Same-Store Retail Sales Up Slightly

Same-store year-on-year sales were up only 0.2 percent in the August 13 week which is the lowest reading of the year for Redbook whose sample, often in contrast to government data, has been reporting weakness all year. But at least in July, the government's data, like Redbook, was indeed weak. And today's results point to a second month of trouble for the ex-auto ex-gas reading of the August retail sales report which slipped 0.1 percent in July.