Retail Search Group

The strength of retail sales at the end of September prompted us to project that, “With September being a bell weather month for holiday sales we have every reason to believe that holiday 2011 could generate the strongest sales growth since the recession’s beginning in 2007.” We’re happy to report that’s exactly what’s happening.

Retail sales on Black Friday climbed 6.6% this year to an estimated $11.4 billion, according to ShopperTrak, which tracks foot traffic at malls and stores. Last year, sales climbed just 0.3% to $10.7 billion, which was a record one-day sales amount at the time, according to the company. According to the NY Times, retail purchases on a per-shopper basis increased by 9.1%.

Nationwide retailers deserve high marks for promoting the kickoff of their largest selling season by adding valuable shopping time for the customer, who responded by taking advantage of the Thanksgiving Day weekend shopping window. The customer is ready to return to their favorite stores and shop. One facet of the Great Recession is ending as we’ve known it.

Fashion Leaders
The home store leader for 2011 is Pier 1 Imports. The assortments are spectacular and reflect the talent of a world-class merchant team. Their 7.0% comp store growth for 3rd quarter will likely shine brighter in the 4th. And Tiffany’s brand continues to speak loudly, with 19.0% growth in their 3rd quarter.

Talent Wars
The Talent Wars are on. This would be a good time to discuss budgets to support your HR team’s recruiting efforts for 2012. Expect them to seek support if you want top talent from the marketplace.

International retail markets are expanding rapidly. We have placed several executives into international divisions in the past months. Call us if you need support in this area.

Since 1985 we’ve placed virtually thousands of retail professionals. Our portfolio of retail brands speaks for itself. Is your brand a Client partner?

Our highly tenured retail team delivers recruiting expertise in the following areas:

Retail Field Operations
Human Resources
Buying and Global Product Development
Retail Finance & Accounting
Merchandise Planning & Allocation
Distribution Services
Retail Multi-Channel Marketing
Visual Presentation

Click here for November National Retail Sales Results