736 results found

January 2019 US Monthly Retail Traffic and In-Store Metrics Report: Post-Holiday Fatigue and Inclement Weather Drive Underwhelming January Traffic

All regions posted sales and traffic declines in January compared to the same period last year. The Midwest registered the largest year-over-year decline in traffic of all regions at 17.5%, owing to severe weather conditions. With warmer and wetter conditions, the South experienced the lowest decline, at 5.8%.

The Midwest also recorded the largest year-over-year in-store sales decline among all regions, down 16.8%, whereas the West, which enjoyed warmer and drier conditions, reported the smallest decline, down 1.4%.

December 2018 US Retail Sales: Year-Over-Year Growth Slows to Just 1.0% as Most Sectors Experience a Sluggish December

Our measure of core retail sales is non-seasonally-adjusted sales excluding gasoline and automobiles. This metric increased by just 1.0% year over year in December, slowing dramatically from the growth in preceding months, including a 5.2% uplift in November. This resulted in total holiday-period sales coming in at $693 billion, up by just 2.9% year over year.

Unilever (LSE: ULVR) FY18 Results: Accelerating Growth to be Priority, Followed by Agility

Unilever reported revenue of €50.98 billion, slightly behind consensus of €51.06 billion and down 5.1% from FY17 due to adverse currency impacts. Organic sales were up 2.9% year over year, driven by strong growth in Asia/AMET (Africa, Middle East, Turkey)/RUB (Russia, Ukraine and Belarus) region, yet slightly below consensus of 3.0%. Unilever noted that gross margin improved 50 bps to 43.6%, but did not disclose gross profit numbers.

Operating margin rose to 24.6%, 810 bps above previous year. Unilever grew its underlying operating margin from 17.5% in FY17 to 18.4% in FY18. Diluted EPS increased 61.9% to €3.48.

Unilever Expands Home Care Portfolio with the Acquisition of The Laundress

On January 28, Unilever announced it had acquired The Laundress, a premium detergent and fabric care company headquartered in New York. The Laundress was founded in 2004 by Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd after two years of research yielded a non-toxic line of laundry and home cleaning products. The portfolio now includes over 85 eco-friendly products.

Unilever said The Laundress will continue to operate from its New York City headquarters and that the two founders will remain in place to lead the business and operate the brand’s flagship store in New York.

10 Retail Trends for 2019: Get Ready for Retail Reinvention

Get ready for better stores and better retailing. We expect 2019 to be a year of reinvention — and not just for the retail sector as a whole, but for physical stores in particular. As we outline over the following pages, we anticipate that the year will be marked by spectacular retail, fast retail and smart retail.