ICSC/Goldman Sachs Chain Store Sales Rise in Latest Week

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Retail Chain Store Sales Index rose 0.2% in the week ended Saturday from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted, comparable-store basis.

"There were 12 states that had a sales tax holiday during the week, which helped propel back-to-school sales," according to Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. "As a result, I expect sales for July to increase by better than 4%."