NR Market Watch

November 29, 2011

Douglas County employment trends

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Latest Local Area Employment Data
Douglas County’s unemployment rate dropped to 13.4 percent in October compared with a revised 13.6 percent in September. The rate this October was 1.4 percentage points lower than the 14.8 percent recorded in October of last year. Douglas County had the forth highest seasonally adjusted county unemployment rate in the state. The number of unemployed dropped 47 in October and was 765 lower than in October 2010, at 5,519.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
In October, total nonfarm payroll employment rose 80 when an increase of 200 was expected on a seasonal basis. Total nonfarm employment declined 240, or 0.7 percent, compared with October of last year. Manufacturing dropped 60 jobs in October from a loss of 60 in wood products and an additional loss of 10 in other durable goods. These losses were countered by a gain of 10 in nondurable goods.

November 28, 2011

Consumer confidence slowly rising In November

Posted by Mark under Business, Consumer research, Demographics, Economy, retail, Retail Trends
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November 23, 2011

Top 10 retail holiday trends for 2011

Posted by Mark under Business, Consumer research, Economy, retail, Retail Trends
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Consumers will spend more, shop more places, expect more, shop online more … and FedEx has hired 20,000 additional seasonal workers. Want more? Check out the Nation Retail Federations Retail Big Blog.

November 23, 2011

Rio Networks launches new cloud-based platform

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ROSEBURG, Ore., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Rio Networks, Oregon’s locally owned and operated voice and data provider, announced the launch of its newest product the Rio Freedom Suite, a cloud based communications platform that allows Oregon business owners to eliminate technology start-up and expansion costs while reducing operating expenses. To receive a free demonstration of the Rio Freedom Suite, visit Cloud Communication Services Oregon

The biggest challenge most companies face is raising capital to upgrade start-up or expand operations. A big part of capital expenditure is allocated to voice and data service, hardware and software for business operations. Phone, email, fax, video conferencing and mobile device integration are essential but can be costly as well as those ongoing expenses can be unexpected and hard to predict. Also, remaining competitive requires businesses to constantly upgrade to the latest hardware and software technology. Due to the economy and other factors, leading edge technologies have not been an option for most small to medium sized businesses due to the capital investment required to obtain it. The promise of cloud computing has always been to shift these infrastructure costs to an outside service provider, allowing the business to pay an affordable fixed monthly fee for access to the latest technology, without having to build it, maintain it or manage it in-house. Reference: Top 10 Challenges Companies Face

Networks has embraced this Communications-As-A-Service model and created a next generation cloud communications network for small and medium sized businesses in Oregon. They are the only local on-net provider offing these services and they come to you on Oregon’s newest network. The Rio Freedom Suite provides business phone handsets, fully featured phone service, mobile configuration (PBX Manager), e-fax, enterprise email, spam filtering, smart phone integration and HD video conferencing for a single monthly fee per seat. There is no upfront investment required for hardware or software and all technology upgrades are included and free installation plans are available as well.

“As Rio Networks has completed large investments in Oregon voice and data infrastructure, we are now poised to offer game-changing new products and services that our national competitors can’t match. Being local has put us in touch with what Oregon business owners really need to compete. They said we want something affordable, scalable, feature rich and from a single supplier. We simply listened and responded with the Rio Freedom Suite”, states Mark Bilton-Smith President of Rio Networks. “Rio Freedom Suite is a cloud computing communications platform that reduces maintenance cost, eliminates the need for technology upgrades and avoids large upfront capital investments and expansion costs for any business. It’s truly going to be a competitive advantage for Oregon based businesses”.

To learn more about the Rio Freedom Suite, visit Rio Networks Freedom Suite and sign up for a free in-house demonstration.

Rio Networks is an Oregon owned and operated provider of managed cloud services including phone, email, data and internet. Coverage areas include Portland, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Woodburn, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield, Redmond, Bend, La Pine, Roseburg, Grants Pass Ashland and growing. Rio Networks services the business communities of Oregon with a 96% customer satisfaction score. Contact Rio Networks to learn how your business can benefit from a next generation network and cloud based technologies. You can find Rio Networks online at RioNetworks.com or call 866-746-7253.

November 19, 2011

Roseburg Christmas Tree lighting is Nov. 27

Posted by Mark under Local Events
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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY – A HOLIDAY TRADITION

Sunday, November 27, 2011, will usher in the Christmas season and spirit as families and friends gather in front of the Douglas County Courthouse, in downtown Roseburg for the exciting and fun, traditional Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Young and old alike are invited to enjoy pre-ceremony music by young pianists, Sarah and Kaitlyn Lonnberg and Jaron Cannon, the UACT Carolers, and Umpqua Singers from UCC beginning at 5:00 p.m. All will be invited to join in the caroling while waiting for Santa. It is always great fun anticipating and trying to guess just how Santa will arrive. Come early and view the live Nativity scene and listen to the carolers across the street at the First Christian Church beginning at 4:45.

For additional information, contact the Downtown Roseburg Association at 541-673-3352 or email info@downtownroseburg.org.

November 19, 2011

Scott Henry talks about wine in the Umpqua Valley

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Follow this link to the video – Scott Henry on Umpqua Valley Wine

November 19, 2011

Huge increase in Black Friday Weekend shoppers predicted

Posted by Mark under Business, Consumer research, Economy, retail
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For Immediate Release
Kathy Grannis (202)783-7971 or grannisk@nrf.com
www.nrf.com/holidays

Up to 152 Million Shoppers Expected to Visit Stores, Websites Black Friday Weekend,
According to NRF Survey
-Number of People “Definitely” Shopping Jumps from 27% in 2010 to 33%-

Washington, November 17, 2011 – Though there are already plenty of great deals on everything from e-readers and smartphones to apparel and toys, Americans know there is only one Black Friday – and the best is yet to come. According to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey, conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch, up to 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), higher than the 138 million people who planned to do so last year. According to the survey, 74 million people say they will definitely hit the stores and another 77 million are waiting to see if the bargains are worth braving the cold and the crowds.

“Though many retailers are already touting select Black Friday ads, there’s no doubt we’ll all be blown away by what retailers still have in their bag of tricks for shoppers,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “We fully expect to see excited shoppers as early as midnight at stores around the country, as many holiday shoppers would rather stay up all night to take advantage of retailers’ Black Friday deals rather than set their alarm to wake up the next morning.”

For the first time, NRF asked shoppers how they plan to keep track of retailers’ holiday sales and promotions announcements. Half (50.5%) will keep up with advertising circulars throughout the holiday season and nearly one-third (31.7%) said they will tune in to watch retailers’ holiday commercials. Additionally, nearly one-quarter (23.1%) will seek out coupon websites like RetailMeNot.com and FatWallet.com, and 32.3 percent will specifically keep track of the email coupons they receive from retailers.

“Social media will play a big role in how shoppers follow company sales announcements this holiday season,” said Phil Rist, Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch. “From Facebook to Twitter and even group buying sites, ‘social’ retailers may be rewarded this season in terms of additional holiday sales.”

The survey found 17.3 percent will monitor retailers’ Facebook pages and 11.3 percent will check out group-buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. Of those who own tablet devices and who plan to shop for or research holiday items this year, one in five (21.3%) will seek out group buying sites and 31.2 percent will check out retailers’ Facebook pages.

View NRF’s Black Friday Shopping Tips.

Retailers Ramping Up Social Media, Email Campaigns to Boost Store Traffic This Black Friday

As retailers prep their stores for the biggest shopping weekend of the year, they are also ramping up their activity online. This Black Friday, retailers will harness the power of social media and the Internet to bring shoppers into stores. According to the Shop.org eHoliday Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, eight in 10 (84.2%) retailers will send an email to their customers about Black Friday deals, up from 80.0 percent last year. A marked increase from last year, nearly three-quarters (73.7%) will use their Facebook page to reach out to shoppers, up from 57.1 percent last year. Additionally, many retailers will utilize their website’s home page (50.0%) and Twitter (57.9%) to announce and promote Black Friday deals.

CyberMonday.com Announces Black Friday Deals of the Hour

Black Friday is no longer just about offering eager holiday shoppers great deals in their stores; retailers are also preparing special e-Commerce deals for online shoppers that day. Shop.org’s CyberMonday.com, which features promotions and deals from hundreds of retailers, will feature a Deal of the Hour on Black Friday from more than 20 different retailers. Retailers participating in the Black Friday Deal of the Hour include Sears.com, homedepot.com, Barnes & Noble.com, eBags.com, Macys.com, BestBuy.com. Lowes.com, Kmart.com and many more. (Click here for the full list of companies and times.) Offers will include free shipping specials, dollars off, percentages off, and free gifts with purchase. Retailers will also use CyberMonday.com to promote their special Cyber Monday Deal of the Hour. (CyberMonday.com Deal of the Hour information will be announced Sunday, November 27, 2011.)

Black Friday Contact Information and Additional Details

NRF will release the results of its Black Friday weekend survey by 1:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 28 and will hold a special media briefing at 2 p.m. EST. Information will include what time people started shopping on Black Friday, where they shopped, how much they spent, and what they purchased. NRF will also be releasing findings from a new survey on the number of people expected to shop on Cyber Monday.

NRF’s offices will be closed on Black Friday and throughout the weekend, so please use the communications team’s direct lines to set up print and broadcast interviews with NRF spokespeople. (This is the only way to contact the PR team over the holiday weekend):

- Kathy Grannis: (202) 626-8189 or cell (202) 821-7513 or grannisk@nrf.com
- Ellen Davis: (202) 626-8127 or cell (703) 474-3446 davise@nrf.com
- Kara Goehring (202) 661-3055 or cell (318) 918-8830 or goehringk@nrf.com

About the Survey

The NRF 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,502 consumers (more…)

November 19, 2011

The Hummel Report – Douglas County Real Estate Update

Posted by Mark under Real Estate
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by: Neil Hummel, Century 21

GREETINGS:

Our local economy continues to suffer, in fact it stinks. One of largest employers in our area, the Swanson Timber Company just laid off 400 until the end of the year and plans to revaluate what they will do then. The demand for finished lumber continues to decline nationwide and worldwide even though the demand for raw logs exports are up.

These are reasons why we need to pass the UCC bond levy in May to offer hope of future employment in the growing health care and technology field. This is critical for the long term well being of our community and the people that live here.

We are, however, hearing that many of our local retailers are hiring for the holidays and there seems to be an uptick in consumer confidence. Our local Wal-Mart is expanding its current facilities and it will soon become a “super Wal-Mart” which will include a grocery store.

Gradual Recovery for Housing and the Economy is expected in 2102, according to our lead economist at the National Assocation of Realtors, Lawrence Yun. He went on to say that home sales should be stronger in 2012 even though they struggled in 2011. “Tight credit restrictions have been holding back home sales and consumer confidence has been shaky. Nonetheless, there is a sizeable pent-up demand based on population, the growth of jobs in certain key sectors of our economy, and lower than normal interest rates will likely contribute to the growth in home sales.”

With the continued interest in the elections in 2012, Yun feels that many consumers will once again feel good about the nation’s economy, depending on the outcome of their specific region. In other words, our economy will grow more regionally than nationally, Yun feels.

Of course, we are seeing that already with the recent surge of housing demands in Williston North Dakota when oil rigs are popping up like weeds. In fact, Williston is expected to grow from 30000+ to 60000+ in the next 2 years or less.

In Douglas County October Residential activity was down when you compare October 2011 to October 2010 when closed sales fell from 80 to 73 (-8%). Pending sales remained constant at 93, while new listings dropped by (-28.5%) from 172 to 123. When you compare the respective month of October in 2010 to October 2011, the average sales price dropped from $163,600 to $140,200 (-14.3%) . The total market time for this same period, October 2010 to October 2011 also dropped from 176 days to 154 days which is significant.

On a month to month basis, Douglas County showed declining sales activity across the board when comparing the previous month of September 2011 with October 2011. Closed sales decreased from 82 to 73 (-11%), and pending sales fell from 100 to 93 (-7%). New listings saw a drop of 11.5%, down from 139 to 123. At this month’s rate of sales, the 1,027 active residential listings would last about 14.1 months which is the lowest October inventory rate of the last 3 years.

Cathy and I had the pleasure of attending the 236^th Birthday of the Marine Corps in the Portland area, hosted by the Recruiting Station of Portland. There were close to 400 Marines and their guests in attendance honoring past and present Marines. It was a lively and eventful evening.

Please keep our Military men and women and their families in your thoughts and prayers and be thankful for what you have and the wonderful life that you live because our servicemen and women are preserving our freedoms. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with your family and friends.

November 17, 2011