Kohl's March same-store sales up 22.5% American Eagle Outfitters same-store sales up 15% Saks March same-store sales up 12.7% Ross Stores March same-store sales up 14% Gap March same-store sales up 11% Macy's same-store sales up 10.8% in March
Same store sales are a foolish metric when trying to ascertain macro trends. I'm sure Best Buy's same store sales increased when Circuit City went bankrupt. How good were the same stores sales numbers when state sales tax receipts started plummeting? There's definately a disconnect here.
And, aren't they measuring YOY? Where were we LAST March? Folks were in a mini-panic and hunkered down, spending wise.
these sales numbers are against mar 2009. a time when the world was paralized with fear because it thought we were going into a 1930s depression.
Up from what? The scam is so obvious. Ride the bull baby, cause bullshit reigns supreme...until it don't.
Regardless, those are encouraging numbers. I agree that you're comparing to a very low baseline number, but it's much better to have these types of numbers than flat or negative.
But are they encouraging numbers? The retail graveyard was very busy these past two years with many entrants. As a store closes, the business goes elsewhere, right? So the beneficiary (surviving competitor) gets a boost, but on a macro level, numbers can still be down. I know a food distributor and many restaurant owners. The food distributor at one point was losing an account a week - one restaurant/account out of business a week. He covered a large territory. But guess what? A handful of restaurants picked up some of that business that formerly went to the now closed restaurant competitors and now they are doing quite well. But at the same time, the food distributor I know - his total numbers are down yoy and mom. People need to think critically when they read these reports. But 99% of people don't.... so mission accomplished. George Orwell would be proud. Nonetheless, there are always great trading opportunities when you take into consideration how 99% of the population reads these stats. Their perception is our reality... to a point.. but in the end, the real reality stands up... timing it sucks.