1. Retail Sales and
Consumer
Spending Analysis
and Commentary
– United States
PAUL YOUNG CPA CGA
SENIOR CUSTOMER SUCCESS
MANAGER AND BUSINESS
STRATEGIST

2. Paul Young - Bio
• CPA, CGA (1996)
• Academia (PF1, FA4, FN2, MU1. and MS2)
• SME – Customer Success Management
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – ESG and Sustainability Policies and
Reporting
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Emerging Technology
• SME – Business Process Change
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Macro/Micro Indicators
• SME – Supply Chain Management
• SME – Data, AI, Security, and Platform
• SME – Internal Controls and Auditing
Contact information email: Paul_Young_CGA@outlook.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-young-055632b/
SlideShare - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga
CGA, CPA
Senior Customer Success Manager and Business
Strategist – Data and AI

3. Agenda
USA vs Canada
(Retail Sales)
Gasoline Prices
Canada Retail Sales
by Segment
Canada Retail Sales
by Province
Canada /
eCommerce
Global eCommerce
Issues facing Retail
Retail Council /
2021 Federal
Budget
Canada Retail Sales
Bankruptcies /
Reorganizations
Home Renovations Amazon
Cannabis Stores /
Canada
Automation Sales Forecasting Supply Chain
Cash Flow
Management
Risk Analytics /
Retail
Planning Analytics
and Cognos
Analytics

4. Retail Sales – Canada vs United States
Source – BMO economics

5. United States
Retail Sales
Source – United States Census

6. Global
eCommerce
Source -
https://dazeinfo.com/2020/08
/04/global-e-commerce-sales-
to-reach-3-9-trillion-in-2020-
report/

7. Issues facing Retail
Source - https://linchpinseo.com/common-challenges-facing-the-retail-industry/
1. Digital interruption
2. Finding Technological Solutions
3. Maintaining your customer base
4. Evolving customer expectations
5. Modern marketing
6. Inspiring and retaining employees
7. Effective internal communications

8. Automation
 RPA / Retail - https://medium.com/@savvycom/rpa-101-applications-of-
rpa-in-retail-industry-46b90a53bbe6
 Restructuring of business models for retail will include automation -
https://www.technology.org/2020/08/06/covid-19-will-encourage-
automation-in-retail-sector/
 Business process automation / retail -
https://www.impactmybiz.com/blog/business-process-automation-in-
retail/
 Retail Edge Stores - https://www.jabil.com/blog/retail-automation.html
 Rebooting stores through automation -
https://retailtouchpoints.com/resources/rebooting-the-retail-store-
through-in-store-automation
 Augment Reality / eCommerce - https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/now-
could-finally-time-augmented-181954198.html
 Virtual Reality / eCommerce - https://supplychaingamechanger.com/how-
virtual-reality-vr-is-drastically-enhancing-the-e-commerce-shopping-
experience-infographic/

9. Blog –
Containers
Last month, a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in Chinese ports caused the worst
shipping delays in years, the impacts of which we will likely still be feeling by
the time the holiday season arrives. But port closures are only part of the story
behind the recent shipping delays impacting virtually every sector, from
furniture deliveries to food product shortages.
Shipping containers, especially refrigerated ones, have been extremely hard for
manufacturers and distributors to find and fill with goods over the past few
months. A key element of the supply chain, shipping containers transport large
volumes of goods along global shipping routes. Problems first arose in early
2020 when shipping lines canceled some routes amid growing COVID-19 case
numbers worldwide, but shipping container availability worsened as
unpredictable port closures, the Suez Canal blockage, and intensifying labor
shortages left containers stranded. As a result, international freight costs have
also grown dramatically, with limited availability, lengthy delays, and
lackluster service causing issues throughout the global supply chain.
https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/record-breaking-box-demand-stranded-
containers-lead-to-worst-shipping-delays-in-years/?ecms_id=7a28bad3-cea7-44d2-b9f6-
4897b99c1042&ecms_short=ART5655&doc_type=ted_video_article&parent_id=949c24
0b-29da-4827-aa56-
f2d4e5339f53&utm_content=featuredvideo&linktype=image&channel=email&campaign
_type=thomas_industry_update&campaign_name=tiu210816&utm_campaign=tiu21081
6&utm_medium=email&utm_source=thomas_industry_update&tinid=221763045
Here is my work on supply chain -
https://ibm.box.com/s/bqy9mr0ktlgi64sbf49o4rg5d9w0rqkn

10. Sales
Forecasting

11. Supply Chain

12. Improving Cash
Flow
Management

13. Risk Analytics
and Retail

14. Continuous
Intelligence
Planning
Blog – Mitigating risks with the supply chain using more
intelligence supply chain management solutions:
The complexity of supply chains has led both the private and
public sectors to re-think how they managed their supply chain
including the use of infused-AI.
This presentation looks at possible solutions as part of mitigating
risks related to purchasing to pay cycle as part of managing the
supply chain cycle.
https://ibm.box.com/s/63aqf8jo004v2bo5f8cf6eppgglhbvs5

15. ESG Reporting
Blog – Sustainability Reporting – Environmental, Social and
Governance Reporting (ESG)
Here is my update on ESG reporting. Both the private and public
sectors continue to expand reporting in areas like environmental,
social, and governance.
Source -
https://www.ibm.com/products/envizi?utm_content=SRCWW&p
1=Search&p4=43700072769102092&p5=e&gclid=CjwKCAiA9NGf
BhBvEiwAq5vSywPOE60WwM329FuWScZZL3koFUAW4ZBdlA3OY
XM0fBebz7qNw5q2sRoC_BwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Blog - 10 key ESG and sustainability trends, ideas for both
the Private and Public Sectors -
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-young-055632b_10-
key-esg-and-sustainability-trends-ideas-activity-
7042799510351212545-
hwpI?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

16. Planning
Analytics and
Cognos
Analytics
 Small and medium sizes businesses continue to
struggle with management of their data
 Planning Analytics Digital Pack -
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSD29
G_2.0.0/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.tm1_cloud_mg.2.0.0.do
c/c_tm1_cloud_system_digital_pack.html
 Cognos Analytics on Demand -
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/david-cushing/2018/12/13/1
 Planning Analytics with Cognos on Demand –
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/bimpe-
adefowora/2020/11/11/padataondemand
 Predictability -
https://community.ibm.com/community/user/businessa
nalytics/blogs/stuart-martin-phillips1/2020/10/02/easy-
forecasting-for-planning-users

17. Cybersecurity
Blog - Improving cybersecurity means understanding how
cyberattacks affect both governments and civilians -
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blog-improving-
cybersecurity-means-understanding-how-paul-
young/?published=t

18. Governance,
Risk, and
Compliance
Blog - IBM OpenPages with Watson can deliver a 218% return on
investment, finds Forrester study
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson/2020/12/ibm-openpages-with-
watson-can-deliver-a-218-return-on-investment-finds-forrester-
study/?campaign=socialselling&share=592db045-fde8-43e9-8ce3-
ff8d18fc175b&channel=linkedin&userID=cfad680f-7c88-4a2e-82e9-
f052d0bc4447&advocacy_source=everyonesocial&es_id=581e0fab6d
This ties nicely into my work on data, AI, security, and Platform -
https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/strengthen-internal-controls-
and-compliance-through-data-and-ai-as-part-of-the-regulatory-and-
corporate-reporting-cyclepptx-257453565

19. Summary
Retail sector continues to face challenges
Blog –United States Retail Sales Analysis and Commentary – August 2023
Summary:
The numbers: Sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.6% in August despite a hangover for internet stores after the
Amazon Prime Day event, but most of the increase was tied to higher gasoline prices.
Sales had been forecast to rise just 0.1% last month after solid gain in July, when Amazon
AMZN, -1.10% recorded its biggest day of sales ever. Other retailers also held sales and saw
strong activity that month.
Retail sales represent about one-third of all consumer spending and usually offer clues on the
strength of the economy.
While consumer spending has been surprisingly strong this year, higher interest rates and a
slowdown in hiring are expected to restrain purchases in the months ahead. Millions of
Americans also have to start paying back their student loans.
Forecasters predict the holiday shopping season could be the weakest in five years.
Key details: Sales at internet retailers were flat last month after a 1.5% gain in July. Shoppers
scaled back after buying lots of stuff around Amazon Prime Day.
Source - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-open-higher-after-retail-sales-ppi-data-stock-market-
news-today-112051185.html or https://www.marketwatch.com/story/retail-sales-climb-fifth-month-in-
a-row-but-mostly-due-to-higher-gas-prices-b7bf b
b82
Additional sources and links:
Inventory management challenges - Blog – Inventory Management and G-III Apparel Group -
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/g-iii-slashes-inventory-23-giving-away-paul-young
Human rights and social governance issues - Blog - $1.7B worth of shipments detained by US since
enactment of forced labor law – report - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blog-17b-worth-shipments-
detained-us-since-enactment-paul-young
ESG and Retail - https://fortune.com/2023/09/13/esg-walmart-ge/ or
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/esg-over-ge-walmart-colgate-105712797.html
Producer Price - https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/us-retail-sales-producer-prices-jump-on-rising-energy-
costs-1.1971438
In-store - https://www.retail-insight-network.com/data-insights/innovators-in-store-shopping-assistance-
retail/?cf-view
Online shopping - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-12/consumers-find-relief-online-
as-us-prices-drop-most-in-40-months#xj4y7vzkg