Family Dollar Stores Inc., the second-biggest dollar-store chain in the U.S., fell 8.8% to $44.99 on Jan. 5, the most in more than two years, after its second-quarter forecast fell short of analysts' projections. Purchasing decisions are "primarily based on want rather than need," Howard Levine, chief executive officer of the Matthews, North Carolina-based company, said on a conference call that day.
The jobless rate among Americans who haven't graduated from high school -- likely those in low-paid positions -- exceeded unemployment among people with at least a Bachelor's degree by 10.5 percentage points in December, near the record 10.9 point gap set in September.
"The paycheck cycle is still pronounced" for Wal-Mart's typical customer, Mike Duke, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company's chief executive officer, said on a Nov. 16 conference call with investors. "Financial uncertainty still weighs heavily on everyday Americans."