Retail, Auto Sales Show Surprising Strength

New York, NY, Sept. 2, 2011 -- Sales in August among 26 retailers were up 4.6% at stores open at least a year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The increase is consistent with the 4% to 5% that analysts predicted at the beginning of the month.

Thomson Reuters also said that sales at major chain stores rose 4.4% year over year.

"Despite the weather impacts, sales continued to hold up," said Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, who estimated that sales growth nationwide would have been as much as one percentage point higher if not for the hurricane.

Discounters posted the largest increase at 7.8%.

Auto sales also rose slightly in August from July, defying forecasts for a slowdown. However, sales posted double-digit percentage gains from a year ago.