Same Store Retail Sales Accelerate Sharply

Same store sales were up 7.9 percent year-on-year in the November 24 week, sharply accelerating by 1.7 percentage points to the strongest annual growth pace in at least 12 years. Month to date sales versus the prior month were up 0.8 percent, while the full month year-on-year gain rose to 6.7 percent, a new high for the year. Redbook's same store year-on-year sales gains have been the strongest in a decade since September and continue accelerate, pointing to increasingly robust strength in ex-auto ex-gas retail sales during the key holiday sales season.