Tag Archives: economy

The National Retail Federation’s look back on the 2014 holidays shows that combined sales from November and December beat 2013’s total by 4 percent. Holiday retail sales were $616.1 billion during the 2014 holiday season, nearly reaching predicted growth of 4.1 …

As the economy continues to strengthen, a growing group of young professionals is expected to buy real estate. The number of first-time homebuyers was at a 30-year low in 2014, but Douglas Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae, predicts the improving economy …

Consumer confidence increased in December, rising nearly 14 percent from December 2013, according to recent research. The Surveys of Consumers from data providers Thomson Reuters and the Institute for Social Research shows that consumer confidence in the national economy was higher in December …

Kitchen upgrades drifted to the back burner for many homeowners during the recession years, but a growing number of consumers can now afford the extra home improvement projects. One-third of more than 3,500 respondents to a Houzz survey say they finally have …

Sales of existing homes dropped in November. The decrease from October to November was 6.1 percent, with the market faltering in advance of the slower winter months. Sales of previously owned homes have hit their lowest level since May, according to a Forbes …

Builder confidence is staying steady, and that consistency showed up in data this month from the National Association of Home Builders. “After a sluggish start to 2014, the (Housing Market Index) has stabilized in the mid-to-high 50s index level trend for the past six …

On Dec. 11, Planalytics, a global leader in business weather intelligence, hosted the company’s annual Holiday Homestretch webcast. The webcast gave an updated analysis on the holiday shopping season at its midpoint, how weather will play a role in consumer …

Despite the fact that the recession has turned around and is showing growth in certain sectors, consumer morale remains low, which can be seen in the slow start to the holiday season. McKinsey & Company, a multinational management consulting firm, surveys …