End Market Tracker & Forecaster
| Average Annual % Change |
| |
10 Years |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Packaging Plastics Index |
4.5 |
4.8 |
3.2 |
| Retail Sales ex. autos |
5.6 |
5.3 |
6.7 |
Packaging
Return to Injection Molding Business Index
 The Packaging Plastics Index declined 4% during the latest month when compared with last year. This followed a 17% decrease in the previous month.
 The latest forecast for the Packaging Plastics Index calls for a decrease of 6% in 2008 and a 1% gain in 2009. This follows a slight rise in 2007.
The U.S. economy will expand at a below-average rate in the near-term. Resins prices began to moderate in the fourth quarter of 2008 and they will gradually decline throughout 2009.
The trend in U.S. retail sales (minus autos) correlates with the trends in demand for consumer products and packaging products such as blow molded bottles, injection molded caps, and packaging film.
Total U.S. retail sales (minus autos) are forecast to expand 5% in 2008 and 4% in 2009 after a rise of 4.3% in 2007.
Total retail sales decreased moderately in August when compared with the previous month, but the total was 6% higher when compared with the same month last year. By far the largest growth was at gasoline stations, but food stores and internet sales also registered solid gains.
| Packaging Data |
|
|
| |
| Latest |
Previous |
Year |
YTD% |
Annual % Change |
| |
Month |
Month |
Ago |
Change |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Packaging Plastics Index (1) (2004=100) |
88.8 |
84.7 |
92.4 |
-5.4 |
0.2 |
-6.0 |
1.0 |
| Total U.S Retail Sales ex. autos (2) bils. of $, SA |
310.5 |
312.4 |
299.2 |
5.4 |
4.3 |
5.0 |
4.0 |
| Foodservices & Drinking Places (2) bils. of $, SA |
38.3 |
38.5 |
37.4 |
4.2 |
5.2 |
4.0 |
5.0 |
| Grocery Stores (2) bils. of $, SA |
44.4 |
44.5 |
42.2 |
6.1 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
(1) Latest Data = September 2008
(2) Latest Data = September 2008 |
Data Sources: U.S. Commerce Dept., Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc.
Forecasts: Mountaintop Economics & Research, Inc.
|
