US DATA: ICSC sales for wk Jul 23: “The ICSC-Goldman Sachs
(ICSC-GS) chain store sales index for the week ending July 23 improved
by 1.0% from the prior week as apparel demand improved appreciably as a
bout of cooler weather nationally helped to drive fall and back to
school apparel. On a year-over-year basis, sales strengthened to 3.3%,
the strongest reading since the week ending June 16. According to
Weather Trends, Inc. (WTI) the U.S. average temperature was 1.4F cooler
than last year, but 2.9F above normal… Gasoline prices posted their
third consecutive increase as the summer driving pressures again put
upward pressure on prices at the pump… This week, Mississippi launches
the 2012 state sales tax holiday pd.”