Headlines versus Underlying Data
I sometimes think I live in a different planet than some people. My friend Cody, for instance, lives in a very different economic world...
Holiday Sales Verdict: Mixed
Far be it from me to say "I told you so," but . . . A roundup of all the same store sales data shows that holiday sales were a...
Why I’m Bullish on Retail Sales
Someone asked me how I can believe Holiday sales increases can be in the 3 to 4% range when I don’t buy the NRF data. The answer is...
WSJ: Holiday Sales Numbers Don’t Add Up
The WSJ agrees that one cannot determine actual sales from a sentiment report: Here’s how the NRF’s polling company,...
Read it here first: Real-Estate Boom Soon May Sputter As an...
A key part of my Bearish thesis for 2006 has been that as interest rates tick up, the Real Estate cylinder in the economic engine will...
Mixed Retail Picture: Visa Edition
You folks posted alot of good comments yesterday following the discussion on increased Credit Card usage in the mixed retail post. Enough...
More To Holiday Sales Than A Few Phone Calls
Today’s morning missive was picked up by Dow Jones Market Talk: 11/28 11:21A More To Holiday Sales Than A Few Phone...
Don’t Believe the Hype: A Very Mixed Retail Picture
There are few things that make us more annoyed than bad data, lazy thinking or poor analysis. This weekend, the National Retail...
Retail Holiday Sales: “Muddy”
A quick note on the start of the holiday shopping season. Three elements are apparent: 1) Data shows a (slightly) softer start to the...
10 Factors to Watch this Holiday Shopping Season
Tony Crescenzi came up with this list of net positives for the shopping season; He calls these factors likely to boost holiday sales this...