US DATA: ICSC for wk Aug 6: “With increased economic uncertainty
looming consumers pulled back on their discretionary spending once again
giving retailers their second consecutive week of weekly sales declines.
As a result, for the week ending August 6, weekly retail sales slipped
by 0.5 percent, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store
Sales Index. On a year-over-year basis retail sales slowed once again
to 3.6 percent.”