Same Store Retail Sales Still Sluggish

Same-store sales were up a soft 0.5 percent year-on-year in the June 25 week, with the sluggish sub-1 percent growth pace seen this year slowing to a crawl. Month-to-date June sales were down 0.9 percent from May and were only 0.7 percent higher than June of last year. Though the sales week included the Sunday of Father's Day promotions, Redbook said department stores and discount stores reported softer sales in the following days, reflecting the usual summer lull, with outdoor activities keeping many buyers away from shopping centers.