U.S. consumers are likely to feel a modest jolt in commuting costs, as wholesale gasoline futures now point to an 8 percent rise in retail gasoline prices in coming days, with risk of a much more pronounced increase to follow.The surge is due to non-market derived pricing action caused by a recent policy shift from Washington on waivers around imports of Iranian oil. … READ MORE >
Consumer products
Economic risk tied to closing the U.S.-Mexico border
A sustained hard closure of the U.S. border with Mexico would trigger a recession in both the United States and Mexico within six months. The automotive sector, in particular, is vulnerable. … READ MORE >
U.S. February retail sales point to weak Q1 household spending
Soft top-line and underlying core retail sales in February point to persistent weak household spending in the first quarter of the year. … READ MORE >
Retail sales: Fatigued consumer bounces back but will there be follow through?
January retail sales data indicated a modest rebound in spending after a weaker-than-expected close to 2018. The 0.2 percent month-over-month increase in retail sales and the 0.9 percent increase in the retail sales control group figure that feeds into estimates of gross domestic product both affirm that the U.S. did not fall into recession to kick off the year. … READ MORE >
Fashion to get lift from spending, amid trade and labor challenges
Consumer confidence and spending created some momentum for the fashion sector in 2018. Continued strong consumer confidence, along with the threat of trade regulations and a tight labor market, will be dominant themes for the sector—and the broader retail space—heading into 2019. In 2018, apparel retailers saw sales rise 7.5 percent for the week of Black Friday ended Nov. 24, compared to a year earlier. … READ MORE >
Data to help food makers manage trends, boost transparency
The 2019 outlook for the food and beverage sector remains cautiously optimistic; however, macroeconomic trends and public policy headwinds make it increasingly important for middle market companies to pay close attention to consumer preferences, while leveraging technology to drive process improvements and optimization. Margin pressures remain front and center due … … READ MORE >