Posted on 11/15/2007 10:44:46 AM PST by Hydroshock
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The guessing game ended this week - consumer spending is slowing down as J.C. Penney became the latest retailer to confirm the trend.
"We're in a very difficult selling environment," J.C. Penney CEO Myron Ullman told analysts Thursday in a conference call to discuss the company's third-quarter results.
The call was monitored via Webcast in New York.
"We came out of September expecting a strong start for early fall. That didn't happen. This is the first time that we're seeing a real change in consumer sentiment," Ullman said.
Penney isn't the only one to be disappointed. Earlier this week, Home Depot (Charts, Fortune 500) and Wal-Mart (Charts, Fortune 500) both signaled their concern about a spending slowdown in the months ahead and into 2008. Penney's rival Macy's (Charts, Fortune 500) cut its fourth-quarter same-store sales estimate Wednesday.
Ullman blamed a combination of weak housing conditions, mortgage and credit market concerns, and what he called the "psychological effect of fuel prices" for eroding Penney's profit and sales last quarter.
(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...
Penny’s said “we’ll make a 100 billion this year.” The figure was actually 75 billion. Ergo, The public is having BIIIIG problems.
My family is cutting back on shopping this year. Not so much because of money. We seem to have everything we need and most everything we want. We have decided to only get gifts if we see something special for someone. No sweaters or Hickory farms because we feel obligated. A card or a nice letter is better than a fancy soap, and it lasts longer. We’ll see how it goes.
Exactly
With the market well over 14 thousand, the only place it could go was down. Unemployment is still low, GDP plugging along.
The sky is not falling.
Why does everyone cry the sky is falling re consumer spending? Employment is solid, wages are up, and interest rates are very low. I’m looking for a seasonal gain of between 4-6% this season with the largest increase being in the gift card area.
BEWARE the lamestream medias screeches this season about mall sales being down. Many, many people will be shopping on line, which does not get reported immediately gift cards purchased are not counted until redeemed and that’s after Christmas.
But that’s all GOOD news. Surely you can’t expect CNN to report THAT?
I spend my retail dollars on imported oil products.
This is a good time for the blessed to stock up on children’s coats and clothes to donate in the coming season.
Thanks.
“Where did this come from? Here is central New Jersey, from Friday night thru Sunday night the stores and malls have been over flowing the last few weeks.”
The people there are doing what Rush used to say in the 90’s.
They are refusing to participate in bad economic times.
“They were talking about the high cost of living, and one had a solution of applying for more credit.”
Sounds like my crazy neighbors: their house and property are mortgaged so heavily they couldn’t pay it off if they live to be 150 years old.
They think as long as they can make the minimum monthly payments they’re OK.
I ahve come to the conclusion tha tthe inflation numbers are a work of fiction worthy of Stephen King.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I started saying that years ago and have been called every kind of fool known to man for my trouble. But I take consolation in knowing that I am right!
You ain’t seen nothing yet, if Hillary wins!
Food & Energy have gone up a lot in the last 5 years but energy plummetted for like 10 years straight. Food didn’t do much of anything either. Home prices have been dropping for a couple of years now and most everything else is dropping (clothes, electronics, etc) besides health insurance—and even that is a lot cheaper now if you are willing to get generics at Walmart or Target ($4 a bottle now—I used to pay $20). Since food & gas are only a relatively small % of my budget even with the recent run up, I’d agree with the 3% annual inflation #s.
The TREND the media wants is DOWN...so JC Penney confirms that trend.
Bad Economy=Vote Democrat.
If Penney’s and other retailers are concerned about declining sales, they should lower prices.
Perhaps Penny's which had a very good year last year, can't deliver again. Maybe people are preferring Wal-Mart, Kohls, Target, and Macy's.
Just speculating.
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