Highlights
Both ICSC-Goldman, and now Redbook, report slight improvement for same-store sales, at a year-on-year plus 3.4 percent in the August 17 week for Redbook which, like ICSC-Goldman, is up a couple of tenths from the month-ago trend. Redbook offers a specific comparison for August-to-July which is up 0.2 percent so far this month.

Redbook notes early strength for back-to-school sales especially in the South where school starts earlier than other regions. The report notes that unseasonably cool weather has been a plus for back-to-school sales but a negative for summer goods including air conditioners and sporting equipment.