The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs report that U.S. chain-store sales rose 3.3% this past week, compared to 2009 reports at this time. However, this was a 1.4% drop compared to sales of the week prior to that.
Michael Niemira, Director of Research and Chief Economist for the ICSC, reports a mixed reaction with the welfare of retailers towards this increase. "Despite this week's decline, sales for September remain are on track for an industry-wide increase of about .3 percent overall."
