Same Store Retails Sales Regain Momentum

Same store sales were up 3.6 percent year-on-year in the October 14 week, regaining 0.4 percentage points after a pronounced slowdown in the prior week. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month were down 1.4 percent, a tick less than in the prior week, while year-on-year full month sales were up 3.4 percent, an improvement of 0.2 percentage points from the prior week's pace, which posted the slowest growth recorded in 7 weeks. The modest sales pickup registered by Redbook's sample of retailers this week suggests that the loss of momentum in the prior week may have been a temporary stall, and that it does not mark the end of the brisk uptrend in growth seen in August and September.