By Mark Pender
NEW YORK (MNI) – MNI’s U.S. retail trade index fell more than a 1/2
point in the June 18 period to 58.3 level, comfortably above 50 to
indicate solid year-on-year growth in business conditions but below
trend to indicate the risk of slowing growth, according to the results
of Market News International’s weekly survey released Monday.
Total year-on-year sales are +5.1% with same-store sales at +3.0%,
both slightly lower than a month ago.
Unless these rates pick up, this sample is pointing to monthly
contraction for the government’s June retail sales report.
The repeated complaint from the sample is that high gas and food
costs are holding down traffic and limiting spending.
Income is respectable at +10%. Sample size in the period is 151
chains making up 136,400 separate retail locations.
Editor’s Note: MNI compiles its retail trade index based on a
weekly sample of company news and data.
** Market News International New York Newsroom: 212-669-6430 **
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