US DATA: Redbook sales for Jan 8 wk: “Consumers continue to redeem
gift cards in the post-Christmas season. Cold weather across the country
drove consumers into stores for cold weather clothing. Outerwear and
other seasonal clothing ranked high on sales leader lists. Retailers at
department stores said consumers were motivated by prices as January
clearance sales got under way. Some discounters reported that
consumption had reverted to more normal patterns, with a focus on basic
commodities and food. Clearance is the key theme.”
–
Year-over-year: Week (w/e 01/08/11 vs year-ago) 2.8%
Year-over-year: Month (January 2011 vs January 2010) 2.8%
Month-over-month: (January 2011 vs December 2010) -0.5%