In our three-part blog series, RSM’s senior industry analysts explore back-to-school shopping trends and the impact on consumer businesses. In the not-too-distant past, companies rigidly divided their operations into digital and physical retail segments. This separation extended to sales teams, ... READ MORE >
Consumer products
Strong employment enables consumers to maintain spending
Strong employment has sustained consumer spending levels, Commerce Department data for June released on Tuesday shows. Retail sales rose 0.3% to 0.4% in the month, after adjusting for inflation, driven by robust employment despite consumers’ depleted savings and high interest rates. As retailers look ... READ MORE >
Retail demand shows weakness, leading to first inflation dip in 6 months
In a noteworthy turn, core goods prices have experienced a continued decline, contributing to the first dip in inflation in six months, according to April’s consumer price index. April's retail sales data paints a picture of stagnation, hinting at a weakening consumer base grappling with high interest ... READ MORE >
Senior Loan Officer Survey: Progress halts as inflation rebounds in Q1
Progress toward normalization in lending practices generally halted in the first quarter as the Federal Reserve turned more hawkish amid the rebound in inflation, according to data in a Fed report released on Monday. The Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices showed that demand ... READ MORE >
Maintaining margins amid California’s minimum wage increase: Strategies for fast food operators
California’s minimum wage for fast food workers has been raised to $20 per hour, as of April 1, marking a 23% increase from the previous average minimum wage of $16.20 per hour. Fast-food operators, ranging from large chains to individual franchises and private businesses, have been analyzing their ... READ MORE >
Cautious, but optimistic, consumer products M&A climate for 2024
For consumer products-focused investors, 2023 will be one to forget as closed deal activity fell to the lowest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The robust deal market of 2020 and 2021 feels like a distant memory as well. A combination of economic uncertainty and inconsistency on recessionary ... READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season insights: E-commerce helps drive holiday sales growth
The consumer continues to beat spending expectations with 4.1% year-over-year growth, 4.9% year-over-year in core goods (excluding food services, gas, building materials and motor vehicle dealers), according to the U.S Census Bureau. Cyber Monday and e-commerce natives helped lead the charge for this ... READ MORE >
NetSuite SuiteWorld 2023: Trends and insights from RSM
Last month NetSuite held its annual SuiteWorld event in Las Vegas, gathering industry leaders, partners and clients from around the world to reflect on the past, explore the present and envision the future of enterprise resource planning technology. The event marked its 25th-year anniversary. RSM's ... READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season insights: Fading consumer confidence won’t dampen holiday retail cheer
Despite numerous economic challenges, consumer spending has remained remarkably resilient. The U.S. Census Bureau’s release of September retail sales showed strong results, solidifying consumers’ willingness to spend. But with the holiday season approaching, it remains to be seen whether consumers will ... READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season insights: Shopping growth to be lower, but still strong
With Halloween in the rear-view mirror and winter holiday decorations in department stores in full swing, RSM forecasts nominal retail sales from October through December will increase nearly 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Given that many promotional events began in early October, consistent with ... READ MORE >