Retail, auto sales, job numbers suggest tougher times
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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Could it be that people are just tired of buying things on the cheap at Wal-Mart? Free! Sign up here to receive our Weekly Roundup e-Newsletter!
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Lately, the company's retail operation has been lagging behind sales of its locations.
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The nation's retailers delivered more evidence of a stumbling economy Thursday, as merchants including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported weak January results, extending a malaise that has deepened since the holiday shopping season.
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Lots of debt could mean tough times ahead.
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In spite of a burst of Friday spending, the holiday shopping season got off to a sluggish start, forcing retailers to reassess their strategies for luring buyers. Slow sales reported by three retail sales trackers on Tuesday were blamed on higher fuel costs and an overall lack of confidence in the economy.
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Consumer spending, the critical bulwark that has kept the country out of a recession, is showing signs of cracking. Retail sales plunged by 0.4 percent last month as consumers battered by a sinking housing market, rising unemployment and the credit crunch, handed retailers their worst Christmas in five years.
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As America went to the polls after a bitter campaign pegged partly on the economy, a report showed a still-troubled job market, where layoffs are frequent, hiring is hesitant and improvement has been maddeningly slow.
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A string of government reports on  Thursday offered a mixed picture of the U.S. economy while  unexpectedly poor August sales at major U.S. retailers fanned  fears about consumer spending.
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Europe's biggest economy had both good news and bad news on Thursday, inflation and the jobless rate have fallen, but retail sales slumped too as consumers fret about their future.
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Retail sales posted a modest gain in August, helped by the biggest jump in auto sales in more than a year. But there are concerns that spending could falter as the steep slump in housing and financial market turbulence weigh on consumer confidence.
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With a weak back-to-school season behind them, the nation's retailers are focused on the holidays and what steps they need to take to get consumers excited about shopping again. That could mean some quick merchandise changes and more aggressive discounting than they originally planned.
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Fewer workers signed up for unemployment aid last week, underscoring stability in the labor market, and inventories at U.S. wholesalers picked up in April in a sign businesses are preparing for more demand later this year.
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Employees at car dealerships, furniture stores, gas stations and clothing retailers were among the hardest hit by job losses in December, when unemployment climbed to a two-year high.
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With recession looming, there are pitfalls and opportunities.
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Two pillars of the economy &#151; consumer confidence and the housing market &#151; sent off warning signs on Tuesday that could mean lower spending during the critical fall shopping season, particularly if the labor market weakens.
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U.S. retail sales outside the auto sector firmed in February, but were restrained by the housing slump and rising gasoline prices, according to a report published Monday.
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U.S. retail sales outside the auto  sector firmed in February, but were restrained by the housing  slump and rising gasoline prices, according to a report  published Monday.