US DATA: Redbook for Dec 11 wk says “With the month significantly
back-loaded with last minute holiday shopping along with the new year,
retailers entered the expected “soft-middle” of the holiday season as
most remained cautiously optimistic in sitting out the pre-Christmas
wait. Customer traffic was slower, which may be attributed to last
minute shopping and gift cards for presents (gift card sales don’t
record the sales revenue until the cards are used). Some retailers are
manipulating their promotional schedules, advertising and price
discounts.”
–
Year-over-year: Week (w/e 12/11/10 vs year-ago) 2.5%
Year-over-year: Month (December 2010 vs December 2009) 3.1%
Month-over-month: (December 2010 vs November 2010) -0.1%