FYI
Business Outlook September 2008
-- Casual Living, 9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
BRIEFLY.....
Opportunities abound for retailers to heat up their sales while providing their customers warmth and cozy comfort in conversation groups and fire pits for the upcoming seasons.
As fall approaches, consumers are beginning to think about ways to extend the use of their outdoor retreats into the cooler seasons. Fire pits and conversation groups are helping with this mission. According to Casual Living’s exclusive 2007 Consumer Buying Trends Survey, nearly two-fifths of responding households with incomes of $75,000 or more purchased a fire pit last year. And, according to the exclusive Casual Living and HGTV survey, conducted in April 2008, more than half of households want a fire pit in their conversation group as they contemplate a new one.
| National | 2008 | |
| July | 5.7% | |
| June | 5.5% |
| 2007 | 2008 | ||||||
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q1 | Q2p | Mayr | Junep | |
| r = revised; p = preliminary | |||||||
| Total | 5.6% | 8.2% | 3.9% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 3.8% | 6.7% |
| Revolving | 6.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 4.9 | 7.6 | 6.8 |
| Nonrevolving | 4.9 | 7.9 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 6.6 |
Covers most short- and intermediate-term credit extended to individuals, excluding loans secured by real estate.
Nonrevolving credit includes automobile loans and all other loans not included in revolving credit, such as loans for mobile homes, education, boats, trailers or vacations. These loans may be secured or unsecured.
Source: Federal Reserve
| Permits | United States | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|
June ’08 numbers are preliminary
Source: Bureau of the Census and National Assn. of Realtors |
|||||
| June ’08 | 1,091 | 237 | 144 | 474 | 236 |
| Change from June ’07 | -23.9% | 52.9% | -35.4% | -34.0% | -30.0% |
| Starts | |||||
| June ’08 | 1,066 | 237 | 128 | 499 | 202 |
| Change from June ’07 | -26.9% | 52.9% | -45.3% | -30.6% | -42.3% |
| New home sales | |||||
| June ’08 | 530 | 40 | 83 | 293 | 114 |
| Change from June ’07 | -33.2% | -37.5% | -27.2% | -33.4% | -34.9% |
| Existing home sales | |||||
| June ’08 | 4,860 | 850 | 1,120 | 1,850 | 1,030 |
| Change from June ’07 | -15.5% | -15.8% | -17.6% | -18.1% | -6.4% |
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