3.4%, a pace slower than 2011’s 4.7% growth.

Still, said NRF, the retail industry will grow at a rate faster than many other industries.

NEW YORK — Retail industry sales are expected to rise, albeit not at the same pace as 2011, according to the National Retail Federation.

Retail industry sales will rise 3.4% to $2.53 trillion, NRF said, compared with a pace of 4.7% in the year-ago period. The expected slowdown in consumer spending, NRF said, will be influenced by a number of factors, including stalled unemployment rate and lack of newly-created jobs. But despite the lower projection, the industry is expected to garner stronger numbers than other industries, NRF said.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $400.6 billion.

The December figure is up 0.1% from November, and up 6.5% from December 2010.

Total sales for the October through December 2011 period were up 7.0% from the same period a year ago.