NEW YORK (Reuters) – Retail pundits who spread the “beer is recession-proof” theory might want to take a closer look at brewer Molson Coors’ <TAP.N> results.

On Tuesday, the brewer of Coors Light and Molson Canadian reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on weak sales volume across all markets and issued a tepid volume forecast for 2010, sending its shares down 3.2 percent.

Molson Coors was also weighed down by cost inflation in the United States and Britain.

The cost of goods sold per hectoliter increased 5.6 percent from the year-earlier period, hurt by increases in brewing and packaging material costs, including glass and aluminum, the company said.

NEW YORK, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Retail pundits who spread the “beer is recession-proof” theory might want to take a closer look at brewer Molson Coors’ <TAP.N> results.

On Tuesday, the brewer of Coors Light and Molson Canadian reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on weak sales volume across all markets and issued a tepid volume forecast for 2010, sending its shares down 3.2 percent.

Molson Coors was also weighed down by cost inflation in the United States and Britain.

The cost of goods sold per hectoliter increased 5.6 percent from the year-earlier period, hurt by increases in brewing and packaging material costs, including glass and aluminum, the company said.

CHICAGO/NEW YORK, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co <KO.N> reported stronger-than-expected quarterly sales on Tuesday as higher demand for its beverages in China, India and Brazil offset a drop in North America, sending the world’s largest soft-drink maker’s shares up 2.6 percent.

Lower costs and volume gain helped boost profit, which was in line with analysts’ estimates. The company gained market share in the carbonated and noncarbonated drinks markets.

Results continued a trend for the maker of Diet Coke, Sprite and Dasani water, which has relied on strength overseas to counter a weak North American market beset by high unemployment and low consumer confidence.

“This continues to be a story about emerging market growth,” Morningstar analyst Phil Gorham said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Polo Ralph Lauren Corp <RL.N> reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, hurt by a decline in wholesale sales as retail customers remained conservative in their orders, and its shares fell 9 percent.

Chief Operating Officer Roger Farah said the clothing maker’s wholesale segment faced tough comparisons with a year ago, when orders were still strong before retailers cut back in the wake of the financial crisis. Yet demand at the retail level has picked up, and wholesale orders should begin to reflect some of that rebound later in the year, he said.

“I think it is just the timing of the two, wholesale and retail segments,” Farah told analysts on a conference call. “The sell-through … for our wholesale customers was significantly better this third quarter and I think that bodes well for our orders going forward into the fall and holiday of next year.”

The wholesale segment’s operating margin was 17.7 percent in the company’s fiscal third quarter, ended December 26, 2.1 percentage points below last year.

NEW YORK, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Polo Ralph Lauren Corp <RL.N> reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, hurt by a decline in wholesale sales as retail customers remained conservative in their orders, and its shares fell 9 percent.

Chief Operating Officer Roger Farah said the clothing maker’s wholesale segment faced tough comparisons with a year ago, when orders were still strong before retailers cut back in the wake of the financial crisis. Yet demand at the retail level has picked up, and wholesale orders should begin to reflect some of that rebound later in the year, he said.

“I think it is just the timing of the two, wholesale and retail segments,” Farah told analysts on a conference call. “The sell-through … for our wholesale customers was significantly better this third quarter and I think that bodes well for our orders going forward into the fall and holiday of next year.”

The wholesale segment’s operating margin was 17.7 percent in the company’s fiscal third quarter, ended Dec. 26, 2.1 percentage points below last year.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans slightly slowed their consumption of hard liquor last year, a trade group said on Tuesday, proving that spirits are relatively resilient in a recession, but not immune.

U.S. revenue for spirits makers in 2009 was flat even though sales volume rose slightly, as many budget-conscious consumers turned to lower-priced drinks, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

The trade group expects sales growth to rebound as the economy mends, but stopped short of giving a forecast for 2010.

“In our view, we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel here in the recession, but your guess is as good as ours how long is the length of that tunnel,” said DISCUS CEO Peter Cressy.

NEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Americans slightly slowed their consumption of hard liquor last year, a trade group said on Tuesday, proving that spirits are relatively resilient in a recession, but not immune.

U.S. revenue for spirits makers in 2009 was flat even though sales volume rose slightly, as many budget-conscious consumers turned to lower-priced drinks, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

The trade group expects sales growth to rebound as the economy mends, but stopped short of giving a forecast for 2010.

“In our view, we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel here in the recession, but your guess is as good as ours how long is the length of that tunnel,” said DISCUS CEO Peter Cressy.

Check out differing projections for spending on Valentine’s Day.

For you romantics out there who gauge the strength of your love by an annual showering of flowers, chocolate and jewelry on Valentine’s Day — you might want to adjust your expectations.

This year, couples plan to spend an average of $63.34 on gifts for their significant other or spouse, down nearly 6 percent from $67.22 last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. At the same time, the average person plans to spend $5.37 on their friends, up 13 percent from $4.74 last year.

The survey also found people plan to spend more on classmates and teachers, co-workers and pets.

NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc <TSN.N> said on Friday it plans to shift some production of case-ready meats from a plant in Iowa to plants in the Tennessee and Texas, to keep up with growing demand of those products in the southern United States.

Tyson said plants in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and Sherman, Texas, are closer to its growing customer base and should allow it to make more effective use of its existing production capacity for case-ready meats, such as packages of steaks and chops ready for retail grocers to place directly into their meat cases.

BB&T Capital Markets analyst Heather Jones said the shift reinforced her optimism on Tyson and her view that consumer demand is relatively strong.

“If anything it’s a demonstration that demand truly is very strong in pork, but it is also a demonstration that demand is stronger in the southeastern U.S. than it is in the middle of the country.”

NEW YORK, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Coach Inc’s <COH.N> North American same-store sales rose for the first time in over a year, but fell short of Wall Street projections, sending shares of the U.S. leather goods maker down nearly 6 percent.

The shortfall overshadowed better-than-expected revenue and earnings in the key holiday quarter.

North American same-store sales rose 3.2 percent, the first increase in five quarters, but fell short of analysts 5 percent expectation according to Lazard Capital analyst Todd Slater.

“The bulls will point to the first positive comp (same store sales) … but the bears should note that the company hit the low end or missed comp expectations for the third consecutive quarter,” Slater said in a research note, adding that Coach also used more coupons and discounts to a wider audience than last year.