U.S. retailers logged another month of record sales in October, but overall retail trends weakened significantly, with spending in physical stores actually declining for the first time since April. And with COVID infections spreading wildly and consumer financial health deteriorating, sales in shopping centers are poised to decline again this autumn and winter, particularly in restaurants and indoor malls.
Overall the 2020 holiday shopping season looks to be the most challenging in years. I published two related articles on the retail sector on Seeking Alpha:
Retail Sales Trends Reveal Early Winter Chill – In the first part of this two-part analysis of retail sector conditions, I assessed recent trends based on October’s retail sales figures and other consumer metrics, concluding that retail sales have deteriorated significantly, particularly in physical stores, and conditions seem likely to soften further this autumn and winter.
Holiday Spending Looks To Disappoint Even Modest Forecasts – In this concluding analysis, I present my holiday outlook, including a more specific look at impacts on the retail REITs.
Posted: by Andrew J. Nelson
