Thirty-seven percent of US middle-market retail executives believe their holiday sales will increase in 2012 over 2011, and 42% believe they will increase in 2013; nearly 61% expect financial crisis to bottom out in 2013 or 2014: CIT Group study
Cindy Allen
NEW YORK
,
November 15, 2012
(press release)
–
As the holiday season draws nearer, more than a third (37%) of middle market retail executives believe their holiday sales will increase over 2011, while 42% believe their sales will increase in 2013. These are some of the findings in the research study “Taking Stock in Tough Times: U.S. Retail Sector Outlook,” (cit.com/retailoutlook2012) produced by CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) cit.com, a leading provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies, in association with Forbes Insights. The study, which was conducted in August and September 2012, analyzes the insights of more than 250 middle market retail executives on the U.S. economy, as well as the opportunities and challenges they are facing.
“Now a full three years removed from the Great Recession, we’re seeing moderate consumer confidence despite the sluggish economy as evidenced by increased retail sales and decent comps,” said Burt Feinberg, Group Head of CIT Commercial & Industrial. “Although retail executives still have concerns about the overall U.S. economy, they have been optimistic about the upcoming holiday season, however some are now concerned that the impact of ‘Superstorm Sandy’ may cause late delivery of some items by Black Friday. Beyond the holiday season, while the election is settled, uncertainty about tax rates, anxiety with regard to the ‘fiscal cliff’ and an uncertain regulatory climate are prompting a more cautious approach to 2013.”
Mr. Feinberg added, “This year’s survey showed more caution than our past two surveys so perhaps the continued slow growth in GDP, and the stubborn employment numbers, coupled with European economic concerns, are curbing retailers’ enthusiasm. It seems that the sting of the Great Recession still affects the psychology of retail executives and growth initiatives are more focused on maximizing business through technology versus major expansion.”
Key Findings from the Study:
Editor’s Note
Follow us on Twitter: @citgroup, on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/cit, on YouTube: YouTube.com/citgroupvideo, and on Facebook: facebook.com/citgroup. Individuals interested in receiving corporate news releases can register at cit.com/newsalerts or subscribe to the RSS feed at cit.com/rssfeed.
About the Study
The insights and commentary found in the study were derived from both a survey instrument and personal interviews. The survey, which was conducted in August and September, 2012 was completed by 269 middle market retail executives from companies with annual revenue between $25 million and $1 billion. Industries represented include consumer electronics (17%), sporting goods/recreation (16%), apparel and accessories (16%), home furnishings (7%), furniture (5%), housewares (5%), and books (5%).
About Forbes Insights
Forbes Insights is the strategic research practice of Forbes Media, publisher of Forbes magazine and Forbes.com, whose combined media properties reach nearly 50 million business decision makers worldwide on a monthly basis. Taking advantage of a proprietary database of senior-level executives in the Forbes community, Forbes Insights’ research covers a wide range of vital business issues, including talent management, corporate social responsibility, financial benchmarking, risk and regulation, and doing business in emerging markets. forbes.com/insights
About CIT
Founded in 1908, CIT (NYSE: CIT) is a bank holding company with more than $33 billion in finance and leasing assets. A member of the Fortune 500, it provides financing and leasing capital to its small business and middle market clients and their customers across more than 30 industries. CIT maintains leadership positions in small business and middle market lending, factoring, retail finance, aerospace, equipment and rail leasing, and global vendor finance. CIT also operates CIT Bank (Member FDIC), BankOnCIT.com, its primary bank subsidiary, which offers a suite of savings options designed to help customers achieve a range of financial goals. cit.com
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50477256&lang=en
© 2024 Business Wire, Inc., All rights reserved.