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As financial reporting comes in over the next few weeks from US -based retailers, we will continue to learn of remediation in the form of layoffs and store closures.  Impact on Canada will be

Brenda is one of the top minds today on labour market trends in Canadian retailing.  This is her annual assessment of the year to come:

I have covered the ICSC Whistler Conference as a guest columnist many times in the past for Business In Vancouver.  It is one of the best for deal-making and networking.  I find it a terrific one-stop spot to gather insight around the growth prospects for retail in Canada and the US. 

Many CEO's are regular attendees, but the focus is on the leasing and development side of retail.  The panels and speakers are but a small part of the story - the focus is on the connections, the networking parties and the breakout meetings. 

While US retailers experienced what I expect was a horrendous Holiday season, Canadian shoppers delivered some mixed results north of 49.

The trick when assessing Boxing Day shopping patterns is to acknowledge in advance that it will be the biggest shopping day of the year.  And that a large enough number of crazies will line up in the dark at Future Shop to provide great TV fodder.

The questions are: was the frenzy sustained all day? How deep were the discounts? How many bags did people have when leaving the malls?  Its not whether it was busy, it is about the magnitude of the selling.

Leading up to Christmas, I was in the traditional hotbed of Holiday Retailing - New York City.  I was curious as to the mood this year, having experienced the City in some frantic shopping times.

I promised myself I would not use this site for rants. Too easy; too pedestrian.

There have been a couple of themes for reporting of Holiday retail sales this year that warrant some clarification.

Stats Can and media reported that September's retail sales gains exceeded expectations.  This surprises me.  They were exactly where they should have been.

First, the Lehman collapse did not occur til the second half of the month.  Furthermore, Gasoline prices were declining and the comparative August 2008 sales were low (a harbinger perhaps).  September was exactly where it should have been.

The rumoured purchase of the Hudson Bay Company by NRDC Equity Partners became reality today.