February Sales Are a Mixed Bag for Retailers: The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX), Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), The Gap Inc. (GPS)

What it means for the future
While the picture of February is mixed, it’s weighted toward the not-so-good end of things. Over the holidays, retailers saw what confusion at the top could do, with consumers in a tizzy about the fiscal cliff. As it stands, the government’s position on how it gets from where it is to somewhere more functional still isn’t crystal clear. That might mean more confusion and more heartache for retailers — especially those retailers that sell slightly higher-end discretionary goods.

But that doesn’t mean that companies are going to be slammed. Some companies had excellent success over the holidays without having to resort to deep discounting, and that mind-set may simply come back into vogue. The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS), for instance, had a 5% increase in comparable sales over December. Its cheaper Old Navy brand saw the bulk of the increase, with comps up 13% that month. If the economy continues to get jerked around, retailers might just have to think of variable consumer confidence as the new norm.

The article February Sales Are a Mixed Bag for Retailers originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Andrew Marder owns shares of The Buckle. The Motley Fool recommends Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) and The Buckle. The Motley Fool owns shares of Costco Wholesale and The Buckle.

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