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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Many U.S. retailers are expected to report disappointing December sales later this week, hurt by everything from the challenging economy to unfavorable weather to the calendar, which shifted more holiday sales to November.
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The signs of labor unrest seen over the weekend may be a harbinger of things to come in an industry already buffeted by bankruptcies and structural change.
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By Denise Trowbridge, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio  Feb. 4--It's become a real job trying to figure out today's job market.   Consider these colliding trends: U.S.
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Given the importance of consumer spending in driving the U.S. economy, November's disappointing retail sales are a cause for concern.
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Retail sales fell unexpectedly in  December to close out the weakest year at the cash register  since 2002, data showed on Tuesday, the strongest signal yet  that the economy may be sliding into recession under the weight  of a housing and credit crisis.
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Hurricanes, weak back-to-school sales, and weak European business bring an earnings warning.
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Reports on factory orders and the labor market portrayed an economy that is skirting recession as attention shifts to government figures on employment to be released Friday.
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US retail chains reported May sales gains as warmer weather helped them rebound from a dismal April, but results were weaker than a year ago, signaling to some that rising gas prices and a slowing housing market are taking their toll.
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Apparel retailers may be  facing a doom-and-gloom sales environment in the near future,  but many are anxious to prove to a skeptical marketplace they  have got what it takes to be recession-proof.
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Housing woes and high gas prices likely combined to send U.S. auto sales to a weak finish in December, capping the industry's worst sales year in a decade and increasing pressure on U.S. automakers to cut production further, analysts said on Wednesday.
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 14  â Retail sales, hurt by a big drop in autos, slowed at the start of the year while business inventories had their poorest showing in 17 months.
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High gasoline and food prices, the slumping housing market, tighter credit and tougher job prospects pushed some consumers to the edge.
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Figures showing a drop in retail sales spark fears that the recent consumer spending rebound could be coming to an end.
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Lots of debt could mean tough times ahead.
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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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US retail sales fell last month, official figures show, the latest indication that the economy is under pressure.