Shopping sales surge after Christmas
A flurry of post-Christmas bargain shopping helped drive sales higher in the last week of December, according to a report Wednesday from a shopping mall trade group. Increased gift card use, mild weather and a federal holiday the Monday after Christmas all contributed.
Sales at stores open at least one year rose 5.3 percent during the week ended Saturday, compared with the same period a year ago. That report comes from the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index, which estimates sales for 24 major stores like Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp.
The metric is considered a key gauge of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.
As a result of the latest surge, the group increased its December sales growth estimate to a range of 4 percent to 4.5 percent.
Major retailers are set to release their final figures for the month on Thursday.
-- AP
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep 3: Top football teams in action, fantasy update and plays of the week Gregg Sarra sounds off on the Northport and Half Hollow Hills East matchup, plus Tess Ferguson has an update on the high school fantasy football standings and Jared Vailuzzi has the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep 3: Top football teams in action, fantasy update and plays of the week Gregg Sarra sounds off on the Northport and Half Hollow Hills East matchup, plus Tess Ferguson has an update on the high school fantasy football standings and Jared Vailuzzi has the plays of the week.
