Late Back-To-School Shopping Lifts Retail Sales

During times of economic struggle it is not uncommon for new consumer trends to surface, the latest of which is late bargain shopping. Retailers saw stronger-than-expected sales in September as shopping held out for back-to-school clearance bargains. This is a trend that many expect to be repeated during the holiday season.

Reuters.com reports:

Department stores and luxury chains also posted forecast-beating results, helping push retail shares higher.

But retail experts warned that shoppers are still cautious as they draw up budgets for the holiday season, as unemployment remains high. That means they are likely to hold out for discounts again even if overall spending rises from 2009.

"It was a late back-to-school season that started slowly while shoppers waited for discounts," said David Bassuk, managing director at AlixPartners' global retail practice. "And it looks like they'll do the same for the holidays."

U.S. same-store sales rose 2.8 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data which tracks 28 top chains, beating analysts' estimates for a 2.1 percent increase. It was the 13th straight month of sales gains.

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Hey, Big Spender: Bundle's Gender Breakdown

Although most people believe the stereotype that women shop more than men, Bundle.com used a new research tool and discovered that single men outspend single women in almost every category. Although men statistically make about 25% more then women in this country, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, this article from MSN Money.com asserts that even among similar income levels, men still outspend women.

Men spent about 19% more than women on food and 16% more on travel. Their insurance bills were higher, they paid more for school-related expenses, even their phones cost exceed that of women. Hey, I guess you've got to keep the bromance alive.

Look closer, and some of the trends suggest real differences in the ways single men and single women live their lives. They spent almost exactly the same amount of money on groceries, but men spent 45% more on eating out than women. Perhaps men are still picking up the check, or maybe women are more likely to cook.

And while it's not so surprising to learn that women spend more on clothes or what Bundle calls "personal care" -- spas, salons and the gym, among other expenses -- women's monthly spending on their pets tops men's by 57%.