7:45am 12/30/03
U.S. holiday season sales seen as strongest since 1999 By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The 2003 holiday season is turning out to be the strongest sales performance since 1999 after a last-minute surge in holiday shopping, according to the ICSC-UBS weekly chain store index. The index rose a solid 2.0 percent in the week ended Dec. 27, after rising 0.6 percent rise in the previous week. The index weakened to a 5.5 percent year-over-year increase, compared with a 5.7 percent year-over-year increase in the previous week. ICSC-UBS said. December chain store sales would come in at the top end of its previous forecast range that sales would rise 3.5-4.5 percent year-on-year. "Overall, the consumer did not let retailers down this holiday season, though they did make them worry a lot," ICSC and UBS said.
U.S. holiday season sales seen as strongest since 1999 By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The 2003 holiday season is turning out to be the strongest sales performance since 1999 after a last-minute surge in holiday shopping, according to the ICSC-UBS weekly chain store index. The index rose a solid 2.0 percent in the week ended Dec. 27, after rising 0.6 percent rise in the previous week. The index weakened to a 5.5 percent year-over-year increase, compared with a 5.7 percent year-over-year increase in the previous week. ICSC-UBS said. December chain store sales would come in at the top end of its previous forecast range that sales would rise 3.5-4.5 percent year-on-year. "Overall, the consumer did not let retailers down this holiday season, though they did make them worry a lot," ICSC and UBS said.
