Gasoline prices headed consistently lower through 2015. The east coast has experienced an unusually warm first half of the winter season, reducing the amount families have to spend on heating, especially in the northeast where heating oil is the predominant fuel and has fallen in price along with gasoline. 60% of the US population lives east of the Mississippi. This double edged benefit from lower petroleum prices and warmer temperatures has put more cash in the average consumer’s pocket. Retailers will be the beneficiaries of this extra cash and it should start to show up in their quarterly earnings by the February to March 2016 time frame. Watch for stocks in the retail industry groups to start to break out in early 2016.