Latest posts about National Retail Federation
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Port Tracker report is bullish on import growth over the balance of 2024
May 8, 2024
For March, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.93 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), down 1.4% compared to February and up 18.7% annually, a period when Asian export activity was slow on the heels of Lunar New Year shutdowns, it noted.
U.S.-bound import growth track remains promising, notes Port Tracker report
April 9, 2024
Amid various supply chain issues, United States retail container ports are expected to see imports top the 2-million mark in May for the first time since October, according to the new edition of the Port Tracker report, which was issued today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.
National Retail Federation 2024 retail sales forecast calls for growth
March 21, 2024
NRF is pegging 2024 retail sales to increase between 2.5%-to-3.5% to between $5.23 trillion and $5.28 trillion. Should this forecast come to fruition, NRF said that it would top 2023 retail sales, which rose 3.6% to $5.1 trillion.
February retail sales see gains, reports Commerce and NRF
March 14, 2024
Commerce reported that February retail sales, at $700.7 billion, rose 0.6% compared to January and were up 1.5% annually. NRF reported that February’s core retail sales, which it bases on Census data and excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, saw a 0.2% seasonally-adjusted increase over January and a 5.5% annual increase on an unadjusted basis.
Port Tracker report presents a positive outlook for first half U.S.-bound import numbers
March 8, 2024
For January, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.96 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), a 4.7% increase over December, and an 8.6% annual increase.
Port Tracker report points to import volume growth over the first half of 2024
February 9, 2024
For calendar year 2023, total U.S.-bound retail container imports, at 22.3 million TEU, were down 12.8% compared to 2022. The report observed that this was in line with expectations, adding that the shift to growth in its forecast is intact.
Industry experts assess Red Sea shipping situation in House T&I Committee hearing
February 2, 2024
With the global supply chain remaining on high alert amid the series of attacks on the Red Sea shipping lane by the Yemeni Houthi pirates in response to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, a hearing held this week by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, examined the impact of this situation on various aspects of goods movement and the supply chain.
ATA warns of ‘tangled mess’ due to latest Labor Department independent contractor ruling
January 9, 2024
A new regulatory finding by the Labor Department will result in a “tangled mess” for trucking’s estimated 350,000 independent contractors, the nation's largest trucking lobby is warning.
November retail sales see continued growth, reports Commerce and NRF
December 14, 2023
Commerce reported that November retail sales, at $705.7 billion, were up 0.3% compared to October and rose 4.1% compared to November 2022. NRF reported that November retail sales, which does not include automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, increased 3.3% annually on an unadjusted basis on a three-month moving average and up 3.7% annually through November on an annual year-to-date basis.
October retail sales see mixed results
November 15, 2023
Commerce reported that total October retail sales, at $705.0 billion, were off 0.1% compared to September and posted a 2.5% annual gain. NRF reported that October retail sales, which does not include automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, increased 3.1% annually on an unadjusted basis on a three-month moving average through October, while posting a 3.7% annual gain through the first ten months of 2023.
Port Tracker report calls for lower U.S.-bound import levels over balance of 2023
November 9, 2023
The report said that should its projections for the remainder of 2023 come to fruition, the full-year total, at 22.1 million TEU, which would mark a 13.5% annual decline compared to 2022’s 25.5 million TEU, which was off 1.2% annually compared to 2021’s all-time high of 25.8 million TEU.
NRF calls for solid 2023 Holiday Season retail sales
November 2, 2023
NRF’s holiday sales forecast numbers are optimistic and positive, with 2023 holiday season retail sales pegged to be up 3%-to-4% annually, coming in between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion.
NRF’s Shay assesses holiday import and inventory trends heading into the holiday season
October 25, 2023
The story of the economy since the onset of the pandemic has been the resilience of consumers and how consumption has powered the economy. That was the word from Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation (NRF) on a media conference call hosted by the Port of Los Angeles this week.
September retail sales see mild gains, according to Commerce and NRF data
October 17, 2023
Commerce reported that total September retail sales, at $704.9 billion, increased 0.7%, from August to September, and posted a 3.8% annual gain. NRF reported that September retail sales, which does not include automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, increased 0.5% on a seasonally-adjusted basis over August, and rose 2.2% on an unadjusted basis annually.
Various economic factors are having an impact on projected import volumes, notes Port Tracker
October 10, 2023
For August, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.96 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which is up 2.3% over July, and down 13.5% annually, marking the highest monthly volume on a year-to-date basis, while falling short of a projected 2 million TEU, for the month, in the report’s previous edition.