Same Store Retail Sales Accelerate Sharply

Same store sales were up 6.5 percent year-on-year in the September 1 week, accelerating sharply by 1.4 percentage points from the prior week to post the strongest year-on-year growth in at least 13 years. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month were up 0.4 percent, while the full month year-on-year gain widened by 0.4 percentage points to 5.2 percent, the strongest reading for this comparison this year. Redbook's same store sample sales have shown growing strength since the beginning of August and the multi-year high set in the last week of the month points to powerful acceleration in ex-auto ex-gas retail sales.