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Retail sales dropped 0.4% in March, according to the Census Bureau report. Economists predicted that sales would be the same as they were in February. There were a few factors involved in the drop including falling gas prices, which is very good news. Americans also didn’t spend as much on motor vehicles, electronics or appliances. Department stores took the major blunt of the impact, along with other retailers. An average job market, along with cold weather, helped contribute to the negative report.

Not only was hiring slower in March but over 500,000 people dropped out of the labor force last month. This month’s bad news follows much stronger retail news earlier in the year. Consumer spending was the bright spot early in 2013 and Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, agrees when he said “early on, there were indications that households were weathering the storm and pushing forward unfazed with their spending habits. That changed in March.” Now people want to know if March’s bad news in the norm or was it just a blip?

Nothing would help the U.S. job market better than a grand bargain from our elected officials, but that seems more unlikely as each day passes. Consumer confidence is a very important factor when it comes to building the economy. If people don’t believe things are getting better, that they don’t have any incentive to invest or hire new workers. Everybody wants to get the credit, but nobody wants to do the heavy lifting. Both sides in Congress must come together if America is going to remain the top economic force in the world. Can our leaders do it?

All major automobile manufacturers including General Motors, Chrysler, Nissan, Ford and Toyota reported increases in sales last month. Toyota senior vice president Bob Carter said that “A strong first-quarter close and increased consumer confidence continue to position the auto industry as a leader in the economic recovery.” Although Toyota and Nissan only reported a 1% increase, it was still a historic month for both companies. GM and Ford had sales rise 6%, while Chrysler saw its sales rise over 5%. The auto industry is usually a good barometer for the rest of the country.

March auto sales will reach almost 1.5 million trucks and cars sold, which has not seen that kind of production since May 2007. Alec Gutierrez, who is a senior market analyst, says that “the improved job market has a way of boosting auto sales.” The number of Americans trying to get unemployment benefits is down considerably and is contributing to the good economic outlook, along with the continued low interest rates. President Obama won big when he bet on American workers and the U.S. auto industry. The economic outlook continues to be very positive for the future.

The Bloomberg administration claimed that these tobacco product displays make kids 2½ more times as likely to start smoking. He says that “such displays suggest that smoking is a normal activity and they invite young people to experiment with tobacco.” This new law would ban cigarettes from view although cigarette ads would not be affected. The city would also have the power to shut down stores who are repeatedly caught selling cigarettes that are smuggled into the country. The push back from store owners was immediate.

The New York Association of Convenience Stores said that “the notion of forcing licensed, tax-collecting, law-abiding retailers to hide their tobacco inventory is patently absurd.” Then they made the analogy that “seeing beer in a beverage center doesn’t make (kids) start drinking, seeing lottery tickets in a bodega doesn’t make them start gambling, seeing condoms in a pharmacy doesn’t make them engage in premarital sex, but that cigarette rack apparently has telepathic powers.” Many people wonder if this is the role that government should play. The consensus is absolutely not.

Competition is the name of the game for the ‘Big Box’ retail stores, but ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses don’t have to compete on their level. They have their own built in advantage, such as personal service and giving their customers a family atmosphere because they are a big part of the community. Small local businesses have been a staple of the community and people need their services to grow the local economy and increase revenues.

The ‘Big Box’ stores do make it easier and cheaper for people to shop but it also does a lot of harm to communities they claim to help. These huge stores come in with their rock bottom prices and their employees make depressing wages and offer pathetic health care benefits. These stores shut down jobs in the area and decrease the tax revenue. Locally owned stores provide a much bigger impact to the local economy compared to national chains. Counties who has Wal-Mart move in with their massive subsidies greatly increases family poverty in the area. It’s time for the ‘Mom and Pop’ stores around the country to take back their customers from these ‘Big Box’ stores that destroy our local communities.

Missouri, Maryland, Utah, Washington, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Hawaii, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Illinois and Kentucky are the next group of states that will be outlawing the “check out” fees. Consumers are sick and tired for being charged 3% for using their credit cards to buy goods. West Virginia is also looking into a similar bill for their state.

Only recently did Visa and MasterCard agree to let the retailers tack on a surcharge for all credit card transactions, which was part of a settlement in the antitrust lawsuit brought up by retailers. They are trying to pass the cost of accepting the cards onto the customers. So now it’s up to the states to take action to stop retailers from charging their customers.

Somebody has to pay for using the credit cards. So it will end up being retailers getting stuck with the bill, which will make them raise their prices. Currently the agreement does not affect debit cards. Senator Curtis Bramble of Utah is sponsoring a bill that would stop any and all surcharges, whether it’s a credit card or debit card. In the end the shoppers come out ahead in this fight.

The President, Democrats and other leading advocates of raising the minimum wage say that this would lead to much broader economic benefits. Over 15 million workers earn the bare minimum, which only brings in $15,130 for a two person household. In North Carolina, President Obama said “it’s time to increase the minimum wage because if you work full-time, you shouldn’t be in poverty.”

Christine Owens, an executive director for the National Employment Law Project, agreed with the wage increase saying that “these are workers who are most likely to spend virtually everything they earn, so it just pumps money back into local economies.”  As usual Republicans do not agree. They in fact wanted to do away with the minimum wage altogether, as they continue their support for business owners and the richest CEO’s.

Not only would this raise help consumers and retailers, it would help slow down the huge income gap that continues to rise between the rich and the poor. This boost in salaries would help keep pace with rising inflation. Ten states already make this cost-of-living adjustment and it is working just fine. It’s time to raise the minimum wage so low-income families have a chance to survive.

The Commerce Department notes that retail sales jumped 0.8% in July, which was unexpected after 3 months of decline, including a drop in sales in June of 0.7%. Economists had predicted a rise on sales of only 0.3%, which makes for higher expectations in the near future.

Economists are now optimistic about sales in the up-coming months, despite the latest up-tick in unemployment numbers. Purchases rose in all 13 categories of retail sales from clothing stores, restaurants and furniture stores to auto dealers, sporting goods and department stores.

Stocks have also climbed due to more confidence in the economy. Consumers are starting to believe that the delicate economic numbers will continue to move in a positive direction. The third quarter is expected to be much better than the dismal second quarter. The Dow continues its upward surge and remains at over 13,000. The stronger economic numbers will help the current President in his bid to keep the White House.

The 2012 election will be fought over the economy. If the numbers continue to turn around for President Obama he will be tough to beat come November. These early third quarter results could rally the U.S. economy back up to where it was after the worst crises since the Great Depression.

Tip One- Online shopping will cost significantly less than buying through stores, always check if what you want can be found on a cheeper internet source.  If you dont know exactly what you want, try looking through a few stores and then looking for the items you liked on a website related to the store or other stores.

Tip Two- Ask your teachers what supplies are absolutely necessary in each class, doing this will eliminate the necessity of buying fancy items or unneeded fluff.

Tip Three- If you have been in school for a few years, look around your house for things that you already have and dont need to re-buy, such as calculators, colored pencils, scissors, and other items that are still in good working condition.  Also remember that hand-me-downs are always a great option for the younger siblings.

Tip Four- When teachers send home lists of supplies, they will occasionally have a sponsored store that you can go to and buy them at for a smaller price, always look through these stores and see if they have what you’re looking for.  Some schools will also sell pre-made packages of all the school supplies you will need for the year, make sure to take a look at them!

Tip Five- If you can’t find any fabulous bargins on what you want, go shopping for supplies on one of your states’ tax-free shopping days!

Tip Six- When brand name or quality count, look for bargins on your name brand, because nobody wants a faulty calculator or a broken backback.  A lot of the name brand supplies will last significantly longer than a generic brand of the same object, so ask yourself if the quality is important.

Tip Seven- If you buy in bulk at online stores such as walmart, you will save a significant amont of money.

Tip Eight- Keep all school supplies organized, and this will reduce the amount of lost supplies and the need to purchase extra items such as pencils and paper, this will also eliminate the need to purchase items later in the school year.

Chameleon Accessories has a versatile line of products including jewelry, handbags, sunglasses, and all forms of chic body art.  Withe these revolutionary looks, Sandra’s line is creating a flair in the way of ordinary life.

The Chameleon Accessories Boutique will celebrate this re-launch at the famous clubhouse& spa of Eagle ridge, at 454 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052, and the invitation to the invitation is open to anyone who wants to come by.  The debut will be a day packed full of fun and sun by the pool, and fabulous prices on the variety of boutique items.  Food and drinks will be served.  Not only is there a pool and great prices, but the guests at this party will be entertained by DJ Cali B, performing his most famous songs! Attend this launch, and prepare yourself for the fashion-changing experience at Chameleon Accessories Botique.

You can learn more about the boutique and it’s owner Sandra Paul at www.shopchameleon.com.

Along with high gas prices and a struggling economy, consumers are finding ways to save money, starting with grocery bills. 35% said they were cutting back and removing items from their shopping list to save whatever dollars they can.

It is not just a matter of removing grocery items from your list. Consumers are paying closer attention to everything they buy. 30% of consumers are purchasing private label brands opposed to the national brands. It is a great opportunity for all the marketers to communicate to consumers why their brands are the best.

Consumers are also making a lot fewer trips and are also choosing discount stores to shop at rather than traditional retail outlets. Even though gas prices have gone down lately, TNS’s research has shown that consumers are changing their shopping patterns and behaving much more conservative.

About TNS

TNS specializes in custom market research where they are a global leader. They offer advice to clients all over the world. They have unbelievable industry knowledge with Technology, Automotive, Political sectors and Consumers. TNS also specializes in stakeholder management, qualitative research, brand and communication, retail and shopper, product development and innovation. TNS continues to be on the forefront of research.