U.S. Retail Sales in February Post Smallest Gain in Six Month

[titaniumsalute]

Source: Bloomberg News

U.S. retail sales in February posted the smallest gain in six months, indicating a tempering of the consumer spending that’s been carrying the economy.

Purchases rose 0.1 percent, matching the Bloomberg survey median estimate, after a 0.6 percent increase in the prior month that was stronger than previously reported, Commerce Department figures showed Wednesday. Just four of the 13 major retail categories saw gains in February sales.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-15/u-s-retail-sales-in-february-post-smallest-gain-in-six-months

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Uh oh. Maybe the tax thing last night was a distraction from really shitty retail figures this morning. Didn't notice any tweets on this yet this morning.

[Friend or Foe]

1. Fake News! Fake Numbers!

Blame Obama

[nikibatts]

2. Now we know why 45 sent his 2005 two-page tax summary to Johnston and Rachel.

Distraction from important news.

[bearssoapbox]

3. Now, now everybody, give 45 a break.

I'm sure that Trumplethinskin will take the responsibility for these numbers just like he took credit for the jobs numbers increase.

After all, as we've seen before, the buck stops with him.

Damn, even being sarcastic, I could hardly type the last sentence without throwing up a little.

[ColemanMaskell]

8. bearssoapbox, some Nausea advice --

No, nausea is not a new pet name for il Trompe.
This is about your mentioned urge to "throw up a little".
Anything like that, rephrase it as a question. Then you aren't actually stating it (even sarcastically).
For example:

Doesn't he always say the buck stops with him?
After all, we've heard him say before that the buck stops with him.
Doesn't the buck stop with him?

That should reduce the queasiness because the truth-telling part of your mind shouldn't nudge you as much for seemingly stating a falsehood in the spirit of sarcasm.

[bearssoapbox]

11. Or...

It could be that the lying piece of shit just makes me sick.

Yeah, I think I'll go with that.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. The Fear Factor at work.

[keithbvadu2]

5. Thank you Trump.

The buck is on roller skates as he passes it on.

[Javaman]

6. and now comes the trump effect. nt

[Xolodno]

7. I'm not buying the "everyone orders online"...

...spiel for the recent wave's of retail store closures. It's never one factor alone, because if it was, they would be able to adjust to it quickly. Its usually several factors in a complicated web. If I were to peg it:

1. Retail Store Over-saturation: In the drive for sales and you're analysts say " the more stores we have the more sales"....companies tend to expand too much.

2. Niche Stores with Niche Markets: Sometimes, those niche areas go out of style and its very difficult to remake your image.

3. Poor Management: Sears. nuff said.

4. Online sales: Yes that has an impact in your in-store sales. But you can find out where various populaces are buying online and where they are not. Where one store can serve the market whereas two or more is not needed.

5. Product offerings: If you're products aren't that interesting, don't expect people to buy them.

6. Income levels, if purchasing power has dropped in an area, guess what, so is their ability to purchase your products. Often companies love bury their head in the sand and say "oh this won't effect us because...<insert lame reason>"

7. Upcoming Recession. And this doesn't have to be national, it can be regional or even local.

[ColemanMaskell]

9. (For the future) Don't forget the impending rate hikes by the Fed,

and Fed rate hikes can tend to increase the interest rate on credit cards, like other variable-rate debt. In fact they're usually intended to tighten lending and hence reduce the money supply (to reduce inflation). The Fed has stated they expect to raise rates two or three times this year. That's a big dose of belt tightening.

Plus the uncertainty caused by all the political theater. As people feel more insecure they tend to spend less, except for survivalist gear and supplies of course.

Or maybe some of them are saving up to buy medical insurance or pay future medical bills -- you know, skipping that iphone as Representative Chutzpah suggested -- it's possible. If so, they'll be disappointed when they compare the costs, but it's possible some people took his word seriously. Okay, that was too recent to affect the numbers yet, and it doesn't seem like there could be many like that anyway -- I just thought it was a funny way to point out that if the current gov't does manage to cut gov't medical care subsidies, the higher personal medical expenditures will have an adverse effect on their other (consumer) spending, and, yes, your point 7, recession, is a possible result. When you combine large increases in medical spending with interest rate hikes, it seems almost an inevitability. But then I'm not an economist. Anyway the Trump-Ryan-Don't-Care bill hopefully probably won't pass.

That all applies to predicted problems, not to the store closings and such that have already happened. So, yeah, think it looks bad? It can get worse. Much worse.

[wishstar]

10. Especially for stores that sell major appliances that most people don't order online

I live in a growing developing prosperous area with very low unemployment, but business closures seem to indicate a saturation and downturn beginning, as perhaps people are tapped out by high housing costs coupled with low wage growth while business growth has reached its peak for now.

[pfitz59]

12. who wants to buy anything

when their lives and livelihoods are at risk.... the turmoil of Trump's rise to power has thrown established parameters out the window. the future is nebulous and foundation of both government and economy shaken. When the shadow President of the US publicly proclaims his aim is to destry government, some fok take that as a warning. time to hunker down...