Comps up 3.2% in December's first week

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 12/6/2011 2:57:30 PM

New York -- The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index for same-store sales rose 3.2% in the first week of December.

Month-to-date, December increased 3.2% compared to December of last year, relative to a target of a 3.6% gain. Month-over-month showed a 2.6% drop compared to November, relative to a target of a 2.3% drop.

Retailers described the week as "a lull that began the weekend after a hectic (for some) post-Thanksgiving surge," according to Catlin Levis, Redbook analyst. "Retailers noticed, however, that the pause was typical of the first week of December and would likely be followed by an equally predicable steady build-up as we get closer to the Christmas holiday."

She added that this shopping pattern "has intensified as customers have learned to shop at the last minute to exploit merchant markdowns."

Meanwhile, winter seasonal business continues to be primarily weather driven, she said.

This December contains one additional pre-Christmas shopping day compared to last December, while Hanukkah falls later this year than last year. Both are expected to help improve comps for the month.