Archive for November, 2009
U.S. traders are hoping that this Friday will be "black." Black Friday is the nickname given to the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday would. This weekend three days in the United States marks the beginning of the season's shopping season. Last year, 172 million Americans had flocked to the malls during the seventy-two hours after the feast of Thanksgiving. The profession wants them to be as many this year, despite higher unemployment for twenty-six and a credit crunch.
The leading retailer for low prices, Wal-Mart opens a large number of its stores 24 hours of 24 on this occasion. Its rival Target is ready to welcome the hordes of customers at 5 am. Just as Best Buy, the number one electronics distribution. Kmart opened as early as Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.All these giants know that this year more than ever the buyers are looking for money sacrificed. Hence the importance of bringing many people into their stores to offset the lower margins.
Important factor: the weather, with a rather mild weather throughout the year, they will be favorable. But according to surveys, 93% of Americans intend to spend "less" or at most "same" as last year. In addition, 80% say they'd prefer to pay in cash. If consumers keep their resolutions and resist the temptation to use their credit cards, merchants' earnings will be significantly limited.
40% of total annual
Last year, while the financial crisis precipitated a collapse of activity, the mad shopping Thanksgiving had still spent an average of 372.57 dollars per person.Was 7.2% higher than in 2007.
But the season is long. A good weekend of Thanksgiving does not necessarily translate into strong sales until Christmas. We saw him in 2008 for the first time in over a generation, Americans have finally spent less than last year. This decline of 3.4% of purchases had traumatized the profession. From late November to late December, the department stores carry up to 40% of their annual turnover. While their association anticipates a further decline in sales in the 2009 season, but of lesser magnitude. The marketing channels such as Macy's and Nordstrom noted for example the collapse of the morale of Americans from October to November. But they also know that the reputation of Black Friday is overrated. The days of greatest influx of buyers are usually on the weekends before Christmas.The Americans, by calculation or by lack of preparation, expect more and more the last minute to buy gifts.
New offensive against pharmacies. A few weeks after winning a lawsuit against his advertising in April 2008 comparing drugs to luxury goods, Leclerc renewed the attack.
The retailer, which operates 134 parapharmacies within or adjacent to its supermarkets, has been calling for this Friday evening in a TV spot "that its doctors pharmacy have the right to sell all non-reimbursed medicines priced Leclerc." To now, the Leclerc parapharmacies mainly sell cosmetics, dietary supplements, dietary products and toiletries.
The market for 4 000 self-medication products is estimated at 1.9 billion euros. Unlike drugs sold only on prescription and reimbursed by Social Security, the price is free, but they remain the monopoly of pharmacists who have received authorization from Ministry of Health.They represent 6% of pharmacy sales and a greater share of their profits.
To put pressure on governments, Michel-Edouard Leclerc brandished a study commissioned from the Institute Bipe Showing that vitamins C Upsa, Nicorette patches and Nurofen tablets are sold up to three times the price of a pharmacy at the other in the same city.
"Free access to self-medication products in pharmacies and the pricing charged by Roselyne Bachelot in June 2008 does not work," thunders the boss Leclerc.It ensures that if its 180 doctors pharmacy got approval to sell these medicines, the purchasing power of patients and hypochondriacs increase.
Price halved
"If new operators held 20% of the market for non-reimbursed medicines, the prices of these fall by half," says Michel-Edouard Leclerc.
This time, it does not violate the law. "I'm not ready to accuse me of illegal practice of pharmacy, as was the case when Leclerc began to sell condoms," he acknowledges. But it is surprising that, despite anti-smoking campaigns, our parapharmacies have no right to sell Nicorette. "
The movement Leclerc, who is celebrating his sixty years, would it become less aggressive?
Undermined repeatedly on the effectiveness of measures to support employment developed by the government since the crisis began, Laurent Wauquiez has made a point Tuesday to step unpublished figures in support on the all the devices. "1.5 million people have benefited from various measures implemented since the beginning of the crisis," said Secretary of State for Employment. This does not mean that we have saved 1.5 million jobs, but that it helped or supported 1.5 million people. We are well beyond the goals we set ourselves. "
319 000 employees in total have benefited in the second quarter (against 157 000 at first) device for partial unemployment to better compensate for time not worked (up to 90% of net salary) and, in theory, use this time for training."It is a cultural revolution that operate upstream of redundancies in our country and avoid unemployment during the crossing of the crisis," stated Laurent Wauquiez, however, unable to say how many employees actually receive training to "adapt our productive "and" permit to rebound in the post-crisis.
No crisis of recruitment in the TPE
650 000 hires have been "supported" – that is to say, created or saved – since early February with the device "zero load" which is to exempt from social security contributions while recruitment at the minimum wage. This figure includes the windfall, that is to say that the hiring would have occurred anyway, helps or not. "The objective was to support 700 000 hires in 2009, further noted the Secretary of State.We should get to make as many hires in normal years, avoiding a crisis of recruitment in companies with fewer than 10 employees. "
Another point: 404 000 assisted contracts – subsidized by the state – have been prescribed since the start of the year: 326 000 in the commercial sector (87% of target 2 009) and 78 000 in the non-profit sector ( 78% of target). 125 000 retrenched (an increase in the number of beneficiaries over 500% since 2008) have also benefited from reclassification of a device that provides personalized coaching strengthened and enhanced unemployment compensation.
Its contracts alternately falling from 20% in early 2009 "has been halted" because the emergency plan implemented in the spring. The delay would be well more than 5%."There is even an improvement in the fall compared to last year," said Secretary of State for Employment, for which the government "has managed to save the youth employment because no return ' has not been, as expected, apocalyptic ".
"Confusion about the effects of recovery plan
The Chinese government had promised. The national growth would remain at 8% in 2009 despite the crisis. It is poised to succeed his bet. The figures, published yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for the month of October, confirms the strong recovery of the economy.
Industrial production rose by 16.1% over the same period last year, against 13.9% in September. This is its biggest gain in a year and a half. Retail sales have, in turn, increased by 16.2% in the first ten months of the year, compared with an increase of 15.5% for the period January to September.
The trade balance has in turn recorded a balance of $ 24 billion or 11 billion more than the month before. This is an unexpected decline in imports by 6.4%, which largely explains this result.Exports, meanwhile, have slowed their little dip, down only 13.8% in October against a decline of 15.2% in September. These figures suggest now a recovery in foreign orders.
Know when to stop the infusion
Given all these positive signs, economists expect this to increase in China's GDP exceeds 8% for the full year 2009. But everyone is asking at the same time the question of a proper balancing of growth. "If you look at the figures for October, it seems that there is a trend in consumption that would further contribute to growth.And this should be confirmed in the fourth quarter, "says confidently, Sheng Laiyun, spokesman of the NBS.
China has most of his return to his recovery plan to 450 billion euro, launched a year ago to invest heavily in infrastructure.
And if the fixed investment has also continued to increase, from 33.1% in the first ten months of the year, it mainly benefits large public works (+ 76.3%), while investment in private projects fell by 12.9%.
The question now is to know when to stop the infusion. Some leaders expressed their fear that a sudden withdrawal of credit facilities, which boosted the plant workshop of the world. Chinese banks have lent 1 100 billion since the beginning of the year.Even if they have paid half in October than in September, the economy can not do without this liquidity.
The OECD sees "strong signal" of recovery
"The Chinese economy is running at full speed
A new tool to better meet in the jungle of tariffs. The National Ombudsman of Energy on Thursday launched a comparator offers, available on-site www.energie mediateur.fr. Totally independent providers, the service proposes to compare the various offers of electricity and natural gas, according to several criteria: annual price, type of proposed tariff (set by the state or not) or the share of renewable energy included in the tender. And the service is not superfluous. Two years after opening to competition of the energy market, the French are still struggling to find their way. Almost two thirds (58%), unaware that they can indeed leave EDF and GDF Suez, according to an LH2 poll, conducted for the Ombudsman and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CRE). And they are 77% did not know how to switch suppliers.
13,000 claims in 2009
In addition, the mediator of energy is overwhelmed by the claims: 13,000 in 2009, a tenfold increase over 2008! Rates opaque, or billing errors in the meter are the problems most often encountered by consumers. Hence the interest to compare this development which was attended by most energy suppliers at the national level: besides the two heavyweights EDF and GDF Suez, six other energy providers nationally have said yes to proposed: Direct Energy, Planet Yes, Poweo, Alterna, GEG Source of Energy and Altergaz. Only Enercoop declined the offer, saying that this tool does not put enough value in the specificity of its offer, according to the Ombudsman's services.
ALSO READ
"Energy suppliers: the number of disputes explodes
"Tariff of electricity: a report advocates more competition
"Electricity: Risk of cuts this winter
The Markit monthly survey, conducted among purchasing managers in the euro area shows a manufacturing PMI up for the month of October to 50.7 points, 49.3 points against the previous month. The final result is in line with analysts' expectations, remaining identical to the first published estimate there are about ten days.
The threshold of 50 points represents growth in activity. The crossing of the barrier and indicates a departure from the area of contraction in activity, which had not been the case for nearly seventeen months, in April 2008.
Larger rebound in France for nine years
If this rebound in manufacturing activity is undeniable at European level, important differences remain between countries in the area. France is the current head increases with a PMI of 55.6 points (2.6 points a month)."The French manufacturers reported another strong acceleration of output growth, performance displaying significantly higher than their European counterparts. The France and recorded a fourth consecutive monthly increase in manufacturing output, the strongest since a little over nine years. "
The index of new orders for its highest recorded for twenty-six months in the euro area, 53.7 against 52.5 points in September.
"The business conditions in the euro area manufacturing sector has improved for the first time since May of last year, driven by accelerating growth in output, new orders and slower job losses, "said Chris Williamson of Markit.