Same Store Retail Sales Slow Slightly

Same store sales were up 8.9 percent year-on-year in the January 5 week, slowing by 0.4 percentage points from the prior week's torrid 9.3 percent pace, which was the strongest in at least 13 years. Month-to-date sales versus the prior month were up 0.8 percent, while the full month year-on-year gain rose 0.2 percentage points to 7.9 percent. Redbook's same store sales begin the new year with exceptionally high year-on-year growth that is more than twice as strong as at the start of last year, pointing to robust strength in ex-auto ex-gas retail sales.