Economy

This Week in Commerce: Inflation, retail sales & Honest Co. earnings

Check out the calendar for March 13-17.

This Week in Commerce: Inflation, retail sales & Honest Co. earnings

Welcome to a new week. The run-up to St. Patrick’s Day will be a busy week of economic data, with the latest look at inflation and retail sales providing a snapshot of the consumer. On the networking front, marketplace sellers are gathering in Las Vegas for Prosper Show. You’ll see plenty of well wishes about luck this week. But as you consider where that fits into your working life, remember this from the Roman philosopher Seneca: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Let’s take a look at the calendar:

Events

Prosper Show: The Las Vegas conference for marketplace sellers features networking, connections to service providers and advanced education. (March 13-15)

Economic indicators

Consumer Price Index: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on inflation across the economy for February 2023. While inflation had cooled in the latter months of 2023, that motion slowed in January to leave the year-over-year price increase at 6.4%. (March 14, 8:30 a.m.)

U.S. retail sales: The U.S. Commerce Department releases data for retail sales, including ecommerce, for February 2023. In January, total sales saw a bump up 3% for the month to start the year strong, despite talk of consumer pullback. (March 14)

Producer Price Index: The U.S. Commerce Department releases data for pricing paid by wholesalers for goods before they reach retail sales. This is seen as a forward-looking measure of inflation. (March 14, 8:30 a.m.)

Consumer Sentiment: The University of Michigan releases preliminary data for March on consumer buying conditions expectations, including the outlook on inflation. Sentiment ticked up slightly in February, showing signs of emergence from historic lows over the summer. (March 17, 10 a.m.)

Earnings

Monday, March 13: Boxed

Tuesday: March 14: Lulu’s Fashion Lounge, Guess

Thursday, March 16: Honest Company, Blue Apron, G-III Apparel, Designer Brands, FedEx

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