Research Topic

Overall, the number of inserts and pages declined slightly across the retailer set in June 2011 versus June 2010.

Major retailers dialed back the number of ads inserts and the number of pages in June when compared to the prior year, according to Market Track. Click here to view promotional activity for the 16 of the nation’s leading retailers.

Delinquency rates in Target’s credit card portfolio are now at their lowest level in three years as more people are paying their bills on time. It is an encouraging sign for the long-term health of the nation’s economy to know that people are increasingly using credit in a responsible manner, at least those who have a Target card anyway, and therefore more likely to honor their obligations.

New York City -- Dunkin’ Brands Group is seeking to raise as much as $460.6 million in its initial public offering, 15% more than the company planned in May, Bloomberg reported.

Dunkin’ Brands is offering 22.3 million shares for $16 to $18 each, the chain said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today. The company may sell an additional 3.33 million shares, given sufficient demand.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. —  While agreeing on many factors, men and women still value different things when it comes to purchasing decisions. 

According to a recent report from the NPD Group, when shoppers of both genders decide to purchase a consumer electronics product the most important thing to them is that the product be the same brand as something they already own. Men regard popularity of the product as their number two reason to purchase a CE product, while women want the product to work with what they already own. 

Purchase, N.Y. -- A report released Thursday by MasterCard Advisors, which tracked sales activity in the MasterCard payments network coupled with cash and check estimates, said that June sales continued May’s mixed bag with some sectors gaining and some losing momentum.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's on Thursday reported sales of $179 million for the five weeks ended July 2, representing a relatively flat 0.1% increase, compared with the year-ago period.

Comparable-store sales for the month dropped 0.7%, compared with an increase of 1.7% in the same period last year.

Stronger-than-expected sales from a number of retailers in June is adding credence to a recent forecast that this year’s back-to-dchool season could be the strongest in the past five years, which is good news for Walmart as it looks for a strong ending to its second quarter.

Shoppers continue to face a lot of economic headwinds this back-to-school season, but one forecaster has seasonal sales growing by 6.2% to $467 billion, the most since 2006.

Stronger-than-expected retail sales in June had media outlets using words like “soar” and “surge” to describe the gains reported by retailers who disclose monthly results. While it is probably overstating things to characterize increases of 4.5% at Target, 6.7% at Macy’s and 4.8% as Walgreens as anything other than an “increase,” the hyperbole on the part of the media and analysts can be forgiven because everything is relative, and the numbers are fantastic compared with earlier this year.

New York City -- The International Council of Shopping Centers is forecasting an increase of 3% to $39 billion in total sales over the three-month back-to-school shopping season.

According to ICSC on Thursday, sales for the back-to-school season -- typically the second-largest driver of the year -- are predicted to be healthy.