A weekly measure of sales at chain stores, discounters, and department stores. It is a less consistent indicator of retail sales than the weekly ICSC index. It is also calculated differently than other indicators. For instance, figures for the first week of the month are compared with the average for the entire previous month. When two weeks are available, then these are compared with the average for the previous month, and so on. It might be more useful to compare year-over-year figures since these are indeed compared to the comparable week a year ago. This index is correlated with the general merchandise portion of retail sales covering only about 10 percent of total retail sales. Why Investors Care
| Released on 10/2/07 For wk 9/29 2007 | ||||||||
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Highlights
Store sales appeared to be soft in the Sept. 29 week, with Redbook's tally especially weak at 1.5 percent year-on-year growth. Unusually warm weather has hurt demand for seasonal goods, while an unsettled economic outlook may be keeping consumer spirits down. Vehicle sales later today will offer important information on economic strength for September.
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