American consumers were not feeling particularly confident in January, as these levels hit their lowest point in more than a year. However, sentiments seems to be picking back up, as February's consumer confidence improved drastically from the previous month. The retail industry could see positive impacts through these findings through increased sales.

According to the latest Consumers Confidence Index from The Conference Board, February's figure jumped to 69.9 from January's index of 58.4. This was better than expected, as analysts believed impacts from the fiscal cliff deal that were felt last month would carry over into this month.

"Consumer confidence rebounded in February as the shock effect caused by the fiscal cliff uncertainty and payroll tax cuts appears to have abated," said Lynn Franco, The Conference Board's director of economic indicators. "Consumers' assessment of current business and labor market conditions is more positive than last month."

January's low confidence levels were largely due to the effect of the fiscal cliff legislation, which resulted in less take home pay for American workers through increased payroll taxes. However, with February's results, individuals seem to be coping with the changes and could even boost their spending with retailers in the coming months.

After a strong, but not exceptional, holiday season, American retailers are hoping that 2013 will bring better luck in terms of sales and customer retention. Fortunately, the latest figures for consumer spending show that further improvement could well be on the way.

Bloomberg reports that the most recent statistics from the Commerce Department revealed that consumer spending rose by 0.2 percent in January from the previous month. This figure increased by 0.1 percent in December from November's spending levels. Last month's growth met analysts' expectations, the news source states. The boost in spending is another piece of good news for the economy, as steady employment gains and more business confidence are pointing to a strong 2013.

Retailers are sure to see effects from all of these factors in the form of increased sales, as people become more optimistic about their financial conditions. The first three weeks of February were positive for companies, according to Redbook Research. The Johnson Redbook Index found that retail sales jumped 1.4 percent from the previous month. This figure is a 2.7 percent year-over-year growth.

It could be the snow, cold temperatures and early sunsets, but something is having an effect on retail sales throughout the United Kingdom. The latest statistics show that for the past two months, businesses saw unexpected declines in their sales amounts, which is a trend both economists and companies are hoping will not continue throughout the year.

Bloomberg reports that according to the Confederation of British Industry, sales growth among U.K. retailers fell in February, from 17 in January to a five-month low of 8 for this month. This figure was forecasted to drop to 16, however, the more-than-expected decrease was shocking for the nation. On the other hand, analysts are hoping that things will begin picking back up in March, the news source reports.

The Guardian cites statistics from the British Retail Consortium which found that retail sales volumes dropped 0.6 percent in January from the previous month. In addition, foot traffic in stores fell 3.3 percent, which analysts attribute to poor weather conditions such as snow and cold temperatures.

It's certainly not the news they were hoping for, especially after several months of gains, but Canadian merchants were dealt a blow with the sharp decline in retail sales throughout December. These findings come amid other problems businesses in the country are facing, including price competition with American retailers just across the border.

Bloomberg reports that the latest findings from Statistics Canada revealed that during the last month of 2012, retail sales dropped 2.1 percent from November, representing a total sales volume of $38.6 billion. This decrease followed five months of retail sales gains, the news source notes. This is troubling news for Canada's economy, which has been struggling to pull itself out of a recession.

Another issue that Canadian merchants are dealing with is the price competitions between themselves and American competitors. The Globe and Mail states that many Canadian consumers are going across the border to take advantage of cheaper products sold by U.S.-based retailers. This is putting a strain on the northern nation's companies, and they are trying to figure out how to make their prices more fair for customers, the news source reports.

Canada's currency is changing in big ways, as government officials have announced that the penny will no longer be produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. However, many citizens still want retailers to accept these one-cent coins even after they have been phased-out.

According to The Canadian Press, a survey by the Bank of Montreal found that 73 percent of Canadians expect that businesses will continue taking pennies for cash transactions, even though the Mint has already started collecting the coins and melting them down to recycle the metal. When it comes to accepting pennies, the news source reports that it is up to merchants to decide  how long they want to process them. Once retailers decided to stop taking the coins, they will need to round up cash purchases to nearest five cents. However, many consumers are opposed to this, which is why a significant amount still want pennies to be taken during transactions.

It's not yet clear how this currency change could impact the nation's retail sales, which as of the end of 2012 were on an upward trajectory. The Business Records writes that a report from Statistics Canada revealed that sales totals in November jumped 0.2 percent from the previous month, reaching $39.4 billion. 

Sales numbers continue to climb for the nation’s small and midsize retailers, and December’s figures show steady improvement as consumers become confident once again following the economic recession.

Internet Retailer reports that according to recent research by Dydacomp, overall sales totals for small and midsize merchants reached an 8 percent year-over-year increase in December. This growth was fueled by holiday sales, although they did not surpass November’s year-over-year boost of 12.31 percent. Consumers hit retail stores and websites to stock up on gifts earlier last year, as they became more confident in their financial conditions and wanted to grab merchandise before it was too late.

“The consumer attitude coming into the holiday season included an expectation based on the last couple of years, that there might not be a lot of inventory,” said Fred Lizza, Dydacomp’s CEO. “They learned that if you want something, don’t wait to buy it.”

Several sectors saw more year-over-year growth than others, and these include booksellers, sporting goods,  toys and food and health products, the source reports.

As was expected by many analysts, the fiscal cliff and the slow, but steady, economic improvement has had an impact on consumer confidence, and in turn has also affected retail sales throughout the country. Conditions are forecasted to improve in the coming months, but for now, the numbers coming in are less than were hoped for.

Fox Business reports that according to the latest research from Redbook Research, there was a 0.5 percent decrease in retail chain store sales throughout the first four weeks of January, when compared to the month of December. One of the main reasons for the slight decline was the winter weather, as many shoppers decided not to brave the cold and wet conditions to visit retail stores. However, there was some positive news with the study’s findings, as seasonally adjusted sales grew by 1.9 percent from the same time a year ago, the source notes.

Americans are less confident in the nation’s economy and their own financial conditions, as the recently released Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index shows a figure of 58.6 for January. This is a decrease from December’s index of 66.7, and the latest number is sure to have an impact on the retail industry.

With the new year, many retailers are looking to re strategize and implement new policies that will help them see success in 2013. The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently released its retail industry expectations for the year, and moderate, but steady, growth is forecasted for businesses throughout the country.

In its report, the NRF stated that it anticipates retail sales will grow by 3.4 percent in 2013, which is below the 4.2 percent increase that happened in 2012. The association believes sales will be less this year due to consumers’ concerns about the nation’s economy and the impact from the fiscal cliff deal that was reached at the beginning of January. Other factors, such as national unemployment, the housing market, inflation and income growth will have an effect on the retail industry in the coming months, the organization noted.

“While it’s too early to know the full effect of higher payroll taxes, there’s no question that many consumers will feel some kind of impact from the change in their paychecks,” said NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz. “Overall we foresee some improvements in the second half of the year should the outlook for job creation and income growth improve.”

However, ecommerce retail sales are expected to grow significantly, as the NRF forecasts an increase of between 9 percent and 12 percent for 2013, when compared to the previous year. 

As expected, American consumers were more confident about the nation’s economy and their own financial conditions this holiday season, as total retail sales for 2012 increased from last year’s amounts.

According to a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), shoppers spent approximately $579.8 billion throughout November and December, marking a 3 percent increase from holiday retail sales in 2011. Although consumers boosted their spending, the results were somewhat disappointing, as NRF had forecasted a 4.1 percent jump.

On a monthly basis, December’s retail sales grew 0.8 percent from November. The month’s total retail sales were also a 2.1 percent from the same time in 2011, the NRF stated. The sectors that saw the highest boosts in December include clothing, health and personal care, sporting goods and bookstores. NRF officials said that the fiscal cliff negotiations and the slow but steady economic improvement contributed to less-than-stellar sales during the last part of 2012.

“For over six months, we’ve been saying that the fiscal cliff and economic uncertainty could impact holiday sales. As the number shows, these issues had a visible impact on consumer spending this holiday season,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.

Retailers are increasingly looking to expand their operations, and it seems as though 2013 may just be the year this happens for many companies. By opening up new brick-and-mortar locations, as well as offering ecommerce solutions for consumers, businesses can see success this year.

The Sun Sentinel reports that retail industry experts believe that many retailers will be expanding to new locations in 2013, as confidence levels for both businesses and consumers return to what they were before the economic recession a few years ago. One reason why companies are opening additional stores is to stay competitive within the market, the news source notes. Despite these positive forecasts, experts believe this year will still be somewhat difficult for retailers, as consumers slowly become more optimistic about their financial conditions.

Another aspect that is anticipated to significantly boost the retail industry in 2013 is mobile commerce, according to Forrester Research. Forbes reports that a Forrester study revealed that retail purchases made through mobile devices are expected to account for $31 billion by 2017, as consumers increasingly use their smartphones and tablets for shopping purposes.