U.S. Retail Sales Rise in October from September – Redbook
By Dow Jones Business News, November 04, 2014, 09:21:00 AM EDT
By Tess Stynes
National chain-store sales edged up 0.2% during October from September, according to Redbook Research’s latest indicator, released Tuesday. The index’s increase compared with a target for growth of a 0.4%.
The Johnson Redbook Sales Index also showed seasonally adjusted sales for the period improved 4% from a year earlier, compared with a target for an increase of 4.2%. During the fourth week of October, sales rose 3.9%.
Redbook noted some stores did better during the week, supported by Halloween shopping for items such as costumes, candy and outdoor decorations. However, it added that the holiday’s falling on a Friday, usually an important shopping day, probably impacted the week negatively overall.
For November, Redbook set its preliminary target for same-store sales growth at 4.7% year-to-year, with a month-to- month increase of 0.1%.
Retail sales up in October
By Justine Griffin, Herald-Tribune
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Retail sales improved by 2.1 percent during the middle of October, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Sales were strong at national chain retailers during the middle of October compared to the same time period last year, but on a week-over-week basis, sales decreased by 0.3 percent. “Business over the past week was strong for electronic stores, apparel stores and discounters,” said Michael Niemira, research consultant with ICSC. “Gasoline prices remained low, down a hefty 7.1 percent from the same week of the prior year. Continuing to get a break at the pump should bode well for healthy discretionary spending as we inch closer to entering the tradition holiday shopping period.”
The National Retail Federation predicts that holiday spending for Halloween will reach $7.4 billion this year.
U.S. oil production reached its highest level since 1985 last week, which helped ease the cost of gas across the country. Gas prices dropped by 10 cents nationally to $3.11 a gallon compared to the week prior. In Sarasota, the average price of gasoline hovered at $3.15 per gallon as of Monday.
The NRF also called for holiday spending during the moths of November and December to be up about 4.1 percent compared to 2013.