Breaking: APT Index Shows U.S. Holiday Sales Up After All

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) today announced that in-store sales for the 2014 holiday shopping season were up [+0.7%]*, although sales decreased on Black Friday and Super Saturday weekends, according to data from the APT Index of U.S. same-store retail sales.

Patrick O'Reilly, APT President & COO, said, "Data from the APT Index indicates that holiday shopping was spread out through the months of November and December this year. While we saw an underwhelming Black Friday and Super Saturday, we're seeing that holiday sales are actually up overall. This information, as well as more granular analysis of performance at each specific store location, will be extremely important for retail executives as they gear up for 2015."

Holiday Season Retail Sales – by APT Index numbers:

The nationwide APT Index of same-store retail sales showed sales up [+0.7%] for the 2014 Holiday Season, as consumers spent more at the register.

The Big Picture

• Overall retail sales: [+0.7%]
• Number of transactions: [-0.4%]
• Average purchase amount: [+1.1%]

Black Friday and Super Saturday Weekend Recap

• Black Friday Weekend** retail sales were down [-3.5%]
• Super Saturday Weekend*** retail sales were down [-1.7%]

Economic Recovery Boosts Sales

• In areas where unemployment decreased year-over-year, the APT Index of retail sales increased [+1.2%]
• In areas where unemployment increased year-over-year, the APT Index of retail sales increased [+0.2%]

Metro Areas
The APT Index showed retailers performing the best in Dallas, TX with a [+4.5%] sales increase; Philadelphia, PA [+2.4%]; and Houston, TX [+2.3%]. The APT Index showed retail sales performing the worst in Minneapolis, MN [-3.5%], Seattle, WA [-2.5%], and St. Louis, MO [-1.9%].

The APT Index aggregates data from sales registers across the U.S. to show how year-over-year performance changes for same-store sales in the physical channel. Unlike other sources, the APT Index is based on actual sales data, allowing APT to make statistically significant observations about retail sales. As a result, we believe the APT Index provides the most definitive, accurate, and geographically targeted analysis of retail sales available.

*All 2014 Holiday Season figures are a year-over-year, same-store comparison for 10/30/14-12/24/14 to 10/30/13-12/24/13.

**All Black Friday Weekend figures are a year-over-year, same-store comparison for Thursday through Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend (11/27/14-11/30/14 to 11/28/13-12/1/13).

***All Super Saturday Weekend figures are a year-over-year, same-store comparison for the weekend before Christmas (12/19/14-12/21/14 to 12/20/13-12/22/13).

For more information, visit: www.predictivetechnologies.com.

About APT
APT is a leading cloud-based predictive analytics software company. APT's Test & Learn® software is revolutionizing the way companies harness their Big Data to accurately measure the profit impact of pricing, marketing, merchandising, operations, and capital initiatives, tailoring investments in these areas to maximize ROI. APT's client portfolio features some of the world's best known brands, including Walmart, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Victoria's Secret, American Family, Hilton Hotels, SUBWAY, TD Bank, T-Mobile, and others. APT has offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, London, Bentonville, Taipei, Tokyo, and Sydney. Visit www.predictivetechnologies.com to learn more.

SOURCE Applied Predictive Technologies

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