ICSC-Goldman's same-store index slips, Redbook index rises

Sales slowed in the September 27 week according to ICSC-Goldman's same-store index which slipped 0.2 percent for a year-on-year rate of plus 3.6 percent vs plus 4.1 percent in the prior week. The report attributes the weakness to unseasonable weather that did not raise demand for seasonal goods. Nevertheless, ICSC-Goldman sees healthy sales for September as a whole, in the plus 4 to plus 5 percent year-on-year range

Sales picked up in the September 27 week according to Redbook's same-store index where year-on-year growth rose to 4.3 percent from 3.7 percent in the prior week. But the strength was fueled by deep discounting which held down profit margins. Staples were in biggest demand pointing, the report says, to an absence of a clear seasonal trend. For September as a whole, Redbook, in contrast to ICSC-Goldman, sees weakness, pegging month-to-month sales at minus 0.5 percent which points to weakness for the government's ex-auto ex-gas reading of the September retail sales report.