Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The Kronos Retail Labor Index edged down to 3.8% in October 2011, following an upwardly revised 4.2% for September, which was the first reading above 4% since October 2008. Even with the small decline in October, the Retail labor Index remains well above the series low of 2.8% in January 2011.

New York City -- Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a 9% increase in same-store sales in October, helped by strong performances in the United States and abroad, just short of the 9.2% increase predicted by analysts.

Costco’s same-store U.S. sales rose 9% and were up 8% overseas. Taking out inflation in gas prices and a slightly negative impact from foreign currencies, the metric increased 6% in the United State and 9% internationally.

Seattle -- New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Seattle, top the list of the strongest retail real estate markets, according to Colliers International’s “Third Quarter 2011 North American Retail Highlights” report. The weakest markets include Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta and Las Vegas, which continue to experience vacancy rates at or above 15%.

Chicago -- A Wednesday report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas said that job cuts announced by U.S. employers increased in October from the same month last year.

According to the report, planned firings rose 13% to 42,759, from 37,986 in October 2010, boosted by job cuts by government agencies and financial companies.

Chicago -- A report released Tuesday by retail foot traffic counter ShopperTrak identified the 10 holiday shopping days that will make or break the period for retailers.

“Since Christmas falls on different calendar days each year, the shift impacts which days are the busiest,” said ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin. “Some change in ranking or drop off completely.”

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association on Tuesday issued a statement in response to Bank of America’s decision to abandon its plan to charge new fees on debit card users.

Has anyone else noticed that the Christmas holiday “season” starts earlier and earlier each year? This year, Walmart had their Christmas displays out by mid-September and many retailers were touting holiday sales in October! I still remember when Black Friday was the “official” kick-off to the holiday shopping season and it was surprising to see Christmas decorations up in mid-November. I keep wondering what the real-world implications of this calendar shift might mean – if anything – for retailers’ overall holiday and end-of-year sales?

The latest pricing studying from Deutsche Bank analyst Charles Grom shows a basket of 50 items is still cheaper at Walmart than Target, but by a slimmer margin than in the past.

New York City -- A report released Friday by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan found that consumer confidence in the United States rose unexpectedly in October, a signal that an economic recovery process may still be intact.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment climbed to 60.9 from 59.4 in September, beating Bloomberg News economists’ projections of a drop to 58.

The preliminary reading for the month was 57.5.

Newark, N.J. -- A report released Friday by the Journal of Commerce/PIERS showed that U.S. toy imports dropped 9% year-over-year in September, as the country's retailers apparently chose caution heading into the 2011 holiday season.

The drop in container volume, most of it from China, was the eighth straight for toys coming into the United States and a strong sign that the nation's stores are concerned with figures showing waning consumer confidence and opting to keep inventories lean rather than face deep-discount sales.