September Chain Store Sales Higher Than Expected

New York, NY, Oct. 8, 2010--September figures for chain store sales were higher than expected, retailers said Thursday.

According to Thomson Reuters, which tracks a group of 28 national chain stores and records same-store sales to show month-by-month comparisons, same store figures have risen for 18 months consecutively.

The anticipated gain for September was 2.1% but end of the month figures show a 2.8% increase, compared to a September 2009 increase of 0.9%.

Sales and discounts have been a significant driver of sales.