Supply Chain Research

U.S. retail sales rose by just 4.3% year over year in December, excluding autos, including a 5.3% rise in furniture and a 21.3% in nonstore (e-commerce sales). The latter was the slowest rate of expansion since March. Sales by electrical and department stores meanwhile fell by 15.6% and 22.6% respectively. Imports of consumer durables have continued to soar, leaving an elevated risk of excessive inventories in some product areas. U.S. imports of household appliances climbed 89.6% year over year, outpacing the 22.3% rise in consumer electronics. The biggest driver of the expansion in appl...