Merger and acquisition activity among consumer products companies took a breather in the first half of the year as valuations were reset amid rising interest rates. … READ MORE >
July retail sales show upside surprise, helped by discounting and back-to-school events: RSM analyst perspective
Retail sales rose 0.7% in July from the prior month, beating analysts’ expectations for a 0.4% rise, likely driven by a series of July discount events at major retailers and the start of back-to-school shopping. The rise marked the fourth consecutive month of increases.
Stripping out spending on gas, food, autos and building materials, retail sales increased by 1.0%, double analysts’ expectations for a 0.5% increase, according to Commerce Department data released Tuesday. This control group is a key barometer for discretionary spending. … READ MORE >
Back-to-school outlook: Inventory levels point to sustained discounting strategies
Retailers will continue discounting through the back-to-school shopping season and beyond. … READ MORE >
Are the good times in consumer spending coming to an end?
Consumers have shown remarkable resilience as the economy has rebounded from the depths of the pandemic, but that could be changing. … READ MORE >
U.S. inventories are growing at twice the rate of sales
The surge in inventories raises the risk that firms will be caught with excess supplies just as demand begins to slow down this year. … READ MORE >
Consumer products M&A insights
Consumer products closed deal activity slowed for the fourth consecutive quarter. … READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season insights: Thanksgiving holiday sees consumers continue to spend
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, consumers showed they are not yet ready to pull back on robust spending. … READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season insights: Retail holiday shopping expected to be strong this year
The holiday shopping season is expected to continue to show strong nominal spending by consumers. … READ MORE >
Consumer products M&A insights from the third quarter
Consumer products closed deal activity continued to slow, contracting for the third consecutive quarter. … READ MORE >
Back-to-school consumer business outlook: Did consumers pull back on spending?
In our final back-to-school outlook post we provide a look back at spending habits and what’s to come for the holidays. … READ MORE >