By Mark Pender
NEW YORK (MNI) – MNI’s U.S. retail trade index rose 1.1 points in
the Feb. 12 period to 63.3, holding in trend to indicate steady and
solid year-on-year growth, according to the results of Market News
International’s weekly survey released Monday.
Total sales are a year-on-year +4.6% with same-store sales at
+2.4%.
When adjusted for a month-to-month comparison, MNI’s data point to
a -0.3% print for the ex-auto ex-gas category of Tuesday’s January
retail sales report from the government.
A decline would snap seven straight months of gains for this
category.
Though January was above plan for many chains, others say the month
was in fact hurt by heavy weather and also by delays in tax refunds.
Motor vehicle sales look strong as do gasoline sales and point, for
this sample, to +0.2% gains for both total sales and ex-auto sales.
In a special positive, the sample’s income is on the move, rising
for a third week to a year-on-year +15% for the best reading since July
and pointing to increasing pricing power.
The period’s sample size is 181 chains making up 184,400 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 **
[TOPICS: MDURE$,MT$$$$,M$U$$$,M$UEQ$,MAUDS$]
