WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. retail receipts rose in the week ending Saturday, helped by sales of Halloween decorations, candy and costumes, a national trade group said.
The International Council of Shopping Centers said sales rose 0.7 percent from the previous week and 3 percent from the same week of 2010.
Sales showed "the strongest weekly gain since early September, but not strong enough to offset the prior week's decline," the report said.
Weather Trends International said temperatures were markedly cooler in the week compared with the same week of 2010, off 4 degrees Fahrenheit. "A surprise record breaking October Nor'easter slammed the Northeast on Saturday with record snowfall from the mountains of Virginia to Maine," WTI said.
The biggest hurdle for shoppers, however, was a massive power outage, WTI said.
The storm disrupted power for more than 3 million people, the report said.
