Retail sales lifted

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 6/19/2003 12:00:00 AM

New York — Retail sales picked up modestly during the second week of June, given a lift by the Father's Day holiday, but still remained below plan for the week and month-to-date as cool weather across much of the nation dampened sales of apparel and other warm-weather goods.

The Redbook Retail Sales Average rose by 1.3 percent during the second week, gaining modestly over a 1.2 percent gain the prior week. And for the first two weeks of June, cumulative same-store sales were up by 1.3 percent, but still missed the target of a 1.5 percent increase. Both discounters and department stores missed their month-to-date targets. Discounter sales for the first two weeks of June rose by 2.6 percent, just off the target of 2.8 percent. But department store same-store sales fell by 1.0 percent, further than a smaller forecast drop of 0.6 percent.