Same-Store Sales on Goal for February

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 2/26/2007 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Same-store retail sales perked up by 2.9% during the second week of February, helped by a pair of sales promotions for Valentine's Day and President's Day, the Johnson Redbook Index reported.

Given a boost from the double dose of promotions, sales moved up from the 2.5% increase of the week before.

Sales might have been even stronger but winter storms and icy roads hit the Northeast and Midwest discouraging shoppers from heading out to the malls, said Redbook analyst Carlin Levis.

Levis said, "Discount stores reported sales in last minute Valentine's Day items such as flowers, candy, and fashion accessories and said the resulting increase in customer counts drove traffic in categories not directly related to the event, including sales in basic consumables, food and also snow-related items such as salt, ice melt, and snow shovels."

Both discounters and department stores recorded strong gains during the week, with sales climbing by 2.9% at mass merchants, and by 2.8% at their more tony peers.

Overall sales through the first two weeks of February were on plan with a 2.7% increase.

Johnson Redbook Index
Second week of February, year-over-year % change