Shopping Slow After East Coast Hurricane
September 7, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) — Retail sales receipts slid 0.7 percent in the week ending last Sunday, a U.S. trade group said Wednesday.
In a weekly report pushed back a day due to the Labor Day holiday, the International Council of Shopping Centers said fewer consumers traveling during the holiday weekend could have resulted in more shoppers heading to local malls, “even though their spending was subdued.”
Compared to the same week of 2010, sales rose 2.7 percent. “However, weighing heavy on the spending pace were the impacts of Hurricane Irene — directly and indirectly,” ICSC said.
Power outages slowed shopping in some areas, while time spent cleaning up after the storm was another distraction.
Other shoppers stocked up on staples before the storm, which meant they had less shopping to do after the storm passed, ICSC said.
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