Retail 2006: A Mixed Bag?

The backdrop of another PMA provides a perfect time for the imaging industry to take stock of what is going on economically with their customer base and, more specifically, their spending potential as all this new product readies for rollout. The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently concluded their annual Big Show at the Javits Center in New York and among the many retail technology headlines that came out of that show the NRF also released their Retail Outlook 2006 report.

The retail research organization is painting a cautious picture for the 2006 consumer retail shopping outlook, claiming that high energy costs, modest wage increases and a slowdown in the housing market may lead to somewhat “restrained consumer spending.”

The silver lining may be the fact the group feels that the hot pockets might well be luxury stores and consumer electronics/imaging chains.