Halloween vs. Sandy in November's week 1

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/6/2012 11:55:12 AM

New York - Same-store sales were up 0.8% in the first week of November, according to The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index.

Month-to-date, November was up 0.8% compared to November of last year, relative to a target of a 2.1% gain. Month-over-month showed a 0.6% drop, relative to a target of a 0.7% gain.

November is a four-week month on the retail calendar ending on November 24.

Redbook analyst Catlin Levis noted last-minute Halloween-related shopping, "gave a lift to customer traffic and sales." Halloween shopping also helped to spur sales across a broad range of cooler weather apparel categories and basic consumables.

But, she added, "not all retailers caught the upswing in seasonal business as Hurricane Sandy disrupted business throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions causing store closures and lost traffic. Some retailers also noted that business was soft as the country focused on national elections."

November is ending with the official beginning of the holiday season, which begins on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving in the final week of the month.

"November is typically a transitional month where retailers often clear unsold fall merchandise and prepare for the holiday season," Levis summed. "More importantly, the month is significantly back loaded with most business contributed in the two days following Thanksgiving."