IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Bolstered by some strong Veteran’s Day bargains, retailers nationwide completed their second consecutive week of positive sales.
Weekly sales for the week Nov. 16 rose 0.1 percent compared with the previous week and were up 2.8 percent compared with the same week in 2012, according to weekly sales index of chain stores released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.
For the month, the council is predicting 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent increase in sales compared with November 2012.
Locally, people are already out shopping and buying, but it’s too early to say for sure how the Christmas season will play out, said Terri Relf, senior marketing manager with Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino.
With Black Friday not falling until Nov. 29., there are six fewer shopping days this season, which means more sales, Relf said.
“We’re seeing a lot of sales and people are taking advantage of them, but I’m going to stay with my original prediction for this shopping season,” Relf said. “I’m still cautiously optimistic.”
