US DATA: wk 06-Oct ICSC-Goldman Store Sales: “rose by 0.2% from the
prior week and its year-over-year momentum improved modestly to 2.8%
from 2.4% in the prior week. The ICSC-GS consumer tracking survey found
that overall customer traffic weakened during the past week compared
with the same week of the prior year, but there were pockets of
improvement at department stores, wholesale clubs, electronics stores
and drug stores. According to Weather Trends, Inc. (WTI) the U.S.
average nationwide temperature was 1.1F warmer than last year and 1.5F
above normal. WTI observed that the past week ending Saturday “started
off mild but the first shot of very cold air plunged southward… The
sudden shock to cold weather will have sent shoppers to the stores
seeking out outerwear, hats, gloves, sweaters, furnace filters, space
heaters and boots.”