Same Store Retail Sales Back To Trend

Redbook's sample slowed back down to trend in the December 5 week with same-store year-on-year sales at a soft plus 1.9 percent. This compares with an outsized 3.9 percent surge in the prior week that was tied to unusually strong Black Friday growth for Redbook's sample. The report notes that the latest week, though mixed, did get a lift from this year's earlier Hanukkah. Redbook expects December sales to hold steady before picking up in the third and fourth weeks of the month.