May Chain Store Sales Rise as Expected

June 3, 2010

This article is included in these additional categories:

Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Financial Services | Retail & E-Commerce

Chain store sales rose on a year-over-year-basis throughout May 2010, although they fluctuated on a weekly basis, according to [pdf] the Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot compiled by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman-Sachs.

May Chain Store Sales Rise 2.6% Overall
Overall, chain store sales during May 2010 rose 2.6% compared to May 2009, meeting most analyst expectations. The late Memorial Day holiday (May 31, 2010) shifted holiday-related sales into the fiscal month of June 2010, negatively impacting the total increase.

icsc-chain-store-index-may-10-june-2010.jpg

The Chain Store Index reached 499.7 the week ending May 29, 2010, a 2.5% annual increase and 0.6% weekly increase. The week ending May 22, the Index was 496.7, a 1.3% annual increase but 0.8% weekly decrease. The Index reached 500.9 the week ending May 15, a 2.9% annual increase but 2.5% weekly decrease. And the week ending May 8, the Index reached a monthly-high score of 513.7, a 4.3% annual increase and 0.1% weekly increase.

icsc-chain-store-index-weekly-may-10-june-2010.jpg

Chain store sales in 1977 are set to a score of 100.

Weather, Fuel Prices, Boost Sales
Several factors contributed to the overall improvement in chain store sales during May 2010. According to Weather Trends International (WTI), the average national temperature during the last week of May was 1.4?F warmer than the same week last year and 3?F above its long-term average. WTI also noted, “after five straight weeks of cooler year-over-year temperatures, the last week of May finally heated up with the third-warmest end to May in more than 18 years for the nation as a whole.”

Meanwhile, consumers continued to get a reprieve to their non-discretionary spending from lower gasoline prices. As reported by Retailer Daily, on May 28, 2010, the average price for a gallon of self-service regular gas in the U.S. was $2.75, a 4.2% decrease from $2.87 the last week in April 2010, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) Fuel Gauge Report.

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