U.S. durable goods orders and the goods trade deficit in June beat expectations, according to data released Wednesday, tempering recession concerns before the Federal Reserve is expected to announce a rate hike later in the day. On top of that, shipments of nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft—a ... READ MORE >
Consumer products
Back-to-school consumer business outlook: Return of the discount
In our four-part blog series, RSM’s senior industry analysts explore back-to-school shopping trends and the impact on consumer businesses. This week we focus on how retailers are leveraging discount strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic retailers and wholesalers faced supply chain disruptions and ... READ MORE >
Back-to-school consumer business outlook: How will no enhanced child tax credit affect shopping?
As consumers enter the peak back-to-school shopping season (July through September), retailers and other consumer businesses are beginning to make room for backpacks, clothing, school supplies and other back-to-school needs. This season will certainly be different from last year, as consumers are in a ... READ MORE >
A new ban on some Chinese goods may prompt further consumer goods supply chain disruptions
On June 21, the United States government implemented laws under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that have a significant impact on consumer goods companies’ supply chains. This stems from the U.S. condemning forced labor and repression of minority groups in the Xinjiang region in China, including ... READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales fall as inflation takes a toll
U.S. retail sales declined in May as surges in energy and food prices forced consumers to reduce their spending on vehicles and other discretionary items. With inflation running hot, sales plunged on an inflation-adjusted basis, paring most of April's gains. That implies more headwinds to consumer ... READ MORE >
Are inventory levels too high?
In March, overall consumer spending continued at a robust pace, with the three-month annualized real consumer spending increasing 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. But even with healthy consumer demand, companies are beginning to rethink current inventory positions as they plan for back-to-school and winter ... READ MORE >
Consumer products M&A insights from the first quarter
After a strong 2021, consumer products deal activity contracted in the first quarter as market uncertainty affected deal urgency. As we enter the second quarter, more recent activity points to a rebound in consumer products closed transactions. Consumer products companies continue to benefit from ... READ MORE >
Canadian retail sales rebound amid strong auto demand
Retail sales in January went up by 3.2%, fully offsetting December’s decline despite the spread of the omicron variant, according to Statistics Canada. In terms of volume, sales increased 2.9%, and there was growth in most industries. The fact that most sectors were little affected by omicron ... READ MORE >
Consumer goods spending continues hot trend
Consumer goods spending rebounded on a month-over-month basis in January, increasing 7.6% compared with a 6.8% decline in December 2021 when consumer spending was impacted from concerns of the omicron variant and elevated holiday sales in October and November 2021. This 7.6% increase exceeded the 2.1% ... READ MORE >
As inflation has risen, companies ask: ‘Can I really raise my prices?’
As companies across virtually every sector of the economy continue to grapple with inflation at its highest level in 30 years, more executives are taking a closer look at whether to increase prices. But there are more dynamics at play than just rising costs, and businesses need to take a broader view as ... READ MORE >