US DATA: Consumers preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy
along the East Coast gave retailers a bit of a sales increase this past
week. As a result, weekly retail sales for the week ending October 20
rose by 0.5%, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers
(ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index. On a
year-over-year basis, retail sales fell slightly by 2.7%. See more on
the MNI main wire.