US DATA: Redbook for wk July 30: “As in the earlier part of the
month, the final week saw steady sales of summer goods. Since July is a
clearance month, and retailers sometimes have promoted heavily to drive
sales, they point out that elevated volumes do not automatically imply
strong margins. Nevertheless, most appear to be satisfied with their
clearance programs and indicate that they are making smooth inventory
shifts into the new, fall season. In certain cases, retailers are
noticing a firmer tone in sales toward the weekend, especially in
apparel, which they attribute to favorable weather conditions and
beginning of the back-to-school demand.”
–
Year-over-year: Week (w/e 07/30/11 vs year-ago) 4.5%
Year-over-year: Month (July 2011 vs July 2010) 4.3%
Month-over-month: (July 2011 vs June 2011) -0.5%