By Stuart Pack
Signs are pointing to a strengthening retail market. Consumer confidence is up, retail profits are up, unemployment is down and industry attendance at real estate events have been significantly increasing.
According to this article in the Wall Street Journal:
U.S. retailers with assets of at least $50 million saw their collective profits rise 9.7% in the first nine months of this year over the same period last year, the biggest increase since a more than 40% jump in 2010, according to the Commerce Department. Big retailers are seeing stronger revenue growth while keeping costs including wages and wholesale prices largely in check, according to NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. “Large corporations are better positioned to take advantage of economies of scale and grow their profits,” he said.
These positive indicators should propel many small retailers to a growth year in 2014.