WASHINGTON – The holiday season turned out not to have been a particularly merry one for retail sales, the National Retail Federation said on Thursday. Retail sales grew a lower-than-expected 2.9% during the two-month period, according to the NRF, which cited U.S. Commerce Department data that had been delayed by nearly a month because of
WASHINGTON — From Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, more than 165 million Americans shopped either in stores or online, surpassing the 164 million who had said they would shop in a consumer sentiment survey conducted ahead of the holiday, the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics said. The average shopper spent $313.29 on
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation has revised its retail sales forecast for 2018, saying it now expects sales to increase 4.5% or more, up from its earlier projection of a year-on-year gain in the range of 3.8% to 4.4%. “Higher wages, gains in disposable income, a strong job market and record-high household net worth
WASHINGTON — States can collect sales tax from online sellers even if those companies don’t have a physical presence in the state, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in a case with far-reaching implications for online commerce. “The physical presence rule has long been criticized as giving out-of-state sellers an advantage,” the court said in
WASHINGTON — The individual mandate is no more. The requirement under the Affordable Care Act that people pay a penalty if they do not obtain health insurance was eliminated in the federal tax overhaul passed by Congress. After the Senate approved the tax reform legislation 51-48, Trump tweeted, “Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare) Repealed.” He signed
A case could be made that for pharmacy operators passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act late last month was the biggest story of 2017. Championed by the Republican leadership in Congress and President Trump, the $1.5 trillion measure will provide substantial, permanent tax relief for businesses — the corporate tax rate was cut
WASHINGTON — CVS Health’s Helena Foulkes has been tabbed as one of the keynote speakers at the National Retail Federation’s 2018 annual convention in Manhattan. Foulkes, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Pharmacy, will address the theme “empowering customers to make everyday health care better” in her presentation, scheduled for Jan.
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation will recognize Walmart president and chief executive officer Doug McMillon as “The Visionary,” an annual award honoring outstanding retail industry leaders The award will be presented to McMillon at the 2018 NRF Foundation Gala on Jan. 14 in New York City. “From risk-taking acquisitions like Jet.com to investing in
WASHINGTON — Retailers applauded congressional Republicans’ move to give up their pursuit of the border adjustment tax (BAT). Prior to GOP leaders’ announcement of the decision on July 27, retailers that receive many of the goods they sell from overseas had expressed concerns about the BAT, claiming that it would pass hefty costs on to
WASHINGTON — Retailers applauded Republicans’ move to give up their pursuit of the border adjustment tax (BAT). Prior to GOP leaders’ announcement of the decision on Thursday, retailers that receive many of the goods they sell from overseas had expressed concerns about the BAT, claiming it would pass hefty costs on to consumers. The week
NEW YORK — Back-to-school spending is forecast to rise this season, according to recent surveys from the National Retail Federation and Deloitte LLC. Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average $687.72 each, for a total of $29.5 billion, an 8% increase from last year’s $27.3 billion, according to the
WASHINGTON — Consumer spending on Valentine’s Day is expected to slip this year after a decade of annual increases, according to the National Retail Federation. U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of $136.57 on the holiday this year, according to the annual survey released by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation is out with figures showing that holiday retail sales reached $658.3 billion in November and December, a 4% increase from the previous year and surpassing the NRF’s preseason forecast for $655.8 billion in holiday spending. The number includes $122.9 billion in online (dubbed non-store sales by NRF) sales. That
NEW YORK — Holiday sales at drug chains edged up slightly versus a year ago, as uncertainty over the economy left consumers wary of boosting their spending. Another crimp on sales growth was deep discounts. While retailers trimmed inventory for the holiday season to avoid having to clear out overstocks with price cuts, consumers were
