New York, NY, December 19, 2006--Chain store sales for the week ended December 16 rose 2.4% compared to the year-ago period, according to a survey released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC.
On a week-over-week basis, sales rose 1.6%. "With consumers slower to complete their holiday gift buying than last year at this same time, consumers will be out in force over the remaining days to wrap up their buying," said Michael Niemira, ICSC's chief economist.
For December, ICSC expects sales to grow by 2.5% to 3.5%.
