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Holiday shoppers headed into retail stores at Saint Louis Galleria, Sunday afternoon, hoping to find last minute bargains.
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Season of Good Cheer As Retail Sales Show Positive Sign of Recovery
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), December 13, 2009 - The retail industry, which greets millions of customers in their stores every day, knows full well the challenges consumers are facing in this economy. As the employer of nearly 15 million Americans, the retail industry also knows the effect that costly and burdensome regulations have on job creation and job retention.
Non-auto retail sales were up slightly in November for the fourth consecutive month as store traffic was enough to offset smaller basket sizes, said the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). High unemployment and job insecurity continues to dampen consumer spending as cost conscious consumers seek out extreme value purchases.
Excluding auto sales, retail sales increased 1.2 percent over the previous month according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Retail sales are up by 2.8 percent over the past four months and up by more than 4 percent since last December at the height of the financial crisis.
"Increased consumer activity in November is a welcome sign for retailers who have adjusted promotions, pricing and product assortment to appeal to consumers in search of the best value," said Casey Chroust, executive vice president for retail operations. "Although consumers are spending less per visit, increased store traffic is driving higher overall sales."
Sales increased in most retail categories in November. General merchandise stores such as department stores and discounters recorded their fourth straight monthly gain, with similar improvements for electronics and appliance retailers. Building material sales had their strongest month in more than a year, reflecting the nascent recovery in housing. Those areas of strength were partly offset, however, by a drop in clothing sales and ongoing continued decline in sales of furniture and home furnishings.
The strength of today's retail sales figures mirror last week's jobs report for November, which showed an economy that is stabilizing and moving toward recovery. The unemployment rate ticking down in November and job losses much smaller than expected.
Other indicators likewise point toward a rebound: initial claims for unemployment insurance are down substantially from earlier in the fall, wages and household incomes were up in October and November, and household wealth has recovered with gains in stock values since the spring. Housing market indicators such as sales and home prices have stabilized, and forward-looking surveys of purchasing managers suggest that firms in both manufacturing and service industries see a better business climate ahead.
"Today's data were a welcome sign that consumers are gaining comfort and opening their wallets," said Donald B. Marron, visiting professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and RILA outside economist. "We still have a long way to go to recover from the sharp declines in spending and employment over the financial crisis, but a wide variety of indicators point to a U.S. economy that is on the mend."
St. Louis Consumer Group Launches Campaign About AmerenUE's Proposed Rate Hike
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), December 13, 2009 - The Fair Electricity Rate Action Fund (FERAF) has announced that it will be conducting a public relations effort to educate Missouri families about Ameren's 18% rate hike before the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC).
FERAF's public relations effort will educate Missourians through every available means about the impact Ameren's 18% rate hike would have on Missouri's working families. In the last eight years, Ameren has requested rate increases on Missouri electrical consumers of $1.4 billion and is requesting another 18% increase now, despite a Missouri unemployment rate of roughly 9%.
"As FERAF members, we respect the PSC and its process and want to make sure as many Missourians as possible know about Ameren's requested 18% rate hike," said Bob Quinn, Executive Director of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare, a FERAF member. "In order to ensure that, we'll be communicating with Missourians directly about the request before the PSC to raise their electricity rates by 18%."
On July 24, 2009, AmerenUE filed a $402 million request for an electric rate increase with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC). According to AmerenUE, the represents an 18 percent increase in rates. Nearly half of the request is primarily driven by investments made to continue system-wide reliability improvements for customers, increases in costs essential to generating and delivering electricity and higher financing costs. The remainder of the request (slightly more than half) is to cover higher fuel costs and lower revenues from sales outside UE's system.
With assets of $24 billion, Ameren serves 2.4 million electric customers and nearly one million natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area of Missouri and Illinois.
The MoPSC will conduct a thorough review of the company's request and offer
opportunities for public comment. A final decision is expected by June 2010.
St. Louis Is One of America's Most Generous Cities
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), December 13, 2009 - Entertainment Publications LLC ranks Washington, D.C., as America's most generous city, based on funds raised for schools and community groups through the sale of Entertainment Membership Books and the company's cookie dough and Sally Foster gift items. Following Washington on the "America's Most Generous Cities" list are three cities from the traditionally hospitable South: Atlanta, Dallas and Houston (tied with Seattle).
Combined, America's Top 10 Most Generous cities donated approximately $22 million to support local schools and community groups. Other cities topping the list with generous community contributions include Kansas City, Kan.; Detroit; Boston; St. Louis; Orlando; and Sacramento.
As the leading provider of discount offers, coupons and promotions, Entertainment Publications has helped schools and community groups across the country raise more than $70 million last year alone. In today's economy, fundraising dollars are more important than ever for these organizations. The funds raised help schools and community groups fund purchases such as classroom supplies, field trips, transportation and more.
"These signs of generosity are especially welcome as we celebrate the season of giving," said MaryAnn Rivers, CEO of Entertainment Publications. "We work hard to create high-value products that in turn raise funds for schools and community organizations. At the end of the day, the credit goes to the generous community members who purchase the products and help support these organizations."
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