CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. retailers Warned of Rising Costs and Consumers Cautious Even As a late Easter Boosted sales of clothing and Other holiday-related items in April, Helping Many sales beat expectations.
Above Gasoline pushing $ 4 a gallon and a slow recovery in the job market are Likely to weigh it aussi pour la dirty next SEVERAL months, With No major events to spur shopping Until The key back to school season, analysts said.
"The consumer has been" resilient THROUGHOUT With Spending, "Said Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics. "I do not see a catalyst Between now and back to school, though."
Same-store sales rose 8.9 percent at The 25 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters, Compared With 8.2 percent year expectations for it increase.(For a related graphic, click http://r.reuters.com/puq39r)
Clothing retailer Gap Inc. (GPS.N), for example, posted year 8 percent Increase in sales at stores open at least a year in April, Surprising Analysts Who is average, a 0.8 percent HAD Expected drop.
At The Same Time, The company forecast earnings aussi for the April quarter below analysts' expectations and merchandise margins Said Were Down Significantly, With Rising Raw Materials Costs More Than it expected.
Rising Costs are pressuring Clothing Manufacturers, Which are Trying to Pass Them On to sacrifice part of Consumers Who May Not Be Willing to pay more for items That "do not stand out.
"If You Do not Have Differentiated product, and that's one of the big issues has the Gap That Has Some Point, You Have On The margin pressure front," Perkins said.
GOOD FOR SOME
Still, SOME retailers, Including Victoria's Secret parent Limited Brands Inc. (LTD.N) quarterly earnings forecasts Raised Their.
The Biggest factor boosting sales is East, Which WAS on April 24 this year. Last year's holiday, on April 4, Moved Many holiday-related Purchases Into March.
Gasoline aussi helped sales at retailers sold The Fuel That, goal for Rising Prices are Likely to weigh it is discretionary Purchases This Summer.
"I Paid $ 4.45 a gallon today," Patty Edwards, chief investment officer at Bellevue, Washington-based Financial Trutin, Said Wednesday it bad credit payday loans."I'll tell you, That Is Certainly cutting into my Nordstrom fund."
Upscale retailer Nordstrom (JWN.N) posted a 7.6 percent Increase in April same-store sales, below-the 1.8 percent rise analysts Were expecting.
Cooler weather Than Last Year aussi Might Have Hurt dirty, According to business advisory firm Planalytics weather.
Target Corp's (TGT.N) same-store sales up 13.1 percent Were, just below analysts' expectations.
"Guests Continued To Be Cautious In Their very Spending Leading up to Easter," Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel Said.
Department-store operator Macy's HAD to 10.8 Percent Increase, above-the 8.1 percent gain analysts expected.
Sales of gasoline helped Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST.O) Beat Estimates, although selling more of it cuts aussi Into the retailer's margins.
The goal Costco aussi showed inflation Pressures That Are Weighing Consumers are, not only in high price for gasoline, groceries have to aussi for food companies pass on Increased Costs of ingredients and transportation.
Fresh Food Prices Were Up-to mid-high single digits, for example, The Company said.
"Had the Costco type of April sales performance That Captured The very essence of the news flow That Dominated" during the month: inflation, weak dollar, and has Slightly more guarded U.S. consumer, "Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian Sozzi Said in a research note.
Limited Brands blew expectations Through With A 20 Percent Increase in April sales, Compared With The analysts' average estimate of 12.2 percent.
The Company, Which Owns aussi Bath and Body Works, Raised icts quarterly earnings outlook to a range of 37 to 39 cents a share, EXCLUDING items. It Had Previously Expected 26 cents to 31 cents, and analysts forecast 36 cents HAD.
Have stocks priced in a strong performance in April, With The Standard & Poor's retail index (. RLX) up 9.15 percent March sincere dirty Were Reported, Compared With A 13.6 Percent Increase In The S & P 500 (. SPX).
(Reporting by Brad Dorfman, editing by Bernard Orr and Lisa Von Ahn)
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