Retailers report a ‘difficult’ February
Source: Omaha World Herald-AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans cut back on spending in February as cold weather and economic challenges chilled their appetite for spring merchandise.
The nation’s retailers on Thursday reported that sales slowed in February, a time when most stores get rid of winter merchandise and bring in swimsuits, ankle-length pants and other spring fashions.
But Americans spent more judiciously during the month as they contended with an increase in the payroll tax of 2 percentage points, income tax refunds that came later than usual and rising gas prices. Winter storms throughout much of the country in February also likely made spring merchandise less appealing to them.
“February was a difficult month,” said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics LLC, a research firm. “Retailers faced significant headwinds.”
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Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130308/MONEY/703089952/1697#retailers-report-a-difficult-february
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for stores - at least in the northern areas of the U.S., to continue to stock summer clothes in the dead of winter and winter clothes in the dead of summer. I have found that those places that at least kept some seasonal clothes there DURING THE SEASON would get my $$$. It's a PITA when you'd like to pick up a few heavy sweaters and they have damn bikinis and shorts on the racks in the middle of February or if you want to get a few short-sleeved summer blouses or a couple pairs of capris in July and the racks are filled with wool coats, flannel, and long-sleeved shirts. 
