Chain Store Sales Up Fourth Consecutive Week

New York, NY, Oct. 7, 2009--U.S. weekly chain store sales rose 1 percent for the seven days that ended Oct. 3, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs.

It was the fourth consecutive week in which comparable store sales remained positive. On a week-to-week basis, sales increased by 0.3 percent.

“A bout of cooler weather helped to spur customer traffic, especially at department stores and discounters, and helped the month to finish on a positive note,” said Michael P. Niemira, ICSC's chief economist.

“With retailers reporting monthly sales figures for September on Thursday, ICSC Research expects industry sales for September will be down about 2 percent, with a bias on the stronger side,” Niemira added.