New York, NY, September 12, 2006--Weekly chain store sales slipped 0.3 percent for the week ending Sept. 9, an industry group said Tuesday.
The International Council of Shopping Centers and UBS Securities LLC also said that, on a year-over-year basis, overall demand held relatively steady at 3.8 percent.
"Cooler seasonal weather and lower gasoline prices helped to spur consumer interest in shopping, especially in the Northeast," said Michael P. Niemira, ICSC's chief economist and director of research. "Although sales dipped on a week-over-week basis, the year-over-year pace continued to show strength. For the fiscal month of September, ICSC expects retail chain store sales to increase by around 3.5 percent for the month."
