NEW YORK, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. chain store sales rose by 3.8 percent in September, continuing a steady and sustainable performance overall, an industry group said Thursday.
The International Council of Shopping Centers Inc. also said that with last month ranking as the 25th coldest September in the last 112 years, consumers changed where they shopped during the month.
"September saw a dramatic shift in where consumers shopped," said Michael Niemira, ICSC's chief economist and director of research.
"This was especially seen in the sales results of department stores which posted their best performance since January 1997 and in wholesale clubs which posted their weakest performance since January 2005. Through year-end, we expect sales to moderate slightly but remain healthy. For October, ICSC expects same-store sales will increase by 3 percent to 3.5 percent, on a year-over-year basis, as consumers begin to turn their attention to Halloween and holiday shopping," Niemira added.
