retail sales

Payments network is seeing only modest levels of freight capacity exiting the market.

Despite high inflation, big discounts drove shoppers to stores and online, with e-commerce sales posting records over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend.

Each year since the onset of the pandemic, peak season has looked a little different. What should retailers expect this year?

As inflation has taken hold, consumers have shifted buying habits, but data suggests those changes are happening in different ways across the country.

Retail sales are still up double digits compared to pre-COVID. Inventory-to-sales ratios have yet to fully recover.

As e-commerce growth slows, last-mile delivery providers remain under pressure to deliver for shippers, even if they don’t know how much of their services will be required.

RH confirms sharp drop in demand since Russia-Ukraine war and sees no supply chain relief.

Staffing remains a challenge for warehouse operators, but many are still not meeting the top demand of workers: schedule flexibility.

What is exciting for 2022, autonomous trucks make a big jump, Amazon shopping addicts by state, and FMCSA is hiring … again.

E-commerce sales continue to roll, but a decline in Q3’s numbers compared to Q2 comes as in-store sales climb.

FedEx is forecasting a 10% increase in package deliveries during the holiday shipping season.

Ulta Beauty is the latest brand to join DoorDash Drive, the food delivery company’s white-label last-mile fulfillment service.

Berkshire Grey continues a string of product releases with the robotic shuttle product sortation system for e-commerce retailers.

The end of the supply chain as we know it? Not even close, an economist believes.

Recent earnings reports from retailers exhibited improved inventory positions compared to a year ago. However, the comps show merchandise levels are still lagging sales by a wide margin.

ITF onboards new customers extremely fast, regardless of size or whether the end destination is a consumer or a business.

Americans are spending more on services. Contrary to predictions, this has yet to curb demand for containerized goods.

Spot pricing has surged even higher, propelled by carrier rate hikes and China congestion fallout.

The headline number for May retail sales was a sequential decline. What may have been lost in the report is that consumers are continuing to spend at a record-setting pace, which bodes well for freight flows.

There was a fair amount of “feel-good” talk regarding inventory build during the fiscal first-quarter retail earnings season. But for several chains, the year-over-year comparisons were easy. Further, sales have continued at an elevated clip, suggesting the massive merchandise restocking is far from over.

Consumers reversion to services has not come at the detriment of durable goods spending. Over the past four weeks, the mix of durable goods-to-services spending has remained stable.

How are retail stores recovering as COVID restrictions ease and foot traffic increases? Andrew Cox breaks it down on this episode of Great Quarter, Guys.

The growing backlog of new truck orders has supercharged pricing for newer used models at auctions, with retail traffic also high.

Retail sales surged in March along with freight volumes. An increase in vaccinations and stimulus payments provided a “perfect alignment” for the blowout report.

Hybrid investment firm Florida Funders has made a second investment in OTHRSource, an Atlanta-based company that specializes in boosting brands’ sales through strategic merchandising opportunities, both in-store and online.

U.S. intermodal traffic on a weekly basis continues to show strength, rising last week by 22%, according to the Association of American Railroads. The increase comes amid higher U.S. retail sales in February year-over-year, despite a sequential decline.

Census Bureau data showed a decline in February sales, but levels remain elevated from a year ago as new stimulus hits

Using data from consumer tracking firm Commerce Signals, the idea that e-commerce sales significantly hurt in-store sales during COVID-19 may not be completely accurate.

U.S. weekly intermodal volumes moved higher last week amid support from retail and e-commerce, while carloads slumped as some U.S. Gulf Coast facilities seek to fully return to normal following February’s winter storm.

There is no definitive end for this freight bull market in sight. Consumers continue to spend on goods, driving freight and diminishing already depleted inventories. Even if consumer spending diverged from its current trajectory (which I see as unlikely, especially given the additional stimulus, accelerating vaccine rollout and strong consumer balance sheet), the mass inventory restocking ahead will be sufficient to keep freight flowing from a consumer perspective.

Despite losing momentum sequentially for the last three months of the year, holiday sales grew 8.3% year-over-year. The surprising data is further evidence of the resilience of the American consumer, and the ability for retailers to influence how and when people shop.

Kevin Hill and Michael Vincent discuss how imports and retail sales continue to support intense freight activity.

Consumer spending on goods drove the majority of the freight boom in 2020. Will this trend last in 2021?

Andrew Cox and Seth Holm debate how companies should look to expand their operations for the coming year.

Imports continue to pile up as shippers and carriers take time for the holidays. They may come back to a mess.

Elevated demand and tight capacity have highlighted the trucking market for a few months now. Recent data points and commentary suggest this dynamic may not abate anytime soon.

Recent data points as well as updates from retailers suggest this inventory restocking cycle may take a few quarters to fix, meaning the current supply-demand dynamic in trucking could linger.

Weekly rail traffic moved higher week-to-week amid growing builder confidence and higher retail sales in May. But will the upward trend last?

Anthony and Zach discuss the dynamic between the spot and contract market as rates continue their wild ride in 2020. Do carriers, brokers or shippers control the spot market?

The retail apparel sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how international trade, supply chains and tariffs complicate things further.

vHub, which connects owners of underutilized trailers with those looking for short-term trailer usage, has opened its platform to integration with most telematics systems. Also, China trade deal in doubt, retail imports fall and road funding drops.

Class 8 orders in April plummeted to their lowest level since September 1995 as the COVID-19 pandemic froze new bookings and led to postponing near-term deliveries.

As states begin to reopen their economies, leading retail trade groups urge the opening of all distribution centers and implementation of a three-phase reopening strategy.

Rush Enterprises barely felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in its new and used truck business in the first quarter, but it is bracing for a much harder hit to come.

Anthony and Zach discuss what to make of the first major U.S. carrier to report earnings during the COVID-19 outbreak along with the recent Cass, industrial production and retail releases.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is shrinking U.S. rail volumes as the housing construction and retail sectors struggle to stay afloat.

Amazon is placing new grocery delivery customers onto wait lists as it seeks to shore up orders and deliveries for existing customers. Plus, traffic declines could jeopardize road projects, just-in-time delivery impacts resupply efforts and retail sales face a long slog back to growth.

COVID-19 is driving change in industry that highlights a new way businesses may operate going forward. Plus, air cargo companies accused of jacking rates, warehouse hiring rises and trucking’s image is getting a makeover.

LNG growth expected to double by 2040; shipment volumes in U.S. plunge y-o-y; grocers take control of shelf space.

Using data from FreightWaves SONAR, economist Ibrahiim Bayaan writes about the state of the U.S. retail market and what is ahead for this key sector.

The on-again, off-again trade war between the U.S. and China is a great threat to commercial vehicle forecasts, already buffeted by too many trucks and slowing freight growth.

Economic data from the goods side of the economy continued to trend in a positive direction in June, as both retail sales and industrial production posted solid gains.

The economic roundup summarizes recent developments in the macroeconomy as they relate to freight demand, and highlights key trends worth watching in the upcoming month.

Retail and industrial activity improved, providing some stability for freight Economic data from the goods side of the economy showed some signs of life in May, as growth in retail sales and industrial production exceeded expectations during the month. This is an encouraging sign that activity may be stabilizing in the second quarter, though details […]

Economic data from the goods side of the economy continued to underperform in April, as both retail sales and industrial production unexpectedly declined during the month

Retail sales rebounded in March, rising by the largest amount in over a year. Growth was brod-based during the month, with most areas in the sector seeing rising sales.

Retail activity declined unexpectedly in February, as poor weather contributed to the loss in momentum for consumer spending

The monthly economic roundup summarizes key developments in the macroeconomy over the past month and highlights trends worth watching headed into April.

On today’s episode, Nick Austin and Zach Strickland discuss how winter weather is impacting tender rejections and look at retail sales and ULSD rack prices.

Retail sales rebounded in January despite big declines in motor vehicle and gasoline sales. Gains in core sales helped to stabilize the retail sector during the month, erasing much of the decline from December 2018.

Retail sales tumbled by the largest amount in over nine years in December 2018, providing a disappointing end to what was otherwise a strong year for the retail sector. The 2018 holiday season ended up well below expectations, and introduces some fresh concerns about the strength of the economy going forward.

Supply chain investments are helping retailers meet the inventory challenges of a growing market, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported today in its 2019 retail sales forecast.

Increased electric vehicle adoption could lead to higher fuel taxes; drone deliveries could be a nuisance to neighborhoods; EU believes that the U.K. might vote in favor of the Brexit agreement this January.

‘Tis nearly the season now for reverse logistics, but meanwhile retailers and parcel carriers are delivering strong results along with signals of steep changes in sales and shipping patterns this holiday season.

Recent results show that retail activity continued to expand in November, in a sign that one of the key components of freight demand remains healthy at the end of the year. Results from the manufacturing sector were far less encouraging however, as activity stalled during the month.

A Trump administration review of the struggling U.S. Postal Service proposes sweeping changes in its operations that is raising alarm bells for Amazon.

Retail activity posted the strongest gain in five months, as big gains in auto sales and rising gasoline prices helped to drive overall activity. Core spending grew at a more moderate pace, but the broad-based nature of the gains is encouraging headed into the holiday season.

A monthly survey of all the important economic developments from the past month, and a look at some of the key trends to watch throughout the month of November.

When you consider all the implications of the service, it may be one of the biggest deals happening in the industry that you haven’t heard about.

For the first time ever Target will offer free, two-day shipping with no minimum purchase required this holiday season, in a bid to win shoppers over rivals like Walmart and Amazon.

Retail activity eked out a meager gain for the second consecutive month, as a sharp decline in spending at restaurants weighed down the headline numbers. Retail conditions remain generally solid, however, as the sector looks poised for healthy growth to round out the year.

A pair of releases this morning show that retail spending and industrial output expanded in August, signaling that some key components of freight demand continue to grow at a healthy pace in the 3rd quarter.

The economic roundup is a monthly summary of the various factors that affect freight demand and supply in the economy. Data releases in August showed an economic that was performing generally well, but softness in housing and trade are likely to impact freight demand.

A pair of releases this morning show that retail spending and manufacturing output continued to advance in July, signaling that some key components of freight demand remain on solid footing in the 3rd quarter.

The maker of FreightLiner and Western Star trucks wants its parts business to grow and have stronger brand identification.

U.S. retail sales rose solidly in June, boosted by increases in purchases of motor vehicles and a range of other goods, cementing expectations for robust economic growth in the second quarter.

U.S. Xpress goes public; retail sales numbers explode for May; BNSF seeks positive train control delay; Brussels airport goes to blockchain for air cargo management; American LNG exports expected to benefit the entire economy.

Retail sales rose 0.8% in May, beating economist estimates of 0.4% and showing that economic growth still has some room to expand.

A monthly survey of all the important economic developments from the past month, and a look at some of the key trends to watch throughout the month of June.

Retail activity improved again in April, helping to reinforce the idea of stronger consumer spending in the 2nd quarter. This should help sustain freight demand as retailers look for inventory replenishment and last mile residential delivery services

Economic conditions as they relate to freight generally improved during the month. With a few notable exceptions, most of the data released in April (largely covering March activity) either met or exceeded expectations and signal that freight demand will likely stay strong going forward.

GS1 makes the system complete and more accurate in the supply chain so that consumers have a smooth shopping experience from website searches, all the way to when the product reaches their doorstep.

Retail sales rebounded in March after declining in each of the previous three months. This rebound is a return to normal for the retail sector after some volatility in spending following the hurricane season.

Retail sales showed unexpected sluggishness in both January and December, which was revised downward.

No surprise, the e-commerce trend has entrenched itself into the lives of consumers — for better or worse — and there’s no turning back now. Another round of retailers this year has filed for bankruptcy.

A combination of factors continued to drive dry van trailer orders as 2017 came to an end, with December orders up 38% year-over-year, according to FTR.

A one-day brake enforcement inspection by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance resulted in 14% of commercial vehicles in the U.S. and Canada being placed out of service for brake violations. A full 22% of vehicles were placed out of service for some kind of violation, CVSA said.

Truck orders are about to boom, if a new industry update from Stifel is correct. The firm believes that Class 8 orders, which have been strong this year, are about to take off for the remainder of the year as many larger fleets begin ordering larger quantities of vehicles.

According to a report in a German newspaper, Daimler has now been swept up in the emissions cheating scandals that have been raging across Europe in recent years.