Same-Store Retail Sales Growth Slows

Same-store sales slackened to 0.3 growth in the October 22 week after being up 1.0 percent year-on-year in the prior week. Month-to-date October sales in the Redbook sample were down 0.1 percent versus September, moving back into the negative territory seen in this comparison for all but one week since late May. Year-on-year, monthly same-store sales were up weak 0.6 percent, 0.1 percentage points less than in the previous week. After a strong start that raised hopes of a recovery in core retail sales growth, October weekly sales in the Redbook sample have since eased back toward the sluggish pace set in the previous months.