New York, NY, August 2--Chain store retail sales rose 0.9 percent in the week ended July 30, compared with a 0.4 percent increase the previous week.
It was the fifth consecutive week of increases for the index, finishing July on a positive note as tax holidays and the beginning of back-to-school shopping boosted sales.
Michael Niemira, ICSC's chief economist and director of research said, "Weekly sales finished the month on a healthy note. As a result of hotter weather, strong demand for seasonal goods and the beginning stages of back-to-school shopping, the month of July turned in a healthy performance overall."
The ICSC-UBS Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot is compiled from a group of major discount, department and chain stores across the country that report their weekly results.
