ActionWatch: September Produces Best Core Shop Comps Year-To-Date

ADMIN

• November 02 2009
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We are finally seeing comps in the single digits. September sales for all categories tracked by ActionWatch were only down 8.3% compared to the same month last year. Of course, September last year was when sales really started falling off a cliff, which makes the comps a lot easier. September 2009 was also helped by a later Labor Day and many schools starting later, which likely pushed some back-to-school sales into the month.

The full third quarter was down 15.0%, which was slightly better than the -15.8% comp of the second quarter and definitely better than the -18.4% comp we saw in the first quarter. However, the most important comp number of the year will arguably be from the fourth quarter. Since 4Q 2008 was so bad the comparison numbers will be an easier target than we had in any other quarter this year. And as one prominent industry retailer told me earlier this year, “As long as we don’t have double-digit negative comps on top of the previous year’s double-digit negative comps, we should be okay.”

Looking at specific product categories we see that hardgoods had the best comparative sales month, actually showing a positive increase over last year. Apparel also did pretty well, especially men’s/boys’ apparel which was only down 2.3%. Footwear started off this year with the best sales comps of all the major categories we track but struggled in the third quarter and saw a -18.3% comp in September.
- Cary Allington

September year-over-year comp sales for all product categories tracked by ActionWatch were the best of the year so far, with hardgoods even hitting positive comp territory.

The ActionWatch Retail Panel includes 250 surf/skate independent specialty shops across the U.S. and is growing rapidly as more retailers join the free program. Retailers who participate get free access to a set of 50 reports updated each month. Retailers interested in joining the ActionWatch Retail Panel can get more information at www.ActionWatch.com.

All ActionWatch reports are made from the aggregated data of the participating retailers, which are located throughout the U.S. and vary in size from 750-square-foot shops to stores over 10,000 square feet. Data is collected monthly from electronic reports submitted by participating retailers.