Retail Sales | featured news

Disappointing performance underscores concerns about the timing and durability of a recovery.

Wal-Mart's earnings were flat on lower same-store sales. The retail giant raised the low end of its fiscal-year outlook and plans to speed up cost-cutting measures.

The government says retail sales advanced in June by the largest amount in five months, led by a surge in gasoline prices and a slight rebound in the battered auto sector.

Rain and rising unemployment dampened sales for retailers already reeling from consumers’ new frugality.

The number of newly laid-off Americans filing jobless claims fell more than expected last week and retail sales grew in May for the first time in three months, fresh evidence that the worst of the recession may have past.

AP - Many U.S. retailers are reporting sales declines in May as shoppers continue to shop cautiously.

Retail sales fell for a second straight month in April, a disappointing performance that raised doubts about whether consumers were regaining their desire to shop. A rebound in consumer demand is a necessary ingredient for ending the recession.

A disappointing report on retail sales pushed stocks lower and boosted demand for Treasurys. Bank stocks kept falling.

The unlikely rebound in retail sales provided a glimmer of hope for the economy, but new claims for jobless benefits showed the labor market still in the grip of a deep recession.

US department store chain Macy's is cutting 7,000 jobs as it reduces costs against a backdrop of falling sales.