Seasonal

H&M isn’t letting a weak second quarter performance stand in the way of its ambitious expansion plans.   The Swedish retailer’s profit in the quarter, which ended May 31, fell 17% to 5.357 billion Swedish kronor ($649.6 million), according to MarketWatch, as unusually cool weather dimmed sales of spring clothing and a strong U.S. dollar added to its costs. The strong dollar will have a negative impact on purchasing costs for the third quarter and a neutral effect in the fourth, the chain said.  

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, and retailers and dads alike will have reason to smile, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).    American adults who plan to consume this holiday will do so in a big way, spending an average of $169.60 at predominantly at physical retailers, according to ICSC’s most recent consumer survey.    Here are eight specific findings:  

The combination of a cool spring and the continued pullback in luxury apparel spending took a toll on Neiman Marcus Group in the company’s third quarter.    The department store retailer’s profit plunged 80% in the period ended April 30, down to $3.8 million from $19.8 million in the year-ago period.    Total revenue for the quarter fell 4.2% to $1.17 billion, down from $1.22 billion a year ago.   Same-stores sales fell 5%.   

Anyone who is a dad, or sells products dads like, may be in for a happy Father’s Day.

According to a new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insight and Analytics, consumers say they will spend more than ever on Father’s Day in 2016 (Sunday, June 19). Shoppers are expected to spend an average $125.92 for the holiday, up 9% from the prior year’s $115.57. Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion, the highest in the survey’s 13-year history but still below the 2016 Mother’s Day total of $21.4 billion.

Specialty arts and crafts retailer The Michaels Companies Inc. exceeded Wall Street expectations for profit and sales in a generally strong first quarter of fiscal 2016.

Michaels reported net income of $70.76 million, a 6% increase from $66.74 million the same quarter a year earlier. Improvements in gross profit helped boost net income.
 

A cold spring helped dampen sales and earnings at one of the nation’s leading apparel companies.
 
Ascena Retail, whose brands include Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant, Catherines, Justice and Dressbarn, reported profit of $15 million in the third quarter, ended April 23, down from $24 million in the year-ago period.
 

Temperatures in the East will be somewhat similar to last year while the West will trend cooler than last year. Rainfall will be greater across the Northwest, meanwhile across the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast, we may begin to see the start of a long-term drying trend.

An innovative advocacy campaign to encourage shopping at physical stores JLL launched for Mother’s Day will debut at other key seasonal periods during the next three months.